The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a free story for Educators to download and read to young children. It is a story about a small caterpillar who emerges from an egg and begins eating everything in sight and transforms into a butterfly.
About The Story
There are two main themes in the beloved children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. One topic traces the development and metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. The other theme is a straightforward counting motif that is enhanced with artful cut-out graphics.
It also teaches children the names of the days of the week, the foods that the caterpillar consumes, and even a little bit of counting. It also subtly conveys the idea that eating a leaf or other healthy food is better for you than eating a lot of sugary food, which can cause stomachaches similar to those experienced by caterpillars.
Click the link to download the story for FREE: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Extension of Learning Experiences
- Introduce the lifecycle of a butterfly
- Identify and discuss the different foods the caterpillar eats - talk about the food pyramid
- Encourage children to talk about their favourite foods
- The numbers 1-5 are illustrated with the fruits in this book and would give good practice in counting.
- This book is also great for teaching days of the week. Talk about the days of the week – what’s different about weekdays vs. the weekend, what day of the week is their favourite etc.
- Butterfly Colour Matching - Butterfly Colour Matching enables children to match the correct colour squares to the correct colour butterfly. This is a great experience for children who are learning to recognise primary and secondary colours.
- Butterfly Matching Clip Cards - Butterfly Matching Clipcards enable children to match the correct butterfly. These cards can be laminated and children use "pegs" to clip the matching butterfly. This also is good for fine motor development as children use pegs to clip onto the correct colour butterfly.
- Butterfly Posters - Butterfly Posters show pictures of different types of butterflies. These can be used in a variety of different experiences including during group time, for art experiences and more.
- Butterfly Garden Counting - Butterfly Garden Counting encourages children to identify the number on the sun and add the correct number of butterflies to the counting mat. This is a great activity to help children with counting and one-to-one correspondence.
- Butterfly Colour Matching - Butterfly Colour Matching enables children to match the correct colour squares to the correct colour butterfly. This is a great experience for children who are learning to recognise primary and secondary colours.
- Food Group Posters - Food Group posters show each food group's name and a variety of foods that fit into that specific group. These are great to encourage children in discussions on healthy eating and can be used in a variety of different learning experiences.
References:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities and Lesson Plan, Woo Kids Activities
Wikipedia
Amazon
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