I’ve always loved sharing Eric Carle’s books with young children. I’m joining parents and educators around the world in sadness at Eric Carle’s recent death. I’m also joining parents and educators around the world in feeling tremendously thankful for all the joy and beauty Eric Carle has brought to the world. Today, I want to share a variety of Montessori-inspired activities that can extend the wonderful content of his books.
Many Eric Carle activities I find online have touches of Montessori inspiration, but I’ll just share a few activities here that use a number of Montessori principles. Of course, most Eric Carle activities can be adapted for use in a Montessori-inspired unit.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
My Very First Book of Shapes
Montessori-Inspired Sticky Paper Shape Sorting and Counting
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
C is for Caterpillar Activities (Photo from 1+1+1=1)
Tot School ~ C is for Caterpillar (including free Very Hungry Caterpillar printables and a number of Very Hungry Caterpillar activities)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Toddler Activity and Free Printable from Teaching Mama
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Toddler Activity and Free Printable from Teaching Mama
Feed the Caterpillar Activity + Life Cycle Activities from Teaching Mama
Counting Money with Caterpillars Activities and Free Printables from JDaniel4’s Mom
Counting Money with Caterpillars Activities and Free Printables from JDaniel4’s Mom
Free Hungry Caterpillars Money Game and Other Free Hungry Caterpillars Printables from 123 Homeschool 4 Me
Free Very Hungry Caterpillar Counting Mats from My Bored Toddler
Make Your Own Very Hungry Caterpillar (Photo from Pink and Green Mama)
Make Your Own Very Hungry Caterpillar from Pink and Green Mama (The blog is no longer available, but this would make a great, simple sewing activity using pom poms.)
Caterpillar-Butterfly Tray (Photo from Little Wonders’ Days)
From Caterpillar to Butterfly Felt Activity from Little Wonders’ Days (The blog is no longer available, but this would be a fairly simple activity to prepare using felt.)
Very Hungry Caterpillar Bead Stringing (Photo from The Education of Ours)
Very Hungry Caterpillar Party from The Education of Ours
Very Hungry Caterpillar Necklace (Photo from Buggy and Buddy)
Very Hungry Caterpillar Necklace from Buggy and Buddy
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Threading Activity from Here Come the Girls
Counting with The Very Hungry Caterpillar from The Princess and the Tot
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book Based Shelf Activities from Moppets Wiki
The Very Hungry Kiddo Pair from OurMontessoriHome.Wordpress.com
Having Fun with Hungry Caterpillar Activities on Eric Carle’s Birthday
On Eric Carle’s June 25 birthday in 2020, my then-2-year-old grandson, Caleb, and I used two of the free activity pages from Puffin Schools along with the English and Spanish books (focusing on the Spanish words for caterpillar and butterfly), and Let’s Feed the Very Hungry Caterpillar Game. (Note: With preschoolers, I typically play games cooperatively. Here, we used one caterpillar playing piece and worked together to reach the goal and build the butterfly puzzle.) Caleb also had a feast of strawberries!⠀
⠀
We did two activity pages (without pencil and paper … just hands-on activities). I loved that on the Hide and Seek page in the photo, Caleb quickly found the Hungry Caterpillar, found all the other animals, and then brought out the Safari Ltd. insects we’ve been using for our summer unit along with a Schleich deer and rabbit from our animal basket to complete the scene!
Be sure to check out my Montessori-Inspired Caterpillar-Butterfly Unit (roundup post) for LOTS of ideas that can be used with The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
The Very Quiet Cricket
Free Cricket Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Phonics Instant Download)
The Very Quiet Cricket Free Printables and Activities from Making Learning Fun
The Very Quiet Cricket Sequencing and Vocabulary Cards from The Educators’ Spin On It
The Very Quiet Cricket Sequencing and Vocabulary from The Educators’ Spin On It
Explore How Crickets Make Their Chirping Sound from Not Just Cute
The Very Quiet Cricket Hunt from The Iowa Farmer’s Wife
The Grouchy Ladybug
Free Ladybug Printables and Montessori-Inspired Ladybug Activities (my post) and Montessori-Inspired Insect Unit (includes some ladybug posts)
The Grouchy Ladybug Sequencing and Matching Layout
The Grouchy Ladybug Using Free Sequencing and Matching Cards (a fun way to reinforce time telling)
The Very Busy Spider
Free Spider Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spider Activities
Free Spider Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spider Math Activities
Making Our Own Very Busy Spiders and Spider Webs from Teach Preschool
Creating an Outdoor Spider Web to Catch Letter Flies from Growing Book By Book
A House for Hermit Crab
Free House for Hermit Crab Pack from 3 Dinosaurs
A House for Hermit Crab Lapbook from Walking by the Way
Seashell Acid Base Experiment from Teach Beside Me
Paper Plate Crab from No Time for Flash Cards
Build a House for Hermit Crab Sensory Small World from Adventures and Play
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
I have a Montessori-Inspired Brown Bear, Brown Bear Activities roundup post.
Today Is Monday
Today Is Monday Cards from Montessori Mama
Free days of the week songs and rhymes in my Free Back-to-School Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time post.
Author Study
Author Study – The World of Eric Carle from Teacher Types
Teaching to Paint Eric Carle Pictures from The Natural Homeschool
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Instagram, Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), and YouTube. While you’re here, please check out the Living Montessori Now shop.
And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll receive some awesome freebies in the process!
Thanks for featuring our caterpillar set again. This is a great theme for a blog party. I linked up a couple of our older posts that fit the theme too. Congrats on doing so well in the Circle of Mom’s. I voted for you, good luck!
My pleasure, Kelly! I’m glad you linked up some more of your awesome activities. And thanks so much for voting for me! 🙂
Thanks for including our shapes tray, Deb! 🙂 Great post!
Thanks for your kind comment, Tricia … and my pleasure! I love your shapes tray! 🙂
What a wonderful idea for a linky! The book projects are fabulous. Nice! Carolyn
Thanks so much, Carolyn! Bern at Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas started the linky … I’m loving all the ideas, too! 🙂
I am honored to be featured on this post! Thank you so much for remembering me. We are taking the summer off, but will be back up and running on August 1. I finished revamping my school room yesterday in preparation for the new year, and we are all so excited! I am thrilled to see so many people linking up to your post and can’t wait to take a look at some of those wonderful ideas! Thank you again, Rebecca
My pleasure, Rebecca … I always love your ideas! I’m just one of the co-hosts for the Eric Carle linky, so bloggers are linking up at a number of blogs. There are lots of awesome ideas to check out! Have a wonderful summer, and I’ll love to see what you do after your break! 🙂
Thank you for sharing our cricket hunt! Have gotten a lot of traffic from your post and popped over to see why! I LOVE so many of the ideas you posted, especially that little caterpillar pony bead necklace! So cute!
My pleasure … I’m so glad you’ve gotten lots of traffic from my post! I had so much fun finding these great ideas online! 🙂
Wow! Deb! I am so impressed with this round up. Loving it ALL. I can’t wait to try these out with my son. Bookmarked and shared….
Thanks so much for your kind comment, Marnie! And thanks for bookmarking and sharing! 🙂
Love Eric Carle!
Thanks for your comment, Bronwyn … I totally agree! 🙂
Another great post. Love the fruit tray with the book activity. Thanks for sharing on kids co-op- frogs and snails and puppy dog tails
Thanks so much, Jaime! I love that activity, too! 🙂
I think this is my favourite linky ever! You picked some great projects to share!
Thanks for stopping by The Sunday Showcase, hope to see you there again next week!
Charlotte
makedoandfriend.com
Thanks so much, Charlotte! I love Eric Carle, and this was a fun linky! 🙂
Wow! So many really cool ideas here! Thanks for linking up to TGIF – I pinned it and can’t wait to try some of these!!
Beth =-)
Thanks, Beth! I really appreciate your pinning my post! 🙂
Hungry Caterpillar is the first book I can ever recalled reading/having read to me as a child! Isn’t it incredible that it has not only lasted the test of time but continues to be a staple within a child’s learning process even to this very day!
Thanks for your comment, BJ! The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of the favorite books I read to my now-adult children, too! 🙂
What a great selection of activities you’ve inspired me I’m going to spend this evening preparing some for us for the week ahead. Thank you