Reinforce the message in "Clara Caterpillar" that differences make everyone special. Engage kids in a discussion about what made each of the characters in the book different from one another. Discuss the different personalities of the characters and why it is important to accept people who may be different from them. Ask the kids why they thingk its OK to be different, how they can be respectful of others' differences and how they can stick up for others who are being made fun of for being different.
Ask the kids what words they know that begin with the letter "C" before beginning this activity. Some vocabulary words in "Clara Caterpillar" that begin with the letter "C" include "courageous," "contented," "colossal" and "chrysalis." Give the kids an activity sheet with these words printed in dotted lines, and images to accompany each word. Kids can color the images and practice their writing by tracing the words for each image. Other words that begin with the letter "C" may also be added to this activity.
Have the kids create a butterfly life cycle mobile by drawing a swirl on a paper plate and cutting it out. Kids can draw a leaf, a pupa, a caterpillar and a butterfly on construction paper and cut out the shapes. Help the kids punch a hole on each drawing as well as on different parts of the swirl. Use strings of yarn to tie each drawing on the swirl. Likewise, you can tape or staple each string to the swirl. Tie a string on the top of the swirl to hang the mobile.
Kids can create butterflies by creating ink blot art. Give each child a sheet of construction paper and blot some finger paint on each. Instruct the kids to fold the paper in half then open it up. This will make two identical sides. When the paint dries, kids can draw wings, eyes and antennae to create a butterfly. For a different approach to butterfly art, give each child an outline of a butterfly so that they can create their own butterflies using crayons, paint, markers and even glitter glue.