Crafts & activities

Make a Very Hungry Caterpillar inspired butterfly painting

Inspired by the moment when Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly, this simple craft will delight toddlers and help them learn about colours, patterns and symmetry.

Butterfly Painting

You will need:   

• A piece of green paper or thin card

• A piece of A4 white paper or thin card

• Some colourful poster paints – whichever colours you would like!

• A pencil

•  Some coloured card (any colour you would like)

• Some scissors

• Some glue

• A felt-tip pen of any colour

Butterfly Painting
Butterfly Painting

Step 1. Take a plain sheet of white paper or thin card and fold it in half horizontally – push down to create a ridge.

Step 2. Unfold the paper again – now you can see a fold line which will be the middle of your butterfly!

Butterfly Painting

Step 3. Using a pencil, draw a big triangle from the top right-hand corner of your page to the bottom right-hand corner of your page and across to the very middle point of your page.  It doesn’t need to be neat, this will just be a guideline. Then, take some poster paints (any colours you like).  On the right-hand side of your paper, fill your triangle with rough splodges of colour.  These can be anywhere inside your triangle and in any formation you like – let your creativity run wild!

Butterfly Painting

Step 4. When you’ve finished liberally splodging paint onto the right half of your paper, fold the left half on top of the right half along your fold line and gently press together.

Butterfly Painting

Step 5. Carefully peel the two halves of your paper apart and…

Butterfly Painting

Step 6. Voila!  You have some beautiful butterfly wings!  Leave them aside to dry for 20 minutes or until the paint is dry to the touch.

Butterfly Painting

Step 7. Take your piece of coloured card and, with a pencil or your felt-tip pin, draw a long, thin sausage shape onto the card.  This will be the body of your butterfly.  Make sure you add some antennae and a smiley face!

Butterfly Painting

Step 8. Carefully cut around your butterfly’s body.

Butterfly Painting

Step 9. Once your butterfly wings have dried, glue the body right in the middle of your paper to complete your colourful butterfly.  You might like to choose a name for your completed butterfly, too!

Butterfly Painting

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