The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of those books my kids have loved to tatters. Eric Carle’s bright colors make it perfect for a color activity.
Meatball was just getting into sorting and matching, so we made a rainbow caterpillar and filled each circle with matching buttons and paper scraps.
How to Make the Caterpillar Color Sort
Butterfly Life Cycle Playdough Mats
Get the printableColored paper scraps or paint chips
Colored buttons
Construction paper in rainbow colors
A large sheet of white paper
Scissors and a glue stick
A divided tray
Black marker
Set out the tray
Put the paper scraps and buttons in a tray. For beginners, sort them by color first. For older kids, mix them up.
Make the caterpillar
Cut one circle in each rainbow color and glue them in a row on white paper.
Sort by color
Kids place each button and scrap on the matching circle.
Try size and texture
Sort big and small buttons, or rough and smooth ones.
Add a face
Draw eyes and antennae with a black marker.
Safety note
Buttons are a choking hazard. Use big buttons or paper only for little ones, and stay right there during play.
Ways to Extend the Activity
- Read the book first and name each food’s color.
- Skip the glue if your buttons are heavy. We just placed ours on the circles.
- Older kids can cut their own scraps.
- Count each color and see which circle has the most.
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Teach the whole life cycle with our butterfly life cycle posters.
The playdough mats include
- Butterfly life cycle play dough mats
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Spring and bug units
- Toddlers and preschool
- Book activities
Hungry Caterpillar Activity FAQ
Make a rainbow paper caterpillar and have toddlers sort colored buttons and paper onto the matching circles.
Color recognition, matching, fine motor skills and early math sorting.
About 18 months to 4, with supervision around buttons.
Mix up the tray, add size and texture sorting or have kids cut their own pieces.
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Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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