Caterpillars and Butterflies

Continuing with the wonders of spring today, our theme was caterpillars and butterflies. I had a brand-new book to share: Ten Little Caterpillars, by Bill Martin and Lois Ehlert, with her usual big bold colorful illustrations.It was a great alternate to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which all the kids already know. The second book was Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek. That one has a nice big pop-up butterfly at the end.

We sang:

Little Arabella Miller
Found a fuzzy caterpillar.
First it crawled up on her mother,
Then up on her baby brother.
They said, "Arabella Miller,
Put away that caterpillar."

And:

Butterfly, butterfly happy all day, butterfly, butterfly fly, fly away. 

(Hook your thumbs together and make your hands into a butterfly that flutters as you sing.)

5 little butterflies sitting on the door

1 flew away and then there were four.

4 little butterflies sitting in a tree

1 flew away and then there were three.

3 little butterflies flying in the blue

1 flew away and then there were two.

2 little butterflies sitting in the sun

1 flew away and then there was one.

1 little butterfly left all alone

he flew away and then there was none.

Butterfly, butterfly happy all day, butterfly, butterfly fly, fly away.

I didn't know that this is a Barney song. I like it anyway. 

For our craft we made caterpillar pencils.  

You will need:

Foam strips

Hole punches

Small foam bits---circles, squares, triangles--for spots

Pompoms for the heads

Small wiggly eyes

Pipe cleaners 3 or 4 inches long for antennae

Pencils

White glue turned out to be too weak and runny for attaching the heads, so we switched to Tacky glue.