• Use red and green balloons to create the Very Hungry Caterpillar.green baloons image by Igor Zhorov from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is a whimsical story by Eric Carle that follows the life of a caterpillar from a tiny egg to a glorious butterfly. Throughout the book, the caterpillar eats his way through a host of fruits, vegetables and other goodies before forming a cocoon. The delightful collage images and lyrical verses hold the attention of young readers. Using "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" as a party theme brings the book to life, delighting children and adults alike.
  
  

Decorations

• Creating the decorations for a Very Hungry Caterpillar party can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. For simple decorations, cut leaves, grass and the foods eaten by the Hungry Caterpillar out of construction paper and display them on the walls. Make the caterpillar from green circles for the body and a red circle for the head. Position the caterpillar among the leaves and grass.
  
  For a more elaborate decoration, blow up six green balloons and one red one. Choose round balloons; although you can use any size, all balloons must be the same size. Tie the balloons and attach string or fishing line. Draw on the face with markers. Attach a small piece of double-sided tape between the balloons and arrange them in the shape of a caterpillar. Check that the tied ends with the string all face upward. Suspend the balloons from the ceiling or the edge of the table to create a caterpillar with a red balloon head. The string becomes invisible, so this gives the illusion the caterpillar is floating midair.
  
  

Food

• Serving the foods the Hungry Caterpillar ate his way through keeps kids involved. Select fresh fruits and vegetables from the book; prepare slices of fruit and bite-size sections of veggies ahead of time. Drill a round hole through whole pieces of fruit with a clean 1/2-inch bit to give the illusion the Hungry Caterpillar has already taken a bite. Use the drilled fruit for display.
  
  

Cake

• Serving traditional cake decorated with the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme is always an option; however, for that extra touch, use cupcakes to make one or more Hungry Caterpillars. For classroom parties with a lot of guests, fill paper plates with cupcakes iced in green for the caterpillar's body. Four to six plates of green cupcakes make a nice body. Complete the caterpillar with a plate of red cupcakes for the head. Add facial features with candy. Arrange the plates into a wiggly caterpillar.
  
  

Activities

• Involve children in the Hungry Caterpillar theme with activities related to the book. For small children or a preschool classroom, provide each child with a green ribbon with a red bead attached at the end. Invite children to weave their Hungry Caterpillars through the holes in your book as you read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."
  
  Prepare material for retelling the story by cutting out pictures of the foods the Very Hungry Caterpillar eats. Paste the images on index cards and laminate or cover with clear contact paper. For classroom use, attach a magnet to the back of each card. Kids can retell the events in the story by placing the pictures on a magnetic white board in sequence. Challenge youngsters to retell the story using the pictures.
  
  Provide red and green pompoms and and craft glue so children can make their own caterpillars. Glue six green pompoms together to form the caterpillar's body. Add one red pompom for the head. Young children can glue the pompoms to construction paper. Use markers to draw features and add background pictures.
  
  

Feed the Caterpillar Game

• Draw a large green and red caterpillar on the sidewalk or pavement with colored chalk. The head should be 8 to 12 inches in diameter. Purchase or make fruit- and vegetable-shaped bean bags. Challenge children to throw the bean bag into the caterpillar's mouth. For young children, throwing from a distance of 1 to 2 feet is adequate. Adjust the throwing line to suit the age of the children.