This is a fun activity to try on the first day of spring or any other day that children show interest in caterpillars! It’s so easy to set up, very inviting, and looks adorable when complete.
If this activity looks familiar to you, that’s because we’ve tried different variations of this DIY puzzle! Here are some other ones to check out:
- It all started with A Simple and Beautiful Stone Activity to Try Today
- DIY Spider Stone Puzzle
- A Simple Leaf Activity to Try Today
- DIY Snowman Stone Puzzle with Loose Parts
- Beginning Sound Stone Matching Game
Here’s what you’ll need…
Supplies:
- Paper- We use Melissa and Doug easel paper
- Stones- We collect ours from the lake. If you don’t have a spot in nature to collect stones, I recommend purchasing from the Dollar Store or craft store.
- Marker
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RELATED: Is Easter right around the corner?! Check out Easter Egg Stacking Stones
Here’s What We Did:
Step 1:
Place the stones on your paper where you want to outline them. Draw the eyes and mouth on the face stone and add antenna above the stone.
Step 2:
Outline the stones. You can outline in pencil first to ensure you don’t mark up the stones.
Step 3:
The first time around I introduced the stone puzzle to my boys, but since they have already done a few nature puzzles with me, I let them get started right away. I mixed up the stone pieces first before I invited my four year old to finish the puzzle!
Leo is getting really good a talking his way through the stones puzzles because we have done quite a few together! If this is your child’s first time trying this puzzle, you can use these guiding prompts:
“What does it look like if you flip the stone?”
“Can you turn it another way in the outline?”
“I wonder what it would look like if you tried it in that outline?”
I suggest leaving the paper and stones out for about a week. My boys ended up using the stones as loose parts, stacking them, making patterns, imaginative play, and creating different games!
Pin this activity to save it for later!
I hope you give this simple activity a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.
∼Tara