Let your first-grade students create caterpillars using finger paints and thumbprints. Give each child a plain piece of paper and bowls of finger paints. Instruct the children to create a row of thumbprints on the paper by dipping their thumbs in the paint and pressing them to the paper. While their thumbprints are drying, teach the children about caterpillars and their life cycles. Help the children draw a face and two antennas on the first thumbprint, and two legs on the bottom of each remaining thumbprint. Instruct the children to decorate the paper around the caterpillar. Hang their pictures on a classroom bulletin board for display.
Use this caterpillar craft project to supplement lessons on caterpillars and their life cycles. Before class, cut up a few egg cartons into strips of four cups each. Create one strip for each student. Let the children to decorate the outside of their cups using crayons, markers and paint. Instruct them to draw a face on the first cup in the strip. Cut pipe cleaners into 4-inch long lengths. Help each child punch two holes in the top of the first cup and string a pipe cleaner through the holes to create antennas.
This easy caterpillar craft can be made during art time in the classroom. Pass out one craft stick to each student. Give each student two 3-inch pieces of pipe cleaners. Help the children glue the pipe cleaners side-by-side to one end of the stick. Have the children glue colored pom poms side-by-side onto the surface of the stick. Give each children two wiggly eyes to glue to the pom pom attached over the pipe cleaner antennas. If desired, punch holes in construction paper and have the children glue a paper dot below the eyes for a nose.
Create hanging caterpillars with your students to hang in a classroom window. Help each child cut out six 4-inch circles from one color of construction paper. Instruct them to cut out six 3-inch circles from a second color of construction paper. Have the students glue the smaller circles to the front of the larger circles. Punch a hole in the top of each layered circle. Have the children glue two wiggly eyes and two pipe cleaners to one circle to create eyes and antennas. If desired, the children can draw a nose and mouth on the same circle. Let the children cut 12 foot shapes from black construction paper and glue two feet onto the bottom of each circle. Help the children thread a string through the hole in each circle and tie them side by side on a wooden dowel or stick.