My Very Hungry Caterpillar

Our favourite book of all time is Eric Carles The very hungry caterpillar, so when my little bookcase announced the Create a picture book tableau challenge I knew we had to participate and I knew just the thing we should do. Click the link to see more!

 

 

 

We sat and read our all time favourite cuddled up on the lounge. I have read this story over and over since Dimples was a baby and he still never takes his eyes off it as I read. It would be one of my favourites as well, such a fun colourful book with an educational element and the unique style of fun sized pages with holes through them, it really brings it to life.

I asked dimples what he would do if he turned into a hungry caterpillar and he told me he would eat fruit and grow into a butterfly. When I asked him if he wanted to be the hungry caterpillar his eyes lite up with curiousity.  First we made a sun from circular paper and some feathers, we put up a back drop sheet and found dimples caterpillar sleeping suit. Also from when he was a baby, it still fits but more as a dress, his legs hang right out the bottom.

Dimples helped as we gathered an apple, a pear, a passion fruit (standing in for a plum, they're not is season at the moment) a strawberry and a orange.  You can't see but my very hungry caterpillar has already taken a bite from the apple, the strawberry and stuck his thumb through the orange. 

 

He is very photogenic, when its just me he is an absolute poser, but can be very camera shy for strangers. There goes my chance of a Santa picture again this year. I think he is just so used to Mummy with a camera in her hand that it doesnt phase him.

In the past, early in on my blog, we have done some Very Hungry Caterpillar crafts:

 Very hungry Caterpillar Painting using Jar spinning technique.

C is for Caterpillar, 3 caterpillar crafts

 





We didnt just read the book and take some photos, we read the story and talked about all the things in the book. The fruit, how many, the process of metamorphis, the days of the week and ofcourse, the junk food that gives him a tummy ache. As we re-read the story Dimples acted out the story, doing crazy eye movements as he looked for fruit. Rolling around with a tummy ache and pretending to POP out as a butterfly. Then we cut the fruit up and had it for afternoon tea.

This is very happy hungry caterpillar as a 6 month old grub :)

Dimples exploring fresh fruit and veggies in his caterpillar suit when he was just 6 months old

Glowing Sensory Glitter Bin

Using my newly found play essential, a UV black light globe, I put this super cool sensory bin together for Dimples and he literally sat and played for an hour in the dark.
If you have missed it we have done glow play with experimental glowing-vinegar- & with Glow water bath-play

I kept my mind open and looked for anything that glows in the dark or that was neon or fluorescent to put in the sensory bin and this is what I came up with.

Neon Play dough
Neon glitter dust
Glow sticks
Neon straws
Glow in the dark Plastic stars
Fluro pom poms
Fluro pipe cleaners
Fluro hair elastics
Fluro highlighters on white paper

Before: Flash on - UV light off

After: Flash off - UV light on

 Under the black light the neon/fluro play dough looked awesome, Dimples played around making caterpillars and bugs with the pipe cleaners and cut straws.

He threaded some of the pipe cleaner through the cut straws and then sprinkled the glitter everywhere. We were sitting in a dark room with a large mirror and he was laughing at the glitter on his finger tips. It was a crack up- Something good about the UV light, you REALLY see where all the mess goes, that normally you would not notice (like thousands of minuscule glitter dust specks).

Then he brushed by his face and looked in the mirror. Yep, he was covered in glow in the dark specks. Then he laughed & seen his teeth,  "Look at my teeth Mummy" they were glowing under the light as well.

 

He done some scribbling on white paper with the fluro highlighters and traced around some stars and then started with the glitter again.  He covered the play dough and filled some star shapes up.

After managing to sprinkle out all the glitter into the box I started to pack away some of the other bits so he had more room for the glitter.
Have you ever seen sand on a light box? Well the neon glitter under the UV light is by far much more interesting, bright and appealing but with the same affect.

Dimples used his fingers to draw in the glitter, do prints and so on, all the glitter glowed under the light and where ever he traced his finger, swished the pipe cleaners or pressed the play dough it was dark.

You must try it - Go on you know the kids (and you) will love it!!
Happy Adventures

Fun Foot Prints

I recently read a post by Hands on as we grow about BIG ART. I have always been a fan of big art and they share 40 fun ideas here at hands on as we grow . I think this activity falls nicely into the category of big art, it uses big movement and gross motor skills in the process and has a BIG result. My little monkey got into the paint, it was a big process, it was outdoors, it got him moving & it got a little messy.

 I totally agree with their statement that it is all about "the process and not the product".

Footsteps can be fun and little ones just love covering their hands & feet in paint, smearing it over the bodies and making a real mess, so we took this outside on a rolled out drop sheet (a Vinyl off cut), I love outdoor art, its much easier to wash up- If something gets thrown or splats on the floor or wall or we just go a little wild its too easy to grab the hose & wash it away. No biggy.

This was pretty simple to prepare. I got 2 trays and filled them with 2 different coloured paints then lined the paper across the vinyl and let the little monkey at it (you could tape it down if it is windy out or if its sticks to their feet). 

We discussed left and right, we talked about the colours and the types of "walks" animals do. 

FEET in instantly, that was the plan and he was straight in, feet first with out any instruction. He walked across the paper and into the water bowl then back again.

He tried Dinosaur STOMPING, TIP-TOEING, DUCK WALKING & FROG HOPPING.

We did a few different colours but here are some snaps below of the brights we did up first.