March 20th is the birthday of The Very Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle and to celebrate I am sharing some of the very BEST Very Hungry Caterpillar activities and crafts out there!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of those stories kids never seem to outgrow. The colorful illustrations, simple rhythm, and familiar journey from tiny caterpillar to butterfly make it a favorite for reading again and again. It’s also a story that naturally invites hands-on fun long after the book is closed.
These Very Hungry Caterpillar crafts for kids bring the story to life through making, building, and playful creating. Whether your child loves retelling the story, exploring the foods the caterpillar eats, or watching the butterfly transformation, these activities help extend the experience beyond reading.
Perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary kids, these crafts are a fun way to revisit a beloved classic while keeping little hands busy and imaginations engaged.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Crafts and Activities
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Coloring Pages
Download, print and color!
2. Cupcake Liner Very Hungry Caterpillar
This bright and simple craft is perfect for young kids who love the story. Cupcake liners make the caterpillar’s body look colorful and textured, and it’s easy to assemble with just a few supplies.
Materials:
- Green cupcake liners (several for the body)
- Red cupcake liner (for the head)
- White cardstock or construction paper
- Glue
- Black pipe cleaners
- Black marker
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Gently press the cupcake liners flat so they’re easy to glue.
- Place the green liners in a row or slight curve on your paper to form the body. Add the red liner at one end for the head.
- Glue all the liners down and let them dry.
- Cut out two ovals from green construction paper for the eyes. Cut out two slightly bigger ovals from yellow construction paper. Cut out a mouth and small feet (optional) from black construction paper. Glue on to the red head and the feet to the body sections.
- Cut black pipe cleaner for antenna and glue them on.
3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Lacing Cards
Download on to cardstock, use a hole punch to punch of the dots and lace with yarn.
Paper Chain Caterpillar Craft
The Paper Chain Caterpillar Craft is a fun and engaging activity where participants create a colorful caterpillar by linking together paper strips. It’s a great way to foster creativity and fine motor skills in children while producing a delightful decoration.
Materials:
- Green construction paper (cut into strips)
- Red construction paper (for the head)
- Yellow and black construction paper
- Glue stick or tape
- Scissors
- Black marker
- Pipe cleaners (optional for antennae)
How to Make It
- Cut green construction paper into strips (about 1 x 6 inches).
- Form the first strip into a loop and glue or tape the ends together.
- Thread the next strip through the first loop, then glue to make a chain.
- Keep going to make a long green caterpillar body.
- Cut out a red circle for the head. Cut out two ovals from green construction paper for the eyes. Cut out two slightly bigger ovals from yellow construction paper. Cut out a mouth and small feet (optional) from black construction paper. Glue on to the red head.
- Add pipe cleaner antennae if using.
4. Paper Plate The Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft
This simple paper plate craft is a fun way for kids to make their own version of the Very Hungry Caterpillar. It’s easy to set up and great for little hands who love painting and gluing.
Materials:
- Paper plate
- Red tissue paper
- Glue
- Green, yellow, black construction paper
- Scissors
Instructions:
- Glue red square tissue paper all over a paper plate.
- Cut out two ovals from green construction paper for the eyes. Cut out two slightly bigger ovals from yellow construction paper. Cut out antenna and a mouth from black construction paper. Glue on to the red head.
5. Fork Painted The Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft
This is a simple, textured painting activity that’s perfect for young kids who love the story and enjoy experimenting with paint. Using a fork creates the caterpillar’s fuzzy, bumpy body — and the process is just as fun as the finished art.
Materials:
- White cardstock or thick paper
- Red washable paint
- Plastic fork
- Paint plate or tray
- Glue
- Green, yellow, black construction paper
Instructions:
- Pour red paint on to plate. Dip fork inside and start printing to form a circle on the white cardstock.
- Allow the paint to dry completely before adding details.
- Cut out two ovals from green construction paper for the eyes. Cut out two slightly bigger ovals from yellow construction paper. Cut out antenna and a mouth from black construction paper. Glue on to the red head.
6. Sponge Painted The Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft
The Sponge Stamped Caterpillar activity allows children to use sponges as stamps, creating vibrant caterpillar shapes on paper that mimic the colorful illustrations of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” This engaging and simple craft encourages artistic expression and experimentation with color and shape, making it a delightful way for kids to explore their creativity while connecting with the story.
7. Pom Pom Painted The Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft
This easy painting activity is perfect for little hands and a fun way to bring a favorite story to life. Using pom poms creates soft, round prints that make the caterpillar’s body look bright and bumpy.
Materials:
- White cardstock or thick paper
- Light and dark green washable paint
- Red washable paint
- Pom poms (small to medium size)
- Clothespins or fingers to hold pom poms
- Paint plate or tray
- Glue
- Green, yellow and black construction paper
Instructions:
- Pour green paint onto a plate for the caterpillar’s body and red paint for the head.
- Cut out two ovals from green construction paper for the eyes. Cut out two slightly bigger ovals from yellow construction paper. Cut out antenna and a mouth and two legs for each body section from black construction paper.
- Dip a pom pom into green paint. Gently press it onto the paper to make round prints. Stamp several circles in a line or curve to form the caterpillar’s body. Alternate with dark and light green.
- Dip a pom pom into red paint and stamp one circle at the end of the green body to make the head.
- Allow the caterpillar to dry completely before adding details.
- Glue on eyes, mouth, antennae and legs.
8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sensory Bin
Creating a sensory bin inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar is not just fun; it’s a great way to combine play, learning, and creativity.
9. Caterpillar Name Craft
The Caterpillar Name Craft is a fantastic way to engage your children in a hands-on project that celebrates their unique identity while paying homage to a beloved story.
10. Handprint Caterpillar Craft
This craft is perfect for a sunny afternoon of storytelling, painting, and cutting, creating a memorable experience and a beautiful piece of art.
11. Paper Plate Caterpillar Craft
This paper plate caterpillar craft is so much fun to make with kids! If you need caterpillar craft ideas, this one is a fun spring craft for toddlers and early elementary-aged kids.
12. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sticky Wall & Counting Activity
This is a fun activity using contact paper. Once you create the caterpillar you can retell the story using foam fruits!
13. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Potato Masher Craft
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Potato Masher Craft is any easy painting craft using a potato masher.
14. Cardboard Caterpillar Craft
It’s no secret kids love insects, especially caterpillar. They’re cute, they’re fully and they turn into butterflies. Have fun making this easy cardboard caterpillar craft with your kids this spring!
15. Pool Noodle Caterpillar Craft
This delightful craft will spark your child’s creativity as they transform a simple pool noodle into a colorful caterpillar friend.
16. Caterpillar Pom Pom Counting
Caterpillar Pom Pom Counting is a fun early math activity perfect for Spring! This easy and colourful fine motor counting activity is great for toddlers and preschoolers. An amazing counting idea for kids that helps them learn one to one correspondence while working on fine motor skills such as gluing!
17. Sensory Rice Caterpillar Counting
Sensory Rice Caterpillar Counting is a fun sensory rice early math activity for Spring. This easy and colourful craft is great for toddlers and preschoolers to practice counting as well as work on fine motor skills. Combining sensory play with rice, gluing and counting: a recipe for a fun way to do math!
18. Sock Caterpillar Craft
This easy sock caterpillar craft for kids is a fun and simple craft for preschoolers and kids of all ages to make in spring or when learning about caterpillars.
19. Feed the Caterpillars
Feed the caterpillar pom pom drop is a fun twist on the classic pom pom drop activity for toddlers. This is the BEST indoor activity for spring!
20. Caterpillar Number Match
Caterpillar Number Match is a fun and easy early math activity for preschoolers. A great way to practice counting with your toddler or preschooler. This makes a great spring math activity or a fun activity to do anytime of the year!
21. Eggshell Caterpillar Garden
Spring is a season of new beginnings and what better way to celebrate than with a fun and educational craft activity. This DIY project involves repurposing eggshells to create a cute and colorful caterpillar garden that kids will love.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
Such cute ideas. I’ll have to use some of them in my classroom.
Yah!! I hope they enjoy them!❤️