The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Personal Social and Emotional

Encourage discussions on how the children might feel if they were a caterpillar and where they might like to would fly to once a butterfly. Discuss if the children would prefer to stay as a caterpillar or to change into a butterfly? We could also discuss the foods that caterpillars and butterflies eat and see what foods the children like to eat.

Communication and Language 

Using the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, introduce the children to new vocabulary from the life cycle of a butterfly, for example chrysalis and cocoon.

Physical Development

Sensory tuff tray using small world figures of caterpillars, butterflies and leaves and toy food. Discuss the food that the caterpillar ate in the book. Discuss the different effects foods have on our bodies and why we should eat a variety of foods to be strong and to grow.

Literacy

Throughout the week, repeat the story and see if the children can repeat refrains. Use the story sack to act out the story.                                                                                                     

Mathematics

Using the book, we can encourage the children to count the food the caterpillar ate. We could use real foods to see if the children can put them in size order.

Understanding of the World    

Learning the life cycle of the caterpillar. Go out for walks and look for caterpillars and butterflies.

Expressive Art and Design

Create different size caterpillars and butterflies using malleable materials. For example, playdough. Encourage the children to make paper folding butterfly paintings. Making caterpillars out of paper plates. Give the children some different material fabrics and put some music on for them to move freely to.

Focused Vocabular

Egg, cocoon, caterpillar, butterfly, food, hungry, chrysalis, the days of the week.