The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a famous children’s book that follows the journey of a caterpillar’s growth into a butterfly. With its colorful illustrations and charming storyline, the book has become a classic in children’s literature.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day is celebrated on March 20th each year to commemorate the beloved children’s book. This day or even World Book Day is a wonderful opportunity to engage children in fun and educational activities that celebrate the story and the themes it explores.
In addition to the book, a variety of accessories are available, including plush toys, pull toys that are great outdoor toys too, magna-tiles, cupcake kits, and bed sets, that can help children engage with the story in new and exciting ways.
- Now even younger children can follow the little green caterpillar as he eats his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly in this sturdy board book
- Great for early development
- Children will enjoy this delightful tale
- Ages 2 to 5
- Carle, Eric (Author)
It also inspired us to create these The Very Hungry Caterpillar printables worksheets that provide a fun and interactive platform for children to develop various skills. These activities are
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Worksheets
Children can practice fine motor skills, like tracing and writing (beginning sounds, and writing words for early writers), math skills (learning numbers, addition, and subtraction), logical thinking (sudoku, mazes) colors, and coloring. There is also a bonus sheet for 3 different Very Hungry Caterpillar activities.
The caterpillar-themed pages are suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and grade schoolers.
Simply print our templates with the caterpillar worksheets…

… and let the fun learning begin, while not knowing they are developing different skills:
Writing and Tracing
- Help the very hungry caterpillar to get to the food – Line tracing
- Write the beginning sound of each object
- Trace the words from each picture
- Write the words from each picture
- Circle words in the puzzle
The tracing and writing activities included in the Caterpillar worksheets help children develop their fine motor skills. They are essential for activities such as writing, drawing, and cutting.
Math Worksheets
- Trace, color, and circle the numbers (1-10)
- Match the correct number of food to their numerals and trace the number
- Count the fruits, and circle the right number
- Count the pictures and write the correct numbers.
- Addition
- Subtraction
The worksheets help children learn numbers, addition, and subtraction in a fun and engaging way, which can help them develop strong math skills.
Logical Thinking
- Sudoku
- Complete the pictures by drawing the other half
- Caterpillar mazes
The sudoku, drawing, and maze Very Hungry Caterpillar activities included in the worksheets help children develop their logical thinking skills, which are important for problem-solving and decision-making.
Color Recognition
- Connect the pictures to the box with their matching color
The worksheets help children learn about colors and color recognition, which is an essential skill for early learners.

Coloring Pages
- Caterpillar coloring page
- Butterfly coloring pages
The coloring caterpillar pages included in the printables allow children to express their creativity and develop their fine motor skills at the same time.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cutouts
There are some bonus pages included in the printables that can be used for 3 different Very Hungry Caterpillar activities.
Footprint Caterpillar Activity
Bring the Hungry Caterpillar to life with this fun and engaging activity! Perfect for young children, this activity combines art and education to create a unique and interactive learning experience. By following a few easy steps, you can create an enjoyable Hungry Caterpillar Footprint Activity that teaches children about the days of the week.
Get ready to have some fun and watch your little ones learn and grow!
What Will You Need?
- Printable cutouts
- Paint
- Paintbrush
- White paper
- Printer
- Laminator or clear tape
- Self-adhesive dot tapes
- Scissors
What to Do?
Use two shades of green, and dip your little one’s foot in the paint or paint it with a paintbrush to make 7 footprints. These footprints will be the body of the caterpillar and the days of the week.
Once the paint is dry, draw the head and tiny shoes, and other details of the caterpillar.
Download and print the template then cut out the caterpillar’s food.
Laminate the cutouts with a machine or clear tape or vinyl. For tape, apply strips of clear tape to both sides of the cutouts. To use vinyl, sandwich the cutouts between two clear vinyl sheets and press them together. To create a sturdy, waterproof seal, carefully follow the instructions when using a machine; if planning to buy a machine get to know more about laminating machines before making a purchase.

Stick on self-adhesive dot tapes. Attach the self-adhesive hook to the caterpillar’s body and stick the loop coins on the food.
Encourage your child to match the food cutouts to the day of the week when it was eaten.
Roll up your sleeves and enjoy a creative and educational activity with your child by making this fun caterpillar activity today!


Shadow Puppet Theater
Bring the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to life with your kids by creating a magical stage where they can act out the tale with their own caterpillar and food cutouts. With these easy-to-follow steps, you can make your very own shadow puppet theater with your little ones through imaginative play.
We also tried The Room on the Broom story
What will You Need?
- Printable cutouts
- Cardboard box
- Wax paper
- Craft sticks
- Washi tape
- Glue gun
- Flashlite
- Laminator machine or clear tape
What to Do?
To create your own shadow puppet theater, first, gather all the necessary materials. Once you have everything you need, download and print the template for the caterpillar’s food and cut them out. To make them more durable, you can laminate them with a machine or cover them with tape. Next, attach the craft sticks to the cutouts using glue or tape.
To make the theater frame, use a box lid and cut out the middle portion to create a rectangular frame. You can also cut out a theater curtain shape if you’d like. Attach the wax paper to the back of the frame using a tape or glue gun.



Once your theater is ready, position the flashlight behind the frame and turn it on. Place your caterpillar stick puppets on the stage, and play with the puppets to recreate The Very Hungry Caterpillar story. Your children will love watching the colorful shadows dance across the stage and bring the story to life in a unique and creative way.


Hungry Caterpillar Threading
Bring the beloved story to life with a threading activity that combines crafting, fine motor skills, and storytelling. This fun and interactive activity is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, helping them to develop their creativity and hand-eye coordination.
What will You Need?
- Printable cutouts
- Hole Puncher
- Ribbon
- Laminator or clear tape
What to Do?
The first step is to print out the template and carefully cut out the caterpillar and its food.
Once the cutouts are ready, you can further protect them by laminating them with a machine or using clear tape to cover them.
To make threading easier, use a hole puncher to create a small hole in each cutout.


Then, fix the caterpillar at the beginning of the ribbon and guide your toddler to thread the caterpillar’s food in the correct order as it appears in the story. As you read the book together, your child can follow along with the caterpillar’s journey, enhancing their reading comprehension and fine motor skills.


The Benefits of Caterpillar Printables
Engaging and Fun Learning: The caterpillar-themed pages are designed to make learning fun and enjoyable for children.
Skill Development: The printables allow children to develop important skills such as fine motor skills, writing skills, math skills, and logical thinking skills.
Versatility: The worksheets are suitable for children of different ages and skill levels, from toddlers to grade schoolers.
Easy to Use: The printables are easy to access and print, making it convenient for parents and teachers to use them as part of their lesson plans.
Interactive: The Very Hungry Caterpillar activities included in the worksheets are interactive and hands-on, providing a more immersive learning experience for children.

Conclusion
In conclusion, The Very Hungry Caterpillar printables offer a wide range of fun and engaging activities that can help children learn various skills such as fine motor skills, math skills, logical thinking, color recognition, and coloring. These worksheets and the Very Hungry Caterpillar activities are inspired by the classic children’s book and are suitable for toddlers and preschoolers.
To discover more exciting word book day activities for your child, explore our Fun Elmer Activities.