The Very Hungry Caterpillar Kindergarten Emergency Sub Plans and a Freebie

Are you a kindergarten teacher constantly juggling lesson plans and scrambling to put together engaging activities for substitute teachers? Look no further! These easy prep emergency sub plans and story extension activities based on the kindergarten classic story The Very Hungry Caterpillar are here to help you for a last minute absence.

Why These Sub Plans?

These sub plans offer a comprehensive solution for a stress-free day off. With minimal prep work, you can have a full day (and maybe even two days!) of meaningful common core activities aligned activities. They are perfect for early kindergarten and late pre-k but also include activities that can be differentiated to use anytime in kinder! These activities are perfect for keeping your students engaged while ensuring they continue learning in your absence.

It's as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Print out the materials in advance.
2. Label the included cover sheets with directions for each activity.
3. Utilize editable sub forms as needed for seamless communication with your substitute teacher.

What's Included?

1. Student Emergent Reader Books: These books are designed for coloring and reading, enhancing literacy skills in a fun way. Two versions of this activity are also included with a simple trace the number version as well as a second more complex version with. more wording.
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3. Story Sequencing Activities: Engage students in understanding story events through whole group activities and individual sorts. Large picture cards are included to complete a retell whole group. The student version include two options to chose from. Students can order the healthy food that the caterpillar ate, essentially matching numbers 1-5 and quantities or a more complex version where students can sequence the events from the story in order.
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5. Vocabulary and Grammar : Includes a label the pictures (with and without words to match, a vocabulary flip book and mixed up sentences (these also include and don't include words to match). The light colored words let students simply match the word, and is great if using this activity early in the year.
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7. Phonemic Awareness and Phonics: The phonemic awareness activity includes syllable practice from words in the story. The large pictures cards from sequencing activity offer a great whole group warm up. This activity works great early in the year in kindergarten if needed.  
8. For phonics activity, students will create a caterpillar color by code of short vowel sounds.
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10. Writing and Warm Up The writing portion is set up to be easy to differentiate based on the needs of your class. If using this activity early in the school year, students can practice tracing letters as a warm up. For the activity, they will write their name on a blank line and fill in a food from the story. They can then draw themselves eating this food. This is great to save as a keep as a class book for your library.
11. If using this later in the year, students can write a sequenced story from caterpillar to butterfly using the transition words first, then next and last.
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13. NOTE: As a freebie, you can grab this butterfly life cycle writing activity at the end of the post. It includes large picture cards to model the writing whole group with the large picture cards and also includes a student printable version. This is a great way to teach using sequence words: first, then, next and last.

14. Math Practice Pages: Keep math learning on track with these math practice sheets. Includes over 15 different practice pages to chose from to use various times during the school year based on your needs. There are options, such as number tracing that is perfect for the beginning of the year as well as more complex kindergarten concepts such as composing teen numbers.
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    1. Bonus Activities: Includes a story crown, word search, CVC words and more for added excitement. This again contains more than enough activities for a variety of skill levels in your classroom.
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16. Vocabulary Write the Room: A fun and interactive way to reinforce vocabulary. This can be used with the sub or as a follow up center activity when you are back in the classroom.
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18. Why Choose These Sub Plans?

• Comprehensive: These plans cover all subject areas, ensuring a well-rounded day of learning.
• Easy Prep: Simply make copies of the story and our activities, and you're all set!
• Meaningful Activities: Each activity is designed to be engaging and aligns with educational standards.

Each activity throughout the day comes with sub directions explaining the activity.  All you have to do is copy, print and write the estimated time and you are all prepped! 

1. Don't let last-minute substitute teacher arrangements stress you out. These easy prep sub plans will not only save you time but also ensure your students have a productive and enjoyable day of learning even when you're away. You can check out there Very Hungry Caterpillar Sub Planse on TPT.
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These are also available in a mini bundle with the other Kindergarten classics of The Mitten and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie at with a 25% discount. These are great to prep in advance and have ready for multiple absences a year!

Finally, you can grab the caterpillar to butterfly writing free activity by here:

Kindergarten Year Long Count the Room to 20 and a Back to School Count the Room FREEBIE

Get your students up and moving with this year long count the room resource!  This engaging activity not only promotes number recognition and counting skills but also allow movement in the classroom. Included in the bundle 10 low prep count the room activities with accompanying worksheets that are super easy to differentiate within your classroom!  

What is Included in the Count the Room Bundle:

You will find 10 different count the room activities the the perfect low prep activity for a year long center that you can easily swap out, with he monthly themes still staying new and engaging for students.

• Back to School (August/ September)
• Halloween (October)
• Fall (November)
• Christmas (December)
• Winter (January)
• Valentine's Day (February)
• St Patrick's Day (March)
• Easter (April)
• Spring (May)
• Summer (June)

What Will You Find In Back to School Count the Room (and for each month)

This resource is perfect for you kindergarten classroom, with each month following the same format.  Simply print and laminate for a resource that can be used year after year.  It is not only easy prep, but also easy to differentiation based on the needs of your students.  

This resource contains counting task cards and a recording sheet for numbers 1-10.  Each picture card has a different back to school themed picture for your students to practice counting.  (You can find the Back to School count to 10 resource as a freebie at the end of this post.)

If your students are ready, also includes recording sheets and count the room cards for numbers 1-20.

As well as the task cards included in a black and white printing option.  

You will also find a variety of supplemental worksheets for counting 1-10, which work perfect for independent practice. 

As well as back to school themed worksheets for counting 1-20, which work perfect for independent practice. 

Your students will love the excitement of searching the room for the picture cards and counting how many.

You can find the Year Long Kindergarten Count the Room Bundle here:

You can find the Back to School Count to 10 Freebie  here:

Fun and Engaging "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" Activities for Kindergarten

"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" is a kindergarten classic. Students love the rhyme and repetition in the story and always enjoy reading along and these There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Sub Plans and Activities are the perfect extension activities for your classroom.  You are able to just print and go with these no prep activities for every subject including retelling, sequencing, and more while promoting literacy skills and creativity.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Activities 

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Retelling and Sequencing 

We starting by having students make a prediction prior to reading the story. 

Students can draw or write about what they think will happen in the story.

  

After reading There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly with students, I love retelling using the picture cards in a pocket chart.  

Which is a great whole group sequencing story and students love retelling along.

Students can then get your hands on their own little emergent reader.  There are two options to chose from, "The old lady swallowed a ____" or a sight word focus with "I see a ____."

Finally, students can complete an independent sequencing activity which also gives great cut and paste/ fine motor practice.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Writing Activities

I love to make students feel confident as writers in my classroom.  I have included a variety of writing activities to help build that confidence.

I start with a mini sight word flip book for students to create.  It is based on the same sentence frame , "I see a ____" that they used in the emergent reader.  

Students cut and staple to create a flip book and then copy the sentences on a recording sheet.  I usually make sure they pay attention to capitalization and spacing in this activity.

We also practice labeling and paying attention to beginning and ending sounds to help identify the words and a mixed up sentence activity where students have to construct a sentence out of words that are out of order.  This is a great way to help students recognize using sight words to form sentences! 

Both of these activities have a simpler version with support where students can simply match the words if needed.  

There are simple writing activities that can be used at the beginning of the year like tracing lines, rainbow writing letters and tracing phrases.  

Or a fun writing activity where students finish a sentence frame by writing their name and a picture of them eating something from the story (it is great to use the pocket chart cards for this activity) and then draw a picture.  

These are great to bind and create a cute class book and students always love seeing their own page as well as those of their friends. 

You will also find a more advanced option with a writing warm up where students can copy simple sentence as well as a fly directed drawing activity with guided steps to draw a fly and then an open ended option where students can write about it.  

For more advanced students or as a later in the year extension activity, you may read an informational text like I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are (affiliate link) and have the students write a few facts about flies. 

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Math

I love starting math with a warm up and this one is perfect for any time in the school year.  

In this "Find the Fly" number identification activity, numbers are placed in a pocket chart.  The fly card is hidden behind one of the numbers and students identify a number by saying it aloud and then can check behind that card to see if the fly is hidden.  My students always LOVE playing this game over and over. 

There are also additional math worksheets that can be used at various times in the school year in a kindergarten classroom that all align to kindergarten common core math standards.

Included are simple skills like rainbow writing numbers, cut and paste mixed up numbers 1-10, a partner spin and find ten frame identification for numbers 1-10 and flat shapes.  These are perfect for earlier in the school year.  

As well as kindergarten skills with concepts that are taught later in the school year such as a partner spin and find teen numbers, numbers writing to 100, addition and mixed up teen numbers.  

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Extra Activities  

There are also additional extras to supplement the story in your classroom like a pictures sort of things from the story and those that do not belong, a word search, a crown, student retelling pictures and a write the room activity.  

All you need for this complete day of engaging activities is these easy print and go There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Sub Plans or Activities . They can easily be used as full day (probably even two days) worth of sub plans or extension activities to supplement the story.

and a copy of the story There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (affiliate link)

 

Spring Fine Motor Math Mats for Kindergarten and a Geoboard Freebie

Fine motor activities are the perfect way to engage your students with interactive and educational activities. As a teacher we are always looking for fun and hands on ways to enhance your kindergarten students' fine motor skills and it's a bonus when you can also incorporate math.

Spring Fine Motor Activities

Pattern Block Mats

Spring Pattern Blocks are an excellent tool for developing fine motor skills and teaching math concepts such as shapes, symmetry, and fractions. In this activity, children can use pattern blocks to create pictures and included are different ability levels. 

Students can build the pictures, identify the shapes and count how many of each  shape is used in the picture.  A great way to incorporate math and fine motor activities.  

Also included are small easy to store task cards that work well for morning work  or early finishers. 

And also a design your own version, which can challenge your students and beneficial to your visual spacial leaners. 

I love these more opened ended tasks which are so great for differentiation.   Students are able to come up with so many different ways to make the same picture. 

Snap Cube Activities

Spring Snap Cube Activities are another hands on and engaging resource for teaching math concepts and developing fine motor skills in your classroom. In this activity, children can create different pictures using snap cubes, sort by color and count how many of each color.  

This does require counting up to 20 and is a great way to reinforce that kindergarten standard.  

You will also fine simple to build mats that are to scale for students and a great fine motor activity and does not involve counting. 

As well as small task cards and can really challenge students and are great to help develop visual spacial awareness. These are small and easy to store and a great activity to keep for morning bins or early finishers. 

Geoboard Activities

Spring Geoboards are also a great tool for developing fine motor skills and teaching math concepts such as symmetry, shapes, and patterns. In this activity, children can use geoboards to create different spring shapes like  butterflies, flowers, and and birdhouses. 

As an extension activity, students to practice identifying shapes they may see in a picture and record on the mats. 

Each picture includes both and simple and more difficult version with 10 different pictures included. 

The small geoboard task cards are included as a freebie at the end of this blog post. 

Spring Building Brick Activities 

Spring Building Bricks are another fun and engaging fine motor activities to use in your classroom.  Your students will love using Legos or other building bricks to create spring themed pictures such as rainbows, ladybugs, butterflies and bird houses.  

Included are 10 different spring themed pictures with both small easy to store task cards

as well as large to scale cards where students can simply build on the mat

You can all of these activities in Spring Fine Motor Bundle which includes a variety of templates for Snap Cubes, Pattern Blocks, Building Bricks, Geoboard Boards, and Pom Poms at a 40% discount.  Each set contains 10 different spring themed picture for your students to create.  

You can fine the Free Spring Geoboard Task Cards here