• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Printables Terms of Use
  • Subscribe!
  • Printables
    • Free Printables
    • Circle Time Printable Packets
    • Winter Printable Packs
    • Spring Printable Packets
    • Themed Printable Packets
    • Fine Motor Printable Packets
    • Dramatic Play Printable Packs
    • Literacy and Story Time Printable Packets
    • Color Recognition Printable Packets
    • Preschool Bilingual English Spanish Printables
    • Classroom Organization Printables
    • Fall Printable Packets
  • Preschool
  • Toddlers
  • Lesson Plans
    • Preschool Lesson Plans
    • Toddler Lesson Plans
You are here: Home / Spring Activities / Egg Carton Caterpillar Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This post might contain affiliate links. Click here for more information. Thanks for visiting!

Egg Carton Caterpillar Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

March 30, 2017 by Sheryl Cooper

Share
Pin
Tweet
image_printPrint this Page

Last Updated on April 2, 2024 by Sheryl Cooper

Inside: This caterpillar craft, made from egg cartons, is a classic you probably made as a kid. It’s a fun activity to include while learning about the butterfly life cycle!

Right around the time we return from spring break, our caterpillars arrive. We will spend days watching them grow before they enter the chrysalis stage.

During this time, we like to make our own caterpillars using recycled egg cartons, wiggly eyes, paint, and pipe cleaners for a fun spring craft.

And then, we will wait some more until they emerge as butterflies!

Egg Carton Caterpillar Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Egg Carton Caterpillar Craft

What you will need for this activity:

Live butterfly culture (if you want to show your children the life cycle)

Recycled egg cartons

Googly eyes

Tempera paint

Pipe cleaners

Caterpillar Preschool Craft

When our caterpillars arrive, we notice how small they are.

Each day we record how much larger they have become.

It’s amazing how quickly they grow!

The first part of this activity:

I cut the egg cartons so that each child got 3 sections. Then, they painted them.

Caterpillar Preschool Craft

The second part of this activity:

Once they are dry, use scissors to poke 2 holes at the front of the egg carton.

The children will then push the pipe cleaner through one end and out the other, so that both ends are sticking out of the top.

We twist them a bit.

Then, glue the eyes on.

Caterpillar Preschool Craft
Caterpillar Preschool Craft

While we read books about caterpillars, we learned they have twelve eyes. But, the children only wanted to put two on them, since that’s how many eyes they have.

They also wanted to add smiley faces with Sharpies.

I am fine with this. As long as they understand the true caterpillar. And we talked about this a lot.

Caterpillar Preschool Craft

Now we wait for our real caterpillars to turn into butterflies. Such a fun activity!

More to Read >>> Bugs and Butterflies Resources

Caterpillar Preschool Craft
Egg Carton Caterpillar Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Books

  • Let’s Count Butterflies
  • Butterfly Butterfly: A Book of Colors
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar
  • Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars
  • Caterpillar to Butterfly
  • Little Butterfly


Related Activities

  • Colorful Butterfly Art with Free Printable
  • Free Butterfly Props for Circle Time
  • Marble Painted Butterflies
T P T SPRING CIRCLE TIME PROPS
Preschool Animal Printabes
Toddler and Preschool Spring Learning Activities Packet

Bugs and Butterfly Lesson Plans

I’m so excited to be one of the authors of these hands-on lesson plans for toddlers and for preschoolers!

Easy to follow lesson plans include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners.

Note: This is a digital product. Links to downloads will be sent to you after purchase!

For more information, click on the graphics below:

Toddler Lesson Plans Bugs and Butterflies
preschool lesson plans bugs and butterflies

FREE CIRCLE TIME PLANNER!

Get your FREE circle time planner as a gift when you subscribe to my free weekly newsletters.

Here is my Privacy Policy

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by Kit
Share
Pin
Tweet

Filed Under: Art, preschool, Spring Activities, Toddlers Tagged With: art, preschool, science, spring

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 25 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

Previous Post: « How to Put Together Fine Motor Strengthening Activities
Next Post: Alphabet Construction Sensory Table »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    May 21, 2012 at 1:50 am

    What a fantastic idea. we painted an egg cartom this morning. i think this afternoon we will make some caterpillars oit of it. 🙂
    Cindy

    • Sheryl @ Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

      May 21, 2012 at 3:07 pm

      Thanks, Cindy! They are so much fun to make.

  2. Chris

    May 22, 2012 at 12:16 am

    Hi Sheryl, just stopping by to say how delightful your blog is. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
    http://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.ca/

    • Sheryl @ Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

      May 22, 2012 at 3:34 am

      Welcome, Chris! I’m happy to share. Looking forward to viewing your website!

  3. Gameiva

    March 31, 2017 at 7:04 am

    Hello,

    Thanks for sharing this type of blog. i really like it. Keep sharing.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Looking for something specific?

Categories

Welcome! I'm Sheryl Cooper, teacher of 2 and 3 year olds for over 22 years. Read more about me here!

More Printables!

preschool printables

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds is a participant in Amazon Associates.

preschool printables

preschool printables

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds Privacy Policy Web Hosting by Servously