15 Very Hungry Caterpillar Crafts for Early Years

15 Very Hungry Caterpillar Crafts for Early Years

If you like book-inspired crafts and activities, you’re going to love this list of The Very Hungry Caterpillar crafts. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a favorite children’s book that was originally published in 1969 and continues to be popular with kids today. The illustrations are bold and colorful, and they’ve inspired many crafts over the years, including all of the ones you’ll find listed below.

These Very Hungry Caterpillar activities are perfect for early learners. They reinforce important story concepts like counting, sequence, and the butterfly life cycle. Not only that, but your little ones will get plenty of fine motor practice by threading, cutting, and building. Bringing books to life through crafts and hands-on activities is a surefire way to raise kids who love reading and the arts.

Without further ado, here are some of the best crafts inspired by our favorite crawly caterpillar.

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book

If you’ve not read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle you’re in for a treat. This is a fun and educational book for young children and one I personally love.

Making crafts based on a book that children love is a great way to extend their interests in a topic. I’m sure you will love these crafty Very Hungry Caterpillar activity ideas! I sure do!

the very hungry caterpillar book

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Crafts for Kids

This super fun playdough caterpillar activity is a great way to introduce the little ones to The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Check out this fun activity and have fun with the little ones.

the very hungry caterpillar activity using playdough

Button Craft Inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar from Books and Giggles:

This button craft is simply gorgeous. It should definitely go in a frame for the nursery or playroom! It’s a fun fine motor craft for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

Pipe Cleaner Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft from Messy Little Monster:

Kids will love this very tactile craft involving wrapping pipe cleaners around craft sticks to get the iconic Very Hungry Caterpillar look. It’s not only a craft; it will quickly become a favourite toy for any Eric Carle fan.

Cupcake Liner Caterpillar from In the Playroom:

You’ll find both the caterpillar and butterfly versions here. These crafts are simple enough for all ages, as all you need are cupcake liners and a little imagination! You probably already have what you need right at home. And if you don’t have colored cupcake liners, you could always paint, dye, or color them.

3D Paper Caterpillar from Easy Peasy and Fun:

The printable template makes it easy to create a 3D paper version of the famous little caterpillar! Kids will get lots of fine motor practice, but preschoolers and kindergarteners may need some help since this craft involves lots of cutting.

Bead Caterpillars with Printable Leaf Template from Messy Little Monster:

Work on those fine motor skills with beading! It’s a fun craft for preschoolers and up, and you can punch holes in the leaves to make it look like the caterpillar was munching through them. If you use a big enough hole punch, your child can move the caterpillar through the leaf!

Paper Caterpillar Craft from The Inspiration Edit:

You can easily swap out the colors in this simple papercraft to make it look more like the book version. Paper crafts are wonderful for all ages because little ones can practice scissor skills and learn about their shapes.

Caterpillar Face Craft from The Inspiration Edit:

This is a super simple idea for little ones making only the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s face. You can use foam sheets as directed, but construction paper or colored cardstock would also work fine.

TP Roll Very Hungry Caterpillar from Danya Banya:

Save your cardboard tubes to make this beautiful toilet tube caterpillar. Kids will have so much fun bending and moving this caterpillar after they’re done making it. Little ones will need some help with the stapling.

Caterpillar Mask from Kids Activities Blog:

Kids can dress up as the Very Hungry Caterpillar! This mask is very easy to make and requires no sewing at all. Use craft foam to make this fun costume idea.

Fuzzy Caterpillar from The Simple Parent:

This caterpillar is simple and super cute. You only need some pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and glue.

Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Threading the Caterpillar Activity from Here Come the Girls:

Thread a pipe cleaner through the holes in the book as you read. This really brings the story to life!

LEGO Caterpillar from The Educator’s Spin On It:

Let your child interact with the story through building. Use this LEGO caterpillar idea to help your little one improve their story retelling skills. Younger children can use the LEGO Duplos, while older kids who are listening in to the story can build with classic LEGOs.

Caterpillar to Butterfly Playdough Activity from Powerful Mothering:

This is a great chance to use some homemade playdough to create the caterpillar and butterfly versions of this character. These playdough figures are as much fun for toddlers to take apart as they are to put together!

Felt Fruit Very Hungry Caterpillar Activity from See Vanessa Craft:

Here the focus is on the fruit! You can create felt versions of each fruit and food mentioned in the story for your tot to play with. Then, he can practice threading a pipe cleaner through the holes made in the foods. Fun!

DIY Very Hungry Caterpillar Puzzle from Parenting Chaos:

If you’re like many parents, book sleeves quickly come off the books and never make their way back again. Instead of stuffing it in a drawer somewhere, turn the book sleeve into a simple puzzle for toddlers. This makes a wonderful quiet time activity.

How many of these caterpillar crafts and activities do you plan to try?

Have You seen This Free Printable Caterpillar Activity?

Caterpillar Pom Pom Mats

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