Welcome to the Storytime at Home series! Every other week, we share a list of book options tied to a kid-approved theme, a craft you can set up to go along with the theme, songs/rhymes you can do during storytime, and additional enrichment activities. All books are available at Richmond Public Library, and crafts will involve items you likely have at home already! Our hope is that we can make it easy for you to share stories with your little ones and create a little bit of library magic at home.
P.S. Love library storytimes? Take a look at all in-library storytime options here. There is a storytime for your child every morning at our various branches!
Okay, now to the fun stuff…
Today’s storytime theme is CATERPILLARS AND BUTTERFLIES!
The weather is warmer, the birds are chirping… Spring is here! With a new season of buds and blooms we see the emergence of so many creepy crawly friends – including caterpillars. Children are especially curious about caterpillars – and for good reason! Their many legs and bumpy and wiggly bodies that can be fuzzy or covered in spikes? There is a LOT to wonder about when it comes to caterpillars. Not to mention their metamorphosis! A caterpillar’s change into a butterfly is one of the earliest examples of physical change and transformation that children can conceptualize and experience. It’s a great way to teach them about patience, growth, and change. Plus, butterflies are beautiful and fun to look at. They offer kids a little magic in every sighting. Stories about caterpillars and butterflies also give us a chance to discuss colors, numbers, shapes, and sizes with children. This theme is a win-win for adults and children alike. The library has some wonderful books about caterpillars and butterflies, and we’ve included some of our favorites below. When you visit, you can also search in our catalog or ask a librarian to help you find the perfect book for you and your child.
Books
Reading to your kiddos turns them into confident thinkers. Making books a regular part of your daily routine is a great way to build children’s love of reading and learning. Storytimes also help build excitement around reading to support their literacy development.
Here are a few book options you can choose from for your critter-themed storytime.
Preschool
- Make Way For Butterfly by Ross Burach
- The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
- Becoming Charley by Kelly DiPucchio
- The Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Julia Donaldson
- Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
- Arabella Miller’s Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett
- The Digger and the Butterfly by Joseph Kuefler
- Butterfly Child by Marc Majewski
- Ten Little Catepillars by Bill Martin
- Caterpillar Dreams by Clive McFarland
- Senorita Mariposa by Mister G
- Benny’s True Colors by Norene Paulson
- Home Is Calling: The Journey of the Monarch Butterfly by Katherine Pryor
Toddler/Baby
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- Did you know there are many books under this series? Check them all out here!
- In The Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
- Butterfly Colors and Counting by Jerry Pallotta
There are many ways to make reading fun and engaging for your little one!
Click here to see some of our favorite tips for bringing stories to life at home.
- Point at the pictures and ask your child what they see. Help build their vocabulary by pointing to pictures and saying the word aloud.
- Ask your child questions about the story: What do you think will happen next? How do you think this character is feeling?
- Read with expression and enthusiasm, and use different voices for different characters.
- Act out what’s happening in the story.
- As your child gets older, count objects in a book, discuss the different colors they see, point out shapes in the story, etc.
- Snuggle up and be patient. Reading is great bonding time for you and your child. Take your time walking them through the story. If your child wants to turn the page or be finished with reading, that’s OK too. You don’t have to read every word or even every page for reading with your little one to be beneficial for their development.
Songs and Rhymes
We love adding songs and rhymes to our storytimes. This is a great way to practice language with your child and support their physical (motor) development through movement.
Here are two songs and rhymes you can use for this themed storytime.
Song: Flutter, Flutter Butterfly
Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle
Flutter flutter butterfly
Floating in the springtime sky
Floating by for all to see
Floating by so merrily
Flutter flutter butterfly
Floating in the springtime sky
Action Rhyme: My Friendly Caterpillar
Do actions in italics as you say it
My friendly caterpillar (finger inches up arm)
Made its cocoon one day (close hands together)
It turned into a butterfly (open hands with thumbs hooked)
And quickly flew away (flap hands)
Arts and Crafts
Adding a craft along with a book is a great way to continue allowing your child to learn, explore, and grow. Crafts are a nice supplement as they encourage motor development, creativity, self-confidence, and more.
In fact, art and craft activities:
- Build fine motor skills. Actions such as painting, coloring, gluing, and cutting develop small muscles in small hands and improve coordination skills as children learn to use both hands at the same time.
- Support early literacy. When children make art, they learn vocabulary and how to follow directions when getting verbal instructions from parents and caregivers. They also boost their communication skills via talking about their work!
- Teach early math concepts. Math skills are used frequently in arts and crafts. Kids learn about and recognize different shapes, count and sort art supplies, and even measure out materials.
- Encourage creativity. Art helps develop creativity, self-expression, problem-solving, and curiosity.
- Boost self-esteem. Doing arts and crafts can give children a sense of achievement and allow them to take pride in their work, which builds confidence.
- Offer bonding time. Kids love spending quality time with parents and caregivers, and arts and crafts are a great opportunity for this.
Here is a craft activity you can do along with the caterpillar and butterfly theme.
Coffee Filter Butterfly Craft
Directions
- Spread one coffee filter flat on a smooth surface.
- Have your child paint the filter.
- Let the filter dry for 15-20 minutes. If it got very wet in the painting process, it may need more time.
- Once dry, gather your “butterflies” in the middle and pinch the backside.
- Take a pipe cleaner, fold it in half and slide it up the bunched center of the filter. The part of the pipe cleaner that is folded over should hold the coffee filter butterfly together, while the two open ends should be facing up, like antennas. Twist it around a couple of times at the top to secure.
Additional Enrichment Ideas
The fun doesn’t have to end at books, songs, and a craft. There are many ways to enrich a storytime with additional activities and lessons. Here are a few ideas for you and your child:
- Check out one of our I Love Virginia State Park backpacks, get outside, and see how many caterpillars and butterflies you can see! These backpacks include an entry (parking) pass to all Virginia state parks, a net and magnifying glass, pocket guides about bugs, and more.
- Make your own butterfly wings. A quick Google search pulls up lots of tutorials; check out this one and this one.
- Plant a pollinator garden to support butterflies and invite them into your yards! The National Park Service put together a planting guide for pollinators native to Virginia. You can view it here.
- Get some movement in with a butterfly yoga song.
- Practice early math skills by learning about symmetry with a butterfly symmetry painting craft, or work on your little one’s fine motor skills with a caterpillar beading activity.
- Make mealtime more fun with these butterfly-shaped treats!
We share these Storytime at Home posts twice a month, so be sure to check back soon for more. You can also search “#storytimeathome” to see all past posts.
Have a suggestion for the next theme we cover? Email Sarah at sarah.fenninger@rva.gov and let us know!
