The Very Hungry Caterpillar Preschool Activity

Try this cute The Very Hungry Caterpillar preschool activity based on the book by Eric Carle. Kids can create their own food shopping list while reading the book, then go food shopping at the store or at home!

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Hi Crafty Friends! Today I have a fun preschool activity you can do based on the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. When my kids were both preschool-aged, we had “Hungry Caterpillar Day”. It was so fun and I found tons of great Hungry Caterpillar activities online. One thing I created for our special day were these cute shopping lists.

They can be used so many different ways depending on the age of your child and what you are working on with them. We took our shopping lists to the store and bought a bunch of food from the list for our special day. I was able to make a cute lunch and snack for my kids that day.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Preschool Activity

Supplies Needed:

White cardstock or printer paper
Crayons, string and tape
Kid scissors – or adult scissors if an adult will be doing the cutting
Glue stick
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book – I love the board book!
Mini Clipboards

How to Use the Hungry Caterpillar Printables

On a Shopping Trip!

There are two different list printables. One is smaller and will fit on a mini clipboard, perfect for taking to the store. The foods are already drawn on the list. Attach a crayon to the clipboard using string and tape so your child can help shop at the store. They can check things off the list as you shop!

On a Hungry Caterpillar Scavenger Hunt

You can also use this same list in a scavenger hunt around the house. Use toy food or pictures of real food from magazines or online. I’ve included an extra set of food cards with my printables that are larger and perfect for hiding in a scavenger hunt! Kids can check off the food items as they find them.

For kids who are learning to count, have them mark the number of each food item they find in the green boxes rather than just a checkmark. You could follow along with the book and try to have 1 apple, 2 pears, 3 plums and so on hidden.

With a Hungry Caterpillar Sensory Bin

My kids LOVE sensory bins so awhile ago we created a Hungry Caterpillar-themed bin. I filled it with black beans and then threw in a bunch of toy food we owned that matched the book. I had to get a little creative using an ice cream sandwhich instead of an ice cream cone, a hot dog instead of sausage and unfortunately we didn’t have a plum so we used grapes instead! For the most part it worked!

Use toy food like I did, or print the food cards from my printable set, and hide them in the sensory bin. Just like the scavenger hunt, have the child mark off the food they find!

Sensory Bin Supplies: Black beans | Play Food | Mini Play Food | The Very Hungry Caterpillar Toy | Under the Bed Storage Bin (this is what we use for most of our sensory bins because more than one kiddo can fit around it easily)

Have the Child Create the List!

I created a second food shopping list that is larger. It includes the names of the foods but not the pictures of the food. Instead there is a blank space where your child can add the image of the food. This is such a fun way to make a shopping list because kids can help! You can make the list while reading the book for a fun storytelling idea or scramble the food cards up and have them match the food to the words.

If your child is old enough they can cut out the little cards for great cutting practice or you can cut them out before the activity so they are ready to go. Have little ones use a glue stick for great fine-motor practice. When the list is done, they can use it with one of the ideas listed above.

These food shopping activity sheets are so fun. They can be used in many different ways depending on your child. We used them more than once switching up how we used them.

More The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities

Be sure to check out my roundup of Hungry Caterpillar Activities for Preschoolers. We have done a bunch of the activities on the list and they were all big hits with my kids.

Get the Free Hungry Caterpillar Files!

Fill out the purple form below with your first name and email address! The free file will be sent straight to your inbox! If you have already filled out the form below, don’t worry – you won’t be added to my list twice! This freebie is for personal use only. I hope you enjoy crafting something special. Please let me know if you have any questions :)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Preschool Activity – Food Shopping List!