Last week, we made a caterpillar craft which children could play with it.
Many of the children had a trouble with accordion fold which would be a caterpillar’s body. After that, they draw a face and put all parts together. Most of the children copied the teacher’s example, but some of them did not. Especially, on the leaf, some of the children drew unique pictures. On the teacher’s example, there was leaf veins and an egg on the leaf like a story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. But one child drew some food the Hungry caterpillar ate, and another child drew coins like a game of Super Mario Brothers. Moreover, the other child drew some signal lights as if the leaf was a road map. They showed their creativities and amazed us.
After we finished to make a caterpillar, we played by themselves or with other friends.
And we did small experience activity too. We made a caterpillar using tissue and put some water to see the color change and growing. I guess because a teacher said the caterpillar love to drink a water and it helps to grow, so one child pours a water in front of the tissue caterpillar instead of put water on it.
It is getting less chance to see caterpillar these days and many children prefer not to see/ touch any bugs. But we hope that this activity will encourage children feel more familiar with bugs and all living creatures and respect them.