Easy Caterpillar Balloon Painting Craft for Kids
Looking for a fun way to make caterpillar crafts with young kids? Check out our simple balloon painting activity that makes a super cute caterpillar for kids of all ages to make! This is easy enough for toddlers and great for adding into a lesson plan on The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
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Fun Craft for The Very Hungry Caterpillar
One of our favorite children’s books to read with toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This is a classic early childhood book that I normally do a whole lesson plan on. And this craft is a fun way for young children to make their caterpillar!
Caterpillar Process Art Project
As with almost all the crafts we do, remember this is about the process of the balloon stamping, not what the final product looks like. This allows young children to explore and use more creativity. You can still help gently guide them and show them an example.
Get Started on Your Balloon Art
This is a project that’s perfect for little hands because they can help you or do all the steps themselves. And they get to create a fun work of art!
Materials Needed
You can find everything you need for this simple craft at the local dollar store or online easily. Here’s everything we used to make our caterpillars:
- Green Paint
- Red Paint
- Yellow Paper (we used this long paper)
- Balloons**
- Black Marker
- Optional: Googly Eyes
**A note about the balloons: We used regular sized balloons from the dollar store just not blown up all the way. Alternatively, you can use water balloons blown up all the way as they are much smaller.
Here’s where you can find the book as well: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Prepping Your Project
Before the actual painting starts, you’ll want to prep your supplies. First, cut out or choose what size paper you’ll be using. This will affect what size you need your balloons. If you don’t have yellow paper, you can also paint a canvas or white paper with yellow paint.
Next, blow up your balloons. You’ll need small balloons for most regular size paper, so keep that in mind when blowing them up. Then, put your paint on paper plates or an aluminium pan that’s big enough to dip balloons in.
1. Paint the Caterpillar’s Head
First, your child will paint one red circle using a balloon for the caterpillar’s head. Doing the head first creates an easy starting point for them to continue the rest of the body from.
2. Paint the Caterpillar’s Body
Next, with a new balloon, add on the caterpillar’s body with the green paint. You can add as many dots as you want for this part.
3. Add the Face and Legs
Then, have your child use the black marker to add a face, some legs, and two antenna. Or add the googly eyes if you have them.
4. Cut Out the Caterpillar
Lastly, you can cut out your caterpillar. This is an optional last step that we did simply because we liked the look of it.
Enjoy This Easy Caterpillar Craft
Create this easy caterpillar for your next bug themed lesson or just a fun summer activity! No matter how straight or well you child makes the green dots, you can almost always shape it into a caterpillar. So have fun making this craft together!
More Balloon Activities
If you just bought a big pack of balloons for this craft and have some left over, try these fun balloon activities. You can have a whole balloon themed week with all the crafts and activities!
