Looking for a fun Eric Carle preschool art project? Don’t be afraid to try sculpture! Even the youngest kids will have fun manipulating Crayola Model Magic to make Very Hungry Caterpillars inspired by Eric Carle’s colorful illustrations.
Adding a Preschool Art Program
At my school, we call our youngest kiddos, our preschool students, “TK” (which stands for Transitional Kindergarten). A couple of years ago we added the TK class and consistently have about 20 kids in the TK classroom each year. I was asked to add teaching art to TK into my schedule.
At first, I was a bit nervous teaching the youngest kids (some are still age four) –I wasn’t sure what they would be able to do as far as making art. (Can they use scissors yet? Will they eat glue?) Plus, I knew that they would do a lot of making in their own classroom each day.
Process, Not Product
So, I set off to find some fun art lessons to try with TK, knowing that it would be all about the process. I have been so pleased with how the TK art program has developed! We are constantly experimenting with different materials, and there is a lot of freedom when the kids aren’t really worried with the end result as much as just enjoying the process. We have done some finger painting, painted with watercolor and tempera (including blowing the watercolor through straws), sculpted with clay and Model Magic, colored with plenty of crayons and markers, and have tried various types of collage.
The Alphabet as Framework
In TK, the students are learning the alphabet, studying a different letter and its sound each week. I used that as a basic framework around which I base a lot of my projects (as well as incorporating lots of seasonal and holiday lessons). So, for example, when they studied O, we made “O is for Octopus” mixed-media octopus collages. When they studied P, we made Popsicle paper collages. One of the big hits of the year is an Eric Carle preschool art project, our “V is for Very Hungry Caterpillar” sculptures made from Crayola Model Magic.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
We use one 30-minute class to make the caterpillar sculptures. First, we watch the Very Hungry Caterpillar animation on YouTube (you could also simply read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle). This book ties in easily with days of the week, numbers, and the life cycle of a butterfly, so this project could just as easily be done in kindergarten or first grade, or in a regular classroom rather than in art.
Model Magic Sculptures
Next, I give the students two balls of green Model Magic, lime green and a darker green. They follow my demo as I show them how to marble the greens together by mushing and stretching, mushing and stretching. (You have to tell them to stop when they can see lots of swirls–if they overmix it all becomes a medium green again.) I split each 4-oz. package of Model Magic into about 5 sections.
Then we make small balls from the Model Magic and smush them into a line. Next, I give each student a smaller piece of red Model Magic (I split a 4-oz. package of red into about 10 or 12 sections). They roll a red ball for the head and add it to their caterpillar.
Finally, I cut some Twisteez fun wire (coated wire in different colors) into small sections and have each student choose a color of wire. Since we are tying this project in with letter V, they fold their section of wire in half to make a V-shape, then stick it down into the red ball of the caterpillar’s head to make antennae.
When finished, I have the students place their caterpillar onto parchment paper on top of a baking tray or piece of stiff cardboard. (I always pre-write their names or class number on the parchment paper with Sharpie so they can just come place their caterpillar onto their name or number; then later, when the Model Magic dries, I write their names with Sharpie onto the bottom of the sculpture.)
Extending the Lesson
The following week, students draw one of the foods that the Very Hungry Caterpillar eats in the book. They draw big onto colored construction paper and color with construction paper crayons. (If you want to be even more Eric Carle-esque, you could have them paint with tempera on the construction paper.) Then they cut their shape out (sometimes with teacher help), and I help them use the hole punch to punch a couple of holes (like in the actual book) to represent where the caterpillar has been chomping. When we display them in the hallway, I place their caterpillars on top of their food drawing.
And then I say…”V is also for Voila!” I get great feedback about these when they are displayed in the hallway!
What other Eric Carle preschool art projects have you tried?