Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar - Activity Sheet - Bugs and Butterfly Stages

Aug 21, 2026

Activity sheet for the children’s book “Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar” by James Dean, centered on finding bugs and learning about a caterpillar’s life cycle. The material covers pre-reading prompts about enjoying bug discovery through pictures, books, and outdoor searching across seasons, and summarizes the caterpillar transforming into a pupa and then a butterfly. Post-reading activities include role-play of four transformation stages, discussion of butterfly feeding on flowers, and nature-walk or at-home jar observation ideas to track changes day by day.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Before you read this book

Learning about bugs

After you read this book

Discussion prompts

“Doing the butterfly” role-play

Feeding and movement discussion

Try this at home

Nature walk

Jar observation activity

Additional resources

WISCONSIN BOOKWORMS Activity Sheet Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar By James Dean Pete goes out with his friends to look for bugs. Pete finds a caterpillar and waits to learn what happens as the caterpillar seems to have disappeared. Before you read this book: Learning about bugs is a lot of fun for children. It can be done by looking at pictures of bugs, reading books about bugs, or looking for bugs outside in the spring, summer, and fall. In this book, Pete the Cat and his friends have fun going for a walk and discovering lots of bugs. Pete keeps a caterpillar and gives it a home in a jar. The caterpillar changes into a pupa and then into a beautiful butterfly. After you read this book: • Ask,“Do you think a caterpillar would make a cool pet?” • Try a “Doing the butterfly” activity. Have children act out the following four stages of a caterpillar changing to a butterfly: o Stage 1 – “Caterpillars start as an egg.” Become the egg by squatting down in a small ball. Tuck your head down and wrap your arms around your legs. o Stage 2 – Hatch out of the egg as a caterpillar by standing up and keeping your arms tight against your body. Wiggle around like a caterpillar would. Open and close your mouth to “eat” until you get enough food and then“shed” your skin. Repeat eating. o Stage 3 – After the caterpillar has its last meal, put your arms down to a chrysalis for your sides and spin in acircle to become a pupa. Stand very, very still and quiet for a minute or so. o Stage 4 – Emerge from the pupa as an adult butterfly. Start moving your arms, gently fluttering and extending them up and outward. Be careful not to hit neighboring butterflies! • Talk about where butterflies find food (flowers) . They use a probiscis, like a tongue, to suck up the nectar (make a sucking noise) . Now all children are full and happy butterflies! • Talk about how the caterpillar got around (by crawling) and how the butterfly moved around (by flying) . Try this at home: • Go out on a nature walk to look for bugs. How many bugs can you find? Work together to list the bugs. Describe what you notice about each bug such as shape and color. • Get a jar or similar container. Poke holes in the cover, then see if you can find a caterpillar or other bug to put into the jar. Notice what changes happen each day. Additional resources: Are You a Ladybug? by Judy Allen The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Penn State Extension: Exploring a Bug’s Life: Morphing with Bugs! WISCONSIN BOOKWORMS-A Wisconsin Association for Home and Community Education (WAHCE) program. Giving young children an opportunity to be read to and own their first new books. Activity sheets created by UW Madison, Division of Extension to support Wisconsin Bookworms.

FAQs

What happens to the caterpillar in Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar?

Pete keeps a caterpillar in a jar as it changes into a pupa and then into a beautiful butterfly.

What are the four stages children act out in the “Doing the butterfly” activity?

Children act out egg, caterpillar eating and shedding, chrysalis/pupa transformation (spinning while still), and emerging as an adult butterfly with gentle fluttering movements.

How can families observe bugs or caterpillars at home?

Go on a nature walk to find and list bugs by shape and color, or use a jar with holes in the lid to house a caterpillar/bug and note daily changes.

Aug 21, 2026

Upload by Felix Montgomery