Caterpillar/Butterfly -- Preschool & Kindergarten
Caterpillars and Butterflies
Preschool Kindergarten Caterpillar and Butterfly Theme
Caterpillars
Fingerplay/Songs
Fuzzy Wuzzy Caterpillar
Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar
Into a corner will creep (children may creep)
He'll spin himself a blanket
And then go fast asleep (children curl up)
Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar
Wakes up by and by (children awaken and dance about)
To find he has wings of beauty,
Changed to a butterfly.
Art
Egg Carton Caterpillar
Cut egg carton in half. So that each child has a row of about six humps. Have them paint each hump and use pipe cleaner for antennaes. You should then have a nice looking caterpillar!
Contributed By: Maria
Pattern Caterpillars
Need: circles from construction paper
Cut a large number of circles from black and orange construction paper. Have the children create caterpillars by gluing the circles together in a line, alternating colors to form patterns. Can add circle stickers for eyes and construction paper antennae.
Math/Science
Eat, Eat, Eat!
Need: packing foam squiggles, markers, green construction paper, tape, scissors
Cut out one large leaf for each child. Children decorate packing foam caterpillars with markers. Each child can tape a caterpillar to a leaf, and then cut or tear their leaves to show where the caterpillars have been eating. Or use a square of green construction paper that children tear and place on the leaf to show the caterpillar eating.
Spotted Caterpillars
Need: packing foam squiggles, die, markers.
Draw dots on squiggles to correspond with dots on the die. Children roll die and locate a caterpillar (squiggle) that has the same number of dots. That caterpillar is removed from the group. Play continues until all caterpillars are chosen.
Snack
Melon Ball Caterpillars
Need: melon balls and lettuce leaf.
To make each caterpillar place 3 melon balls on a lettuce leaf. Can add raisins for eyes.
Video
Story
Caterpillar Shoes (color shoes to match its label)
Video
Butterfly
Fingerplay/Songs
Roly-poly Caterpillar
Roly-poly caterpillar Wiggle right pointer finger.
Into a corner crept, Right pointer in left cupped hand.
Spun around himself a blanket, Spin around.
Then for a long time slept. Place head on folded hands.
Roly-poly caterpillar Wiggle right pointer finger.
Wakened by-and-by, Stretch right pointer finger.
Found himself with beautiful wings,
Changed into a butterfly! Flutter hand like butterfly.
Art
Coffee Filter Butterflies
Set out small containers of water with different colors of food coloring added.
Lay coffee filters flat. With eyedroppers have children drip different colors on each filter (not too wet!) Let the filters dry overnight.
When the coffee filters are dry gather the coffee filter in the middle and clip it into the clothespin. Spread the wings out and you have a colorful butterfly.
Learning Centers
Cut easel paper in the shape of butterfly wings. Paint as usual.
Snack
Nector Juice
Cut out flower shapes from construction paper that will cover the top of paper cups. Fill the cups with fruit juice, then insert a straw into the middle of the paper flowers and let children drink “nector” from the flowers.
Group Time
Butterflies
Have children pretend to be caterpillars and crawl into their cocoons (a blanket draped between chairs). Then when the children come out they are beautiful butterflies!
Play some butterfly music such as Vivaldi's Spring for the children to dance to while they are butterflies.
Things to Do
Butterfly Life Cycle color page.
Story
Charlie the Caterpillar
by Dom Deluise
As Charlie the Caterpillar meets one group of animals after another playing together and having fun, he asks if he can join in. But each time he's told not welcome -- because he's ugly. As winter approaches, Charlie spins himself a cocoon. When spring arrives, the cocoon opens and out comes Charlie -- now a beautiful butterfly. Everyone wants him to be part of their group. But Charlie puts these fair-weather friends properly in their place in this heartwarming story about the meaning of true friendship.
Video
A Tribute to the Monarch Butterfly: How to Turn Your Backyard Into a Butterfly Sanctuary
Recommended Books
Ten Magic Butterflies
by Danica McKellar
One by one, ten flower friends ask a fairy to turn them into butterflies to achieve their dreams of flying. Math advocate McKellar uses the story to touch on math concepts in a wonderfully imaginative and fun blend. A beutiful book with the right mix of vibrant illustrations, story, math, and magic. An outstaning mix that creates an amazing book.
Butterfly Colors and Counting
by Jerry Pallotta
