Eric Carle Book Study- The Very Hungry Caterpillar

My son absolutely adores Brown, Brown, What Do You See? by Eric Carle! He requests it enthusiastically at least twice a day for us to read together. Eric Carle's books are simply perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and young elementary children. With his brightly colorful art and short, simple stories, he captivates young minds and sparks their creativity. Your child will be enchanted by his whimsical world of storytelling and will surely become an avid reader in no time! And today the focus for reading an Eric Carle book was.... The Very Hungry Caterpillar! This classic is a treasure I know your child will want to read again and again.

I hope that the concepts presented in this article will assist your child in developing a passion for reading and fostering creativity. I appreciate the interactive nature of the books designed for children.

Learn Through Play With Eric Carle Books For Your Child

As you read Eric Carle's books with your child, I suggest watching a brief video featuring Eric Carle and Mister Rogers. You can find this segment at his studio 15 minutes into the video Clío I shared on PBC, by clicking on the Mister Rogers segment with Eric Carle at his studio, or by visiting his official website. In the video, Mr. Carle guides you through his illustration process.

Since many of Eric Carle’s books convey similar themes and life lessons, connecting them can help your child establish meaningful brain connections that foster growth and learning. Below are some of our favorite Eric Carle books along with the activities we have designed to facilitate learning through play.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Your child will witness the fascinating transformation of a caterpillar as they turn the pages of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Lately, I have come across numerous amazing crafts related to this book on Pinterest. For links to these activities that your little one will love crafting, please check out my Pinterest page @ChrisCMoreno.

Eric Carle The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sensory Activities

Here are some recommended activities to further engage with the themes of the book:

• Visit a nature center or garden with your child, specifically exploring the butterfly section. Encourage them to bring a sketch pad to document their observations.

• Embark on a nature walk to search for caterpillars using a magnifying glass.

• Engage in planting flowers in your backyard that are known to attract butterflies.

• Create a leaf-shaped cardboard cutout for your child to paint entirely in green, yellow, and black colors. Guide them to add veins to the leaf using the other end of a paintbrush, reminiscent of Eric Carle's style. Once dry, incorporate caterpillar figurines for imaginative play, possibly within a sensory bin setup.

• Construct a sensory bin filled with butterfly, garden, and caterpillar-themed items such as colored rice, chickpeas, pebbles, rocks, gravel, butterfly figurines, and caterpillar figurines.