The days are slowly warming up and soon we will see all kinds of insects flying around outside. It seemed like the perfect time to put together some caterpillar and butterfly activities for kids. We’ve got arts, crafts snacks, songs, and sensory play. All based on the book The Crunching Munching Caterpillar. Enjoy some fun with your preschooler today.
These preschool activities are a lot of fun and some are tasty, too! Gather up the supplies and ingredients and get creating these fun learning activities today!
Crunching Munching Caterpillar: Butterfly Activities For Preschoolers
Most young children love books about caterpillars and Butterflies and this one is a delight to read. The Crunching Munching Caterpillar by Sheridan Cole.
Caterpillar longs to fly like birds, butterfly, and bee, but all he can do is eat his way through the blackberry bush. The bee and the bird tell Caterpillar that he will never fly. However, that does not stop him from dreaming about what it would be like to swoop through the air and float like a feather. Caterpillar munches and crunches his way through the first part of the book and eventually falls into a deep sleep. He wakes to discover his dreams have come true.
KIDS LOVE THIS BOOK – Great for early readers
This a delightful book to read aloud and is a favorite at the library. Children enjoy the bright illustrations and always warm to the character of a wishful caterpillar. I enjoy the fun illustrations and like the way the text floats around the page. The vocabulary is simple enough for younger children, but does introduce a nice variety of words such as swooped and soared. I love the use of onomatopoeia (words that resemble the sound they describe) yawn, munch, crunch buzzed?
The story illustrates the life cycle of the butterfly, but it also has a powerful message for young learners. It reminds us that we can all follow our dreams, no matter what anyone says. In short, that is a great message to pass on to our kids!
AS YOU READ THE STORY
Take your time with this book. I know I always say this, but it is really important. There is No NEED to rush and it is beneficial to let your child linger over each page.
Show your child the front cover and ask
- What do you think this story is about?
The text is very descriptive and you can use your voice to emphasize the descriptive verbs and adverbs crunch, munch, juicy. Move your hands to indicate the motions of swooped and soared.
As you go through the story, you can ask questions about the text:
- Why do you think caterpillar wanted to fly?
- Why do you think he is so hungry?
- What do you think it would be like to fly?
- Where do you think caterpillar will fly first?
- What would you do if you could fly?
AFTER THE STORY
SurLaLune Storytime has a nice selection of butterfly finger plays and songs. Here are my favorites:
Fingerplay: “My Friend Caterpillar”
My friendly caterpillar (fingers crawl up arm)
Made its cocoon one day (close hands together)
It turned into a butterfly (open hands with thumbs hooked)
And quickly flew away (flap hands)
Butterfly Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
[Hook thumbs together and flutter hands and fingers.]
Flutter, flutter butterfly
Floating in the springtime sky
Flying by for all to see
Soaring high so merrily
Flutter, flutter, butterfly
Floating in the springtime sky!<
Movement
Put on some music and invite your children to pretend to be a butterfly. What would it be like to float like a feather or soar high in the sky.
Have a butterfly snack
ENJOY SOME BUTTERFLY ACTVITITIES
- Finger Paint Butterfly Craft
- Folded Butterfly and Caterpillar
- Colored Salt Butterfly
- Caterpillar Butterfly Life Cycle Activity
- Butterfly Sensory Bin
- Very Hungry Caterpillar Puppet. This activity was obviously inspired by Eric Carle’s book, but can easily be used with any book about caterpillars and butterflies.
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