Bugs and craft: Egg carton caterpillar

This super simple caterpillar will keep the kids occupied and provide them with an interactive way to learn about caterpillars.

Photo credit : Creative Learning

What you need:

• 1x egg carton
• A selection of acrylic paint colours
• 1x skewer
• 2x googly eyes
• A few pipe cleaners
• Glue and scissors

How to make:

1. Simply cut an egg carton in half so you are left with the bottom of the carton. From here, cut it in half again so you are left with six egg holders in a row.
2. After you’ve cut six egg holes out, it’s time to get painting. Choose any colours you want and allow to dry.
3. Once the paint is dry, it’s time to build the caterpillar. Firstly glue on some big googly eyes on the front egg holder.
4. Next, you need to make holes for the legs. You can do this by poking the skewer through the egg carton. Make a hole on every second holder and go straight through the carton so it pierces both sides. Now thread a 10cm piece of pipe cleaner through the hole. Once the pipe cleaner is even on either side, bend out the legs so it looks like feet.
5. Repeat this with each pair of feet.
6. Now make two holes in the top of the first egg holder- this will create the antenna. As you did with the legs, thread a pipe cleaner through the holes and curl the ends.

And there you have it — your own creepy, crawly caterpillar!

See below for some caterpillar facts:

• Caterpillars are curious creatures that come in all different shapes and sizes. In fact, there are over 180,000 different types of caterpillars.
• Caterpillars are the very start of the life cycle for both moths and butterflies. They eat a lot because they are storing energy to turn into a butterfly or moth.
• Between the weeks of two to four caterpillars start building their home which hangs from the tree. This is called a cocoon. Once the cocoon is complete, they go inside and come out in the form of a butterfly.
• Although most caterpillars are friendly there are a few types in Australia that can be dangerous. It’s best to stay away from hairy caterpillars, as the hairs are both brittle and barbed and can easily pierce the skin. Some caterpillars can cause allergic reactions or even inject venom. So we recommend admiring these creepy crawlies from afar.