The Hungry Caterpillar

Ever since receiving various jigsaw puzzles for Christmas, my son Archie has been wanting to put them together over and over again. One of his favourite ones, which we seem to be completing two or three times a day is a jigsaw of the very popular children's book 'The Hungry Caterpillar'.

After we have completed this jigsaw, we sing a song (or sometimes just recap) on the life journey of a caterpillar. We have signs that go with the song as we use makaton on a daily basis. Archie now knows this process very well! The song is sang to the tune of 'She'll be comnground the mountain' and the words are:

verse one

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, tiny caterpillar
tiny caterpillar on a leaf wiggle wiggle

verse two

He will eat the leaves around him til he's full munch munch
he will eat the leaves around him til he's full munch munch
he will eat thelaeaves around him, eat the leaves around him,
eat the leaves around him til he's full munch munch

verse three

A cocoon is what he's spinning for his home spin spin
A cocoon is what he's spinning for his home spin spin
A cocoon is what he's spinning, cocoon is what he's spinning
cocoon is what he's spinning for is home munch munch

verse four
Then he'll be a butterfly and fly away flap flap
then he'll be a butterfly and fly away flap flap
then he'll be a butterfly, be a butterfly,
be a butterfly and fly away flap flap

This song and the signs were shown to us by our inclusion support worker. As Archie enjoys singing a lot, it is a good reward at the end of his jigsaw to sing the song and we both thoroughly enjoy this activity.