Little hands

Paper Chain Caterpillar

Loop strips of paper into a wiggly, giggly caterpillar with googly eyes. A great way to practise colours, counting and patterns.

Paper chains are a classroom classic for a reason. They’re quick, they use up scraps and every child’s caterpillar comes out different.

Written for parents, carers and teachers. This works brilliantly as a group activity, with everyone adding a ring to one giant caterpillar.

Safety notes for grown-ups

Googly eyes are small and can be a choking hazard, so keep them away from under-3s.
A grown-up should cut the pipe cleaner, as the wire ends can be sharp.

Print it on A4 paper or card. It's free for personal and classroom use.

Cut the strips
Cut paper into strips about 2cm wide and 15cm long. You'll need about 12 strips. Older children can measure and cut their own.
Make the first loop
Curl one strip into a ring and glue or tape the ends together.
Link the chain
Thread the next strip through the ring and close it into a loop. Keep going! Try a pattern like green, yellow, green, yellow.
Make a happy face
Colour and cut out the head from the template. Stick on googly eyes and draw a big smile.
Add antennae
A grown-up cuts a pipe cleaner in half. Tape the pieces to the back of the head and curl the ends. Stick the head to the first ring and your caterpillar is ready to wiggle!