Caterpillars are Crawling Everywhere!
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Activity:
Caterpillars are Crawling Everywhere!
Age Group:
Toddler
* Lesson plan objective and assessment can be adapted to use this activity with preschoolers. Objectives:
Children will:
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II.5.1a
- Activities encourage curiosity, exploration and discovery.
II.7.1a
- Activities and materials encourage children to express themselves through the visual arts.
Materials:
- Pipe cleaners (multiple colors)
- Sticks
- Leaves (real are best but construction leaves work just as well)
- Playdough
- Paper plates
Procedure:
Making Caterpillars:
- First, bend one end of the pipe cleaner over about 2 inches. (Older children will have fun doing this.) Wind the rest of the pipe cleaner around the length of the bent section. Tah Dah, a caterpillar!
- For alternative caterpillars, cut 2-to-3-inch pieces of pipe cleaner. Let the children figure out how to wind the pipe cleaner around the stick themselves (and they will).
Playdough: Use your favorite recipe, any color. Children will each need a clump the size of a baseball. (Let the children make their own ball.)
Leaves: Use fresh leaves, paper leaves, or store-bought leaves (If you use store bought leaves you might have to cut a tiny hole to go over the stick).
Sticks: Collect sticks on a walk, or bring in from home
Instructions:
- Set-up: Display pictures of caterpillars on branches and leaves around the art table. Do not tell the children what they are making. Let them discover and design freely. Maybe put a jar of live caterpillars with twigs and leaves in the middle of the table. If you have seen caterpillars in the trees, go for a caterpillar hunt.
- While creating their project discuss how caterpillars can be found under leaves in their favorite trees, bushes and even herb plants and that they choose to live in a plant that they find the leaves they like to eat.
- Have the children place the playdough on the plate in a clump wherever they want.
- Show the children how they can push the leaf over the stick at different heights, if they need instruction. Most children can figure this out themselves. Let the children use as many leaves and caterpillars as they feel are needed for their creation. If there is a limited supply, only set out the number allowed for each child, but give them several of each item.
- Use smaller pieces of pipe cleaner to attach caterpillars to the stick or glue on to leaves.
- When dry, if glue is used, let the children arrange the sticks in the playdough.
- Some children may want to put them in the playdough, or glue them to the plate, that’s awesome. Let them create their own sculpture.
Assessment:
- Does the child know where to find caterpillars outside?
- Observe how well the child was able to attach leaves and caterpillars to the branches and record results.
Note: Please provide appropriate supervision to the children in your care when completing all activities. You will need to decide what types of activities are safe for the children in your care. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when providing art and sensory experiences for children. Toddlers require special caution, only use non-toxic materials, and do not allow toddlers to put things in their mouths that are a choking hazard.
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Butterfly and Caterpillar Books
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