Everyone remembers this classic book by Eric Carle! If you don’t, then be sure to check it out at the Library or online! You can see him read it here:
This craft is primarily for the little ones, who will learn how to make a basic paper chain – but older students can have a different type of fun with it. See the Student Challenge below the instructions.
What you need:
• 1 half-sheet of green paper
• 1 small piece of red paper
• 1 small rectangle of brown paper
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Marker
• Something round, like a jar lid or a small cup
• Pencil for tracing
What you do:
1. Place the round object on the red paper and trace around it.
2. Cut out the red circle.
3. Draw two lines on the green paper and cut them to make strips.
4. Cut two tiny strips from the brown paper.
5. To assemble the caterpillar, put glue on one end of the first green strip and attach it to the other end to make a ring. TIP: Hold it for a few seconds and rub with your fingers on the non-sticky side to help the glue stick. Don’t be stingy with the glue!
6. Repeat with the next green strip, but this time, before attaching the strip to its other end, put it through the ring made by the first strip so that you have a chain of two rings made from the green paper strips.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the third strip of green paper.
8. Draw a face on the red circle and glue it on to the front of one strip.
9. Glue the two tiny brown strips at the top of the red circle for antennae.
Is your caterpillar very hungry? What will it find around your house and yard to eat?
Student Challenge
Older students can have a different type of fun! Make your caterpillars crazy by using odd paper and colors. Make your chain super long! Design a chrysalis for your caterpillar (FYI, the book states that the caterpillar builds a cocoon, but we know that butterflies really emerge out of a chrysalis!). If you painted your paper chain, what would it look like? What if it were an alien caterpillar that would lay eggs that hatch new caterpillars until they take over the world and we all have to move to Mars?
We’d love to see your creations! Post them on the Library’s Facebook page or email them to annelmay@franklintwp.org.
