This is a great way to use up old egg cartons and create a cute toy based on the extremely popular children's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Young children will especially find this activity fun and they can paint their caterpillar all by themselves too.
Two Very Hungry Caterpillars
: 30 minutes (plus paint drying time)
Age: Under 5's
Level: Easy
Materials
Recycle your egg carton
Eat a dozen eggs and save the egg carton.
Cut the egg carton in half down the middle, to form The Very Hungry Caterpillar's "body".
Turn the egg carton upside down and paint the first five "lumps" a dark green color.
Paint the remaining "lump" a bright red color to form the Very Hungry Caterpillar's "head".
Paint the body green and the head red
Allow the paint to completely dry and poke two holes through the red "head" where the antennae will soon fit through. Trim the edges of the carton around the head and tail to make them smooth looking.
Take the purple pipe cleaner and poke either end up through the holes in the "head".
Add the antennae
Cut two small oval shapes in the yellow paper and paint two green spots in the center of each, to form The Very Hungry Caterpillar's "eyes".
Also draw on a mouth and/or a nose. Now your own Very Hungry Caterpillar is ready to eat lots of plums, apples, strawberries, oranges and all the rest. Have fun and maybe make some more?
Add the yellow eyes and a mouth
