Feed the Caterpillar

I saw this really cute post over at Two-daloo on Butterflies with her 16 month-olds. I loved the idea of feeding the caterpillar that she did and wanted to build on what she had done and adjust it for the group 2-3 year olds that I was hosting for the Butterfly Playdate and Art Lesson.

Materials

• Pringles Cans, 2 or more cans
• Felt, 2 or more colors
• Hot Glue
• Pipe Cleaners
• Google Eyes
• Learning Resources Super Sorting Pie
• If you don’t have the Sorting Pie, use PomPoms in colors that match the felt.

Directions to make the Caterpillars

1. Fold pipe cleaners and use hot glue to attach to can
2. Wrap empty Pringles with felt, use hot glue to attach.
3. Punch a small hole in Pringles lid, then cut a larger hole to make the mouth.
4. Use hot glue to attach eyes.

Directions for feeding the Caterpillars

Depending on your child’s age and experience pick where to start and then build up from there.  For example, my son is just getting starting learning to use tongs, however this activity was a go to for two weeks.  He would try the tongs but then moved on to just sorting with his hands.  

• Use tongs to feed the caterpillars, sorting colors while feeding.
• Feed caterpillars, sorting colors.
• Feed the caterpillar, don’t worry about matching and sorting or using tongs. (this would be great for the under two crowd)

Extend the Learning with Reading

Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Skills

1. Fine Motor Skills
2. Hand Eye Coordination
3. Color discrimination