Caterpillars and Butterflies

I’ve recently started working on adding more structure to Vicky’s days. I have a few years experience teaching so I was able to put together a lesson plan format that I felt I could follow consistently every week. I wanted to hit upon a few developmental areas and then package it around a theme. If we’re going to be honest, each week takes me only about an hour to put together on a weekend. I did some research into different early childhood methods, be it Montessori, Reggio, or Waldorf, and tried to pull best practices from all. Your child is your child, and only you will know what works best for them. You know their strengths and weaknesses.

Every time I post a lesson plan, it will feature the same distinct parts. First, I will advise you of what materials you will need on hand for the entire lesson. This list should also include an approximate price for those materials. Secondly, the actual meat and potatoes of the plan will touch on roughly the same six or seven sets of activities. Each day I endeavor to read at least the book mentioned below, if not more. We follow that up with a nursery rhyme (aka dance-athon). The key words mentioned are for me to focus on in conversation. I would have already prepped the felt/foam scene on our door (the best magnetic flat surface), as well as the sensory bin. I at least one activity focusing on gross motor skills and one working on fine motor skills. I also try to have an art project or some coloring pages. I use coloring and art to conclude the day. She gets excited about it and I can find time to get things done. Plus the last hour of the day usually just drags!

Caterpillars and Butterflies

Supplies Needed:

• small multi-colored poms
• felt, one piece of green, one piece of red, and assorted colors you’d like to make a butterfly out of
• uncooked rice
• vinegar
• green food dye
• blanket
• shoe box
• magnets
• pipe cleaners

Total Cost: $7.50

• Reading: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• Nursery Rhyme: “The Caterpillar is Growing”. I found this gem from Sing A New Song.
• Words: Food, Hungry,
• Felt/Foam: Circles making up a caterpillar
  
  • Okay, so this was very after the fact, but I felt the need to create something else for her to play with. I had a few pieces of left over felt. Cue my caterpillar and butterfly from Nightmare before Christmas. I glued magnets behind each piece and put the corresponding other magnet on this black layer of felt.

• Sensory Bin: Cut out caterpillar and associated food, also dyed the rice green.
  • The rice was my coup d’etat. Vicky’s eyes lit up when she saw the different colors. I followed Little Bins/Little Hands’ recipe. However, I was hoping the slight vinegar smell and taste would discourage the over consumption of uncooked rice. I was sadly mistaken and her mouth turned green in about .2 seconds. That being said, her and her little friend delved in with relish and both his mother and I enjoyed almost 45 minutes of adult conversation.

• Art: Coloring book pages
• Gross Motor: Walk Vicky through curling up like an egg, crawling like a caterpillar, cocoon in a blanket, and flap our butterfly wings!
• Fine Motor: Feed the box
  
  • I was inspired by Teaching Mama. Check out her website here.
    
  • Whereas she used an old parmesan cheese container, I had recently bought Vicky a pair of shoes and used the box. I had a cheap bag of poms lying around, so they became our caterpillar’s food. After about 3 seconds of cutting “circles” and using glitter glue, I had my activity!