Caterpillar to
Butterfly
Songs, Poems & Fingerplays
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
Graphic used: clipart.com
Songs, Poems and Fingerplay Idea
Print up the following sheets and store in a 3 – ring
binder. (Purchase at Target, Wal Mart, K-Mart, etc.,
in the office supply section). If you use thicker quality
paper, you can print items back to back saving paper.
This way you have all sheets available to you at circle
time.
Print up the 1st page and place in front of the 3-ring
binder.
Pretty Butterfly
(Sung to: “Up on the Housetop”)
First comes a butterfly
Who lays an egg.
Out comes a caterpillar
With many legs.
Oh, see the caterpillar
Spin and spin.
A little chrysalis to sleep in.
Oh, oh, oh, look and see,
Oh, oh, oh, look and see,
Out of the chrysalis, my oh my,
Out comes a pretty butterfly!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
Graphics used: clipart.com
Color Butterflies
The first to come to the garden bed,
Is a lovely butterfly of brilliant red.
Then in comes another and that makes two,
Fly right in, my friend of blue.
“The garden is fine, the best I’ve ever seen.”
Says the butterfly of spring time green.
Our garden needs a sunshiny fellow,
Fly in butterfly with wings of yellow.
Orange, orange you’ve waited so long,
Fly right in where you belong.
Butterflies, butterflies your such a sight,
Flying in together – a springtime delight.
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Butterflies for “Color Butterflies”
Use the following color butterflies for the “Color
Butterfly” poem. Print up on white card stock.
Trim, laminate if desired.
Depending on how many children you have in
your child care / class, print up enough so
everyone gets one butterfly.
Read the poem, and as you come to a color,
have the child/ren holding the red butterfly raise it
in the air and wave it.
Raise butterflies with each color of the poem and
wave.
Color Format
Print up on white card stock.
red
blue
green
B & W Format
Print up on white card stock. Color
each butterfly a color. This will
save on ink.
yellow
orange
Little Butterfly
(Sung to: “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a little butterfly
I have wings
I fly around
And see all things.
When I see a flower
That looks great
I call out
To all my mates.
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Caterpillar
The caterpillar crawled from a plant, you see
(left hand crawls up and down right arm)
“I think I’ll take a nap,” said he.
So over the ground he began to creep
(right hand crawls over left arm)
To spin a chrysalis and he fell asleep.
(cover right fist with left hand)
All winter he slept in his bed
Till spring came along and he said,
“Wake up, it’s time to get out of bed!”
(shake fist and pointer finger)
So he opened his eyes that sunny spring day
(spread fingers and look into hand)
Look I’m a butterfly!” and he flew away.
(Interlock thumbs and fly hands away)
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
Graphics used: Graphic Factory
Caterpillar Poem
What do caterpillars do?
Nothing but chew and chew.
What do caterpillars know?
Nothing much but how to grow.
They just eat what by and by
Will make them be a butterfly.
But this is more than I can do
However much I chew and chew.
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Creepy Crawly Caterpillar
A creepy crawly caterpillar that I see
(shade eyes)
Makes a chrysalis in a big oak tree.
(make body into a ball)
He stays there and I know why
(slowly stand up)
Because soon he will be a butterfly
(flap arms)
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Flutter, Flutter Butterfly
(Sung to: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Flutter, flutter, butterfly
Floating in the summer sky.
Floating by for all to see,
Floating by so merrily.
Flutter, flutter, butterfly,
Floating in the summer sky.
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Roly-Poly Caterpillar
Roly-Poly caterpillar,
(wiggle right pointer finger)
Into a corner crept.
(place right pointer finger in left cupped hand)
Then for a long time slept.
(place head on folded hands)
Roly-poly caterpillar
(wiggle right pointer finger)
Found himself with beautiful wings.
Changed into a butterfly.
(flutter arms like wings).
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Caterpillar Chant
A caterpillar looks so small.
It is hardly there at all.
It munches on green leafy treats,
And it gets bigger as it eats.
It eats and eats, ‘til pretty soon.
It wraps up tight in a cocoon.
When it wakes up it blinks its eyes
And says, “I’m now a butterfly!”
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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The Life of a Butterfly
(Sung to: “Skip to My Lou”)
I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I’m a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
What’ll I be my darlin’?
A chrysalis, now sleep like me,
A chrysalis, now sleep like me,
A chrysalis, now sleep like me,
What’ll I be my darlin’?
A butterfly, come fly with me,
A butterfly, come fly with me,
A butterfly, come fly with me,
What’ll I be my darlin’?
Now all together, let’s do all three!
A caterpillar, a chrysalis, a butterfly, three!
Move your body like this with me,
The life of a butterfly, darlin’!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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The Fuzzy Caterpillar
(Sung to: “Itsy Bitsy Spider”)
The fuzzy caterpillar
Curled up on a leaf,
Spun her little chrysalis
And then fell fast asleep.
While she was sleeping,
She dreamed that she could fly.
And later when she woke up,
She was a butterfly!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Fuzzy Caterpillar
Fuzzy, wuzzy, creepy crawly
caterpillar, funny.
You will be a butterfly
When the days are sunny.
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Caterpillar Change
There was a little caterpillar crawling all about.
(walk with fingers on arm)
He worked and he worked without a doubt.
(wiggle fingers)
Wrapping himself in a snug cocoon.
(wrap other hand around fingers)
Waiting and waiting, will it be soon?
(hold fingers)
Look, he’s coming out, my oh my!
(raise arms in excitement)
For now he’s become a beautiful butterfly!
(cross thumbs and flap hands like wings)
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Only My Opinion
Is a caterpillar ticklish?
Well, it’s always my belief
That he giggles as he wiggles
Across a hairy leaf.
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Five Fuzzy Caterpillars
Five fuzzy caterpillars,
on a spring day.
five fuzzy caterpillars,
crawl and play.
Five fuzzy caterpillars
eat and eat some more.
Five fuzzy caterpillars
we can see no more.
Each in a chrysalis,
they will stay,
Till they are butterflies, and fly away!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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ABC Butterfly
ABCDE
I found a butterfly on me!
FGHIJ
She started out in a very small way.
KLMNO
An egg smaller than my toe!
PQRST
Next a caterpillar she will be.
UVWXY
In a chrysalis is where she’d lie.
ZZZZZ
That’s how my butterfly came to be!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Caterpillar, Caterpillar
(Sung to: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”)
Caterpillar, caterpillar (arms up high)
Turn around. (turn around)
Caterpillar, caterpillar (all fall down)
Slitter on the ground. (wiggle on the floor)
Caterpillar, caterpillar (stand up)
Spin a cocoon (twirl around)
Caterpillar, caterpillar (sit down)
Sleep until noon. (pretend to sleep)
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Butterflies’ Birthday
Here is the egg, small and round.
On a leaf above the ground.
Here is the caterpillar, watch it eat.
Lots of leaves, juicy and sweet.
Here is the chrysalis, small and thin;
The changing pupa sleeps within.
Here is the butterfly, fluttering away;
Time to celebrate it’s happy birthday!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Caterpillar
(Sung to: “She’ll be Coming Around the Mountain”)
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle.
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle.
There’s a tiny caterpillar.
A tiny caterpillar.
There’s a tiny caterpillar on a leaf, wiggle, wiggle.
More verses:
There’s a hungry caterpillar on a leaf munch, munch!
There’s a shiny chrysalis on a leaf, shh, shh!
There’s a lovely butterfly flying high, flutter, flutter!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Caterpillar, Caterpillar
Caterpillar, caterpillar,
Where will you go?
Up and down the branches,
to where the flowers grow.
Caterpillar, caterpillar,
What will you do?
I’ll spin my cocoon
And then rest, too.
Caterpillar, caterpillar,
why, why, why?
Because you see I’m going to be
A lovely butterfly!
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Once I Saw a Butterfly
(Sung to: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Once I saw a butterfly
Dancing in the clear blue sky
Through the meadow he would go
Flying high and flying low
Once I saw a butterfly
Dancing in the clear blue sky
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
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Fuzzy, Wuzzy Caterpillar
Fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillar
crawls along on the ground.
Eating lots of grass and leaves.
He soon grows big and round!
He builds a house around himself.
Now can you tell me why?
‘Cause soon you’ll see him turn
Into a pretty butterfly.
1 – 2 – 3 Learn Curriculum
Graphics used: clipart.com
Butterfly Puppet
Print up on white card stock. One for each
child. Color if using B & W, cut out. Fold a
crease – length wise and then staple a length
of pipe cleaner to the back. Twist pipe cleaner
to form a ring small enough to fit on a child’s
finger. Have each child slip the butterfly onto
their finger and use the butterfly for any of the
songs included with the “Caterpillar to
Butterfly” theme. ☺