This is one of my favorite indoor crafts and activities. I worked on this with the 3 1/2 and 1 year old that I nanny for. The older one had tons of fun with the craft part and both really enjoyed the video.
I used this video (a read through of the Eric Carle book), since I didn't have a copy with me.
We then worked on decorating Paper Chain Caterpillars.
Using different sizes of paper strips we made one "hungry" caterpillar using thin cut strips and one "full" caterpillar using wider cut ones. I got the idea from the Where Imagination Grows Website, but we used just regular printer paper and the girls mostly just had fun coloring them. The little one had fun scribbling and we worked on some fine motor skills playing with the rings and turning them back and forth.
Being 3 1/2 the older girl is full of questions, and this activity sparked a great conversation about how a butterfly forms. We also discussed how food makes us full, but it is also where we get our energy. This was also a perfect transition into our afternoon snack where we "ate through" a few snacks.
What a fantastic indoor activity, and your thoughtful approach as a teacher shines through! It's wonderful to read about the engaging Paper Chain Caterpillars project, especially how you adapted it with different sizes of paper strips and utilized available materials like regular printer paper. Your focus on the joy of coloring and fine motor skills development is commendable.
I appreciate how you turned this craft into a learning opportunity, sparking a conversation about butterfly formation and linking it to the concept of food and energy. Your ability to seamlessly transition to an afternoon snack that follows the theme of "eating through" snacks is both creative and educational.
As a teacher, you've not only provided a fun and artistic experience but…