STEM Activities

Free Hungry Caterpillar Activity: Practising Counting

Instead of fruit, this caterpillar eats numbers. Draw one from circles, number them, and let your child feed it the matching tokens.

Updated 6 September 2023

Hungry caterpillar counting activity with numbered paper circles

Quick answer

Draw a caterpillar as a row of circles numbered 1 to 10, cut matching numbered circles from coloured paper, and ask your child to place each token on the right segment. Ages 3 to 6, about 20 minutes.

We all know the story of the very hungry caterpillar, but how about feeding her numbers instead of food? Placing the numbered tokens in the right place practises counting and number recognition and develops fine motor precision. Keep the book nearby to read afterwards.

1. Number-eating caterpillar

A caterpillar drawn from circles, each numbered, with matching numbered tokens to feed it in the right order.

Best forCounting to 10 and number matching
Age3 to 6
Time20 minutes
Mess levelLow
DifficultyEasy
CostFree

You will need

A large sheet of paper
Marker pen
Coloured paper
Scissors

How to set it up

On the big sheet, draw a caterpillar as a row of circles; a small glass makes a good template.
Draw a happy face on the first circle and number the rest 1 to 10. Cut same-sized circles from coloured paper and number those too.
Ask your child to feed the caterpillar by placing each numbered token on the matching circle.

Why it helps

Matching tokens to numbers practises counting and recognition, and placing them precisely develops fine motor control. Cutting the circles together adds scissor practice, and reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar alongside ties it to a story they know.