Chef Combo®

Caterpillars (Spring)

Seasons

Make-It-Myself Recipes

Grade Level: Pre-k / K
Rating:

Synopis:
Students discuss caterpillars and make a "caterpillar" snack.

Activity Objectives:
Students will be able to:

• Use right-to-left sequencing to assemble a Caterpillar snack.
• Taste a Caterpillar snack.
• State that a caterpillar turns into a butterfly.

Material and Advance Prep:

• Print Caterpillars rebus recipe (PDF)and prepare recipe cards
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Paper plates (1 per student)
• Plastic serrated knife
• Ingredients for Caterpillars
• Optional: Add a little food coloring to the cream cheese and mix well
• 4 trays; arrange each recipe card and it's supplies on a tray
• Set up trays from left to right
• Review Take A Tasting Survey
• Tasting Chart
• Tasting Passports PDF
• Stickers or rubber stamp for Tasting Passports
• Optional: Caterpillar (real or pretend)
• Optional: Food Matters Family Newsletter PDF (1 per child)

What to Do:

• Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Optional: Show students a caterpillar and explain how the caterpillar changes into a butterfly. Lead into a brief description of the Caterpillars recipe.
• Demonstrate how to assemble the Caterpillars. Role model "trying a new food" by tasting the Caterpillar in front of the students.
• Have children wash their hands. In groups of 4 to 5, have students assemble Caterpillars. Repeat until everyone who wants has made a Caterpillar.
• Add Caterpillar to the Tasting Chart. Take a tasting survey. Have the children help count and record the results on the chart. Congratulate the children for taking a taste. Stamp the Tasting Passports for children who tasted the Caterpillar.
• Optional: Send home a copy of the Food Matters Family Newsletter.

Caterpillars
Here's the recipe for one caterpillar. Adjust the ingredients as needed for your class size.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lettuce leaf
• 3 or 4 round snack crackers
• Whipped cream cheese
• 2 raisins
• 2 chow mein noodles

Directions

1. Tear up a lettuce leaf and sprinkle the pieces on a plate.
2. Spread whipped cream cheese on the crackers. Lay the crackers, cream cheese side up, on the plate, slightly overlapping one another.
3. Add raisin eyes.
4. Add two chow mein noodles for feelers.

Reviews

Following are reviews submitted by visitors. Find out how to submit your own rating and review.

Title: messy but fun
Submitted by: Anonymous

As with any recipe with peanut butter; it got a little chaotic with head-starters. However, the kids loved it! We read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and talked about the importance of healthy snacks. Overall, I really enjoyed the lesson plan. Just have plenty of wet paper towels when your done.