Home Career 35 Best Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities for the Classroom

35 Best Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities for the Classroom

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Despite being published over 50 years ago, Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar still resonates with kids today. It is so beloved that there is even a special day dedicated to this favorite book: March 20 is known as Very Hungry Caterpillar Day around the world. Some even celebrate author Eric Carle’s birthday on June 25. Whether you are in the mood for a good art project, science lesson, or even a healthy snack, the possibilities for classroom activities, art projects, and crafts based on this beloved tale are endless. Check out our favorite Very Hungry Caterpillar activities that celebrate this classic children’s book.

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Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities

Very Hungry Caterpillar Art and Crafts

Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities

A tissue box has a caterpillar on the top of it. The body has holes in it. There are red and green pom poms to put inside the box in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities.
Happy Tot Shelf
caterpillar bodies are made on white paper with green dots with letters in them. Red bottle caps are used for the head in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities.
Growing Book by Book

2. Caterpillar Letter Sort

Being able to recognize the similarities and differences between letters is an important skill for early readers and writers. With this fun activity, kids build caterpillars letter by letter by sorting them into curves and straights.

Learn more: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities: Letter Sorts

A caterpillar is made from circles glued to a clothespin.
School Time Snippets

3. Clothespin Story Retelling

This activity is a fun way to work on another important literacy skill: sequencing. After reading the story together, students can retell it in order by clipping the story sequence circles (download here) onto the caterpillar body.

Learn more: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sequencing Printable

Strips of paper are pieced together to show a caterpillar.
Playdough to Plato

4. Caterpillar Word Puzzles

These simple, colorful word puzzles are a novel way to practice letter sounds, shape recognition, word building, and fine motor skills. Download templates here.

Learn more: Very Hungry Caterpillar Puzzles

A caterpillar is made from legos on a gray baseplate.
Spongy Kids
Fruits cut out of construction paper have different numbers of holes punched in them in this example of Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities.
Modern Preschool

6. Caterpillar Fine Motor Activity

Speaking of fine motor skills, kids will love this activity. They will chomp and munch through the fruit shapes using a caterpillar hole punch. Have them retell the story as they munch so you can check for comprehension.

Learn more: Very Hungry Caterpillar Fine Motor Activity

A caterpillar is made from grass.
Toys in the Dryer

7. Grassy Caterpillar

Get your hands dirty and give a little nature lesson while celebrating The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This blog gives you step-by-step directions (scroll down to Thursday’s entry) for creating your own project.

Learn more: Very Hungry Caterpillar Crafts

A white plate is divided into four categories, egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly.
Somewhat Simple

8. A Butterfly’s Life Cycle

Read the story to your students, then create the life cycle of a butterfly. We love Very Hungry Caterpillar activities that can be re-created using items you likely already have at home or can gather during a nature walk.

Learn more: Monarch Butterfly Craft and Activity Book

A sheet of paper has a table with rows 1-10. Each row has the corresponding number of fingerprints to each number. They are made to look like caterpillars.
Totschooling

9. Caterpillar Fingerprint Counting

Looking for Very Hungry Caterpillar activities that combine art and math? These free fingerprint counting printables make learning number sense fun while giving your kids a chance to get their hands messy. Also, check out Totschooling’s free dot-paint packet, which includes tons of activities to help kids work on fine motor skills, counting skills, prereading and prewriting skills, and more.

Learn more: Fun Handprint Art

A basket filled with items pertaining to the story the Very Hungry Caterpillar is shown in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities.
The Imagination Tree

10. Storytelling Basket

Use this fun basket when reading the story with your class, then have it available afterward for kids to enjoy in a choice center. Include the book, a caterpillar, a butterfly, and plastic foods for the caterpillar to munch on.

Learn more: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Storytelling Basket

Large stand up caterpillar is shown. Each square is a different part of the body.
The Educators’ Spin on It

11. Classroom Caterpillar

Have each student paint a green circle on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of white card stock. If you have time to take and print photos of each child, have them glue their photo inside of their circle. If not, ask each student to draw a self-portrait. Join the children’s pages together with staples or tape and add the caterpillar’s head (see photo for sample). Hang your class caterpillar in the hall outside your classroom or on your door to share with your school.

Learn more: A Very Hungry Caterpillar Teacher Appreciation Party

A caterpillar is constructed from sliced apples.
Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons

12. Apple Caterpillars

Use the Very Hungry Caterpillar story as a jumping-off point for a discussion about healthy eating, then have your students create this adorable snack. Be sure to check for allergies before creating this tasty little guy with your little chefs.

Learn more: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Snack

A young child is seen on a white blanket with different fruit printables spread out.
Artsy Momma

13. Food Printables

Use this free printable to create fruit, caterpillar, leaf, and butterfly pieces, then spread them out on a large white sheet on the floor. Test your students’ recollection skills as they act out the events in the story.

Get printable: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Crafts & Activities

Dried peas and lentils are in small bowls in the shape of a caterpillar in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities.
Rainy Day Mum

14. Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are a great way for young kids to learn through tactile play. This adorable Very Hungry Caterpillar–inspired sensory bin is made up of dried chickpeas, dried peas, dried lentils, and some liquid watercolors. Kids will have fun creating the main character of this beloved children’s classic.

Learn more: Very Hungry Caterpillar Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers

A colorful board game box and playing board are shown.
Amazon

15. Let’s Feed the Very Hungry Caterpillar Game

If you’re short on time, a store-bought activity might just be the way to go. With nearly five stars and over 1,500 reviews on Amazon, we think this game is a real winner!

Buy it: Let’s Feed the Very Hungry Caterpillar Game at Amazon

16. An Adorable Video

This video starring a puppet of none other than the Very Hungry Caterpillar will be sure to captivate your students. It may even inspire your students to act out their new favorite story!

A little girl is seen writing observations in a journal. Beside her is a netted container with three monarch butterflies inside it in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities.
Amazon

17. Hatch Butterflies

Growing and hatching actual butterflies is a magical experience even for adults. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is the perfect book to tie together ELA and STEM lessons. The sweet story is a good introduction to the life cycle of a caterpillar. We love that this kit comes with a journal to record student observations during the process. Finally, release those beautiful butterflies outside as a class.

Buy it: Butterfly Garden at Amazon

Several round wooden discs have pictures of a caterpillar and fruits on them.
Etsy

18. Story Stones

These adorable handmade story stones make the perfect addition to any classroom. Students can follow along with the story as they string together these discs. They can also lay them out on a rug or floor and work together to find the right stone for each part of the story.

Buy it: Hungry Caterpillar Story Stones at Etsy

Very Hungry Caterpillar Art Projects and Crafts

caterpillar necklace made from pasta noodles, paper discs and yarn
Hands On As We Grow

19. Caterpillar Necklace

This caterpillar necklace is a fantastic way to get kids’ imaginations going and support fine motor skills. This simple activity involves threading dyed penne noodles and paper discs cut from construction paper onto a piece of yarn. Tie off the ends, and your kids will have a fancy necklace to share with their families.

Get tutorial: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Necklace

colorful butterflies made from construction paper and crumpled spots of tissue paper
Pre-school Play

20. Tissue Paper Butterflies

This colorful craft is as fun as it is pretty! Children tear squares from thick sheets of tissue paper and glue them onto a pre-cut card-stock butterfly to replicate the one at the end of the book.

Get tutorial: Hungry Caterpillar Style Butterflies

Five images are shown in a collage. Various scenes from the Very Hungry Caterpillar ar constructed from play dough.
Rainy Day Mum

21. Play Dough Scenes

This activity will be sure to delight your students since young kids love to play with play dough. Provide them with a rainbow of colors, then watch as they re-create scenes from the beloved story.

Learn more: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Play Dough Play

children's headband made from construction paper- red for the band, purple for the antennae and green and yellow for the eyes in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities.
Libraryland

22. Caterpillar Headband

After reading the story, make these fun caterpillar headbands out of colored construction paper and have a fun parade around the classroom.

Get tutorial: Very Hungry Caterpillar Headband

4 rows of rocks are painted with fruits and vegetables and one row is made to look like a caterpillar.
The Purple Pumpkin Blog

23. Rock Caterpillar

Kids (and adults) love painting rocks so what better way to bring this famous story to life? It’s hard to get details with paintbrushes so grab some paint markers before working on this project.

Get tutorial: How To Make Story Stones With Uni-ball Posca Pens

A green caterpillar is made from twisted pipe cleaners in this example of Very Hungry Caterpillar activities.
Messy Little Monster

24. Pipe Cleaner Caterpillar

This simple craft works on fine motor skills since kids will have to work on bending pipe cleaners around Popsicle sticks. The end product will be an oh-so adorable new caterpillar that can double as a desk buddy!

Get tutorial: Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft

egg carton caterpillars in front of The Very Hungry Caterpillar book in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities
Two Pink Peonies

25. Egg Carton Caterpillar

No activity roundup for The Very Hungry Caterpillar would be complete without the classic egg carton caterpillar. Yes, it’s been done before, but it’s one of those memorable activities (and keepsakes) that every kid loves.

Get tutorial: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity With an Egg Carton

The Very Hungry Caterpillar book is in the background on a table. A green leaf has a caterpillar on it that is constructed from a red pipe cleaner and beads in this example of very hungry caterpillar activities.
Artsy Craftsy Mom

26. Beaded Caterpillar

We love how simple this project is, since all you will need are some pipe cleaners and beads and maybe some green card stock. Kids will be working on their fine motor control while getting creative.

Get tutorial The Very Busy Spider & Hungry Caterpillar Craft

A child holds a balloon over a large white piece of paper that has green and red dots printed on it with paint to look like a caterpillar.
Busy Bugs

27. Balloon Printing

Printmaking but for the pre-K crowd! This is so easy to do: Just put some green, yellow, and red paint on a paper plate, hand the kiddos some balloons, and watch them create. Just be warned, however, things could get messy!

Get tutorial: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities

28. Caterpillar Mask

What better way to bring The Very Hungry Caterpillar book to life than by dressing the part? This adorable mask can be made using art materials you probably already have lying around. You may just need to buy a pack of sturdy paper plates and a roll of elastic.

A caterpillar is made from green and red flattened cupcake liners. (very hungry caterpillars)
In the Playroom

29. Cupcake Liner Caterpillars

Flatten some green and red cupcake liners, add googly eyes and sequins, then create this adorable caterpillar. You can get other colored cupcake liners as well so you can create the butterfly at the end of the book too!

Get tutorial: Cupcake Liner: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft

A construction paper caterpillar is seen sitting on a tissue paper leaf.
Mrs. T’s First Grade Class

30. Caterpillar Pop-Up Book

This adorable book features a little caterpillar lying on a leaf on the cover, his cozy cocoon on the back, and the butterfly he becomes in the middle. Hang these books from your classroom ceiling for a colorful display.

Get tutorial: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Pop-Up Book

A caterpillar is constructed of construction paper. Each section of the body is a different letter that spells Aubrie.
Littlest Bookworms

31. Caterpillar Names

While crafts are great for working our little ones’ creative minds, we love that this project works on letter recognition, name building, and pattern creation as well.

Get tutorial: Very Hungry Caterpillars Literature Activities

A caterpillar and a pear are attached to posicle sticks to make puppets (very hungry caterpillar activities)
Sugar Spice and Glitter

32. Hungry Caterpillar Puppets

Download the free printable or create your own puppets based on the story. Regardless of whether kids want to re-create the story from memory or create their own, fun is sure to be had!

Get printable: Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft for Kids

pom pom caterpillars are contained within glass jars.
Olives Originals

33. Hungry Caterpillar Bug Jars

Use pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes to create these adorable caterpillars. Cut out some fresh green leaves, pop them into a mason jar, and give your students their very own lovable pet.

Get tutorial: Tutorial Caterpillar Bug Jars

Very Hungry Caterpillar activities include several paper plates colored and arranged into a caterpillar.
@learning.through.play via Instagram

34. Paper Plate Caterpillar

This activity helps students engage with the story, learn the days of the week, practice their counting skills, and learn about healthy eating.

Get tutorial: Giant Caterpillar via Instagram

8 tubes are painted to look like the caterpillar in the story Very Hungry Caterpillar. Markers are inside of them.
Crafting Cheerfully

35. Marker Holder

This project might be too detailed to do with little students, but you can create it yourself for use in your classroom. You could also have the kids help with some of the easier parts. Then, when working on some Very Hungry Caterpillar activities, your students can store their markers inside their new favorite character.

Get tutorial: DIY Hungry Caterpillar Marker Holder

What are your favorite Very Hungry Caterpillar activities? Come and share in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Also, check out the best camping books for kids.





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