When I was pregnant, my husband used to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to my stomach. It was no surprise that it was a favorite bedtime story after my son was born. When it came time to pick a theme for his first birthday, I knew a Very Hungry Caterpillar party was perfect! Plus, this classic makes choosing food and decorations a piece of cake (chocolate cake, if you are the caterpillar!).
Though we did this theme for our son’s first birthday, it can be used at any age or even as a baby shower. It is great for a boy or a girl. And you can expand it to work for a book fair at school, for an open house, at library storytime, and more. The possibilities are endless! Read on to see how to bring this book to life.
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Very Hungry Caterpillar Party Invitations
Typically, I send out electronic invites to most family and friends. But I like to have at least one printed copy for Your Birthday Book. (This book is my go-to birthday present for first birthdays because it allows you to track celebrations from 1-18 as a fun yearly time capsule. If you are beyond year one, I recommend a Birthday Memories Journal that lets you start at any age. Use promo code JGOOD15 for 15% off at Promptly Journals. Now back to the party…)
The shop I used is no longer operating on Etsy, but this invitation from PeppyPulplyLow is very similar. You can personalize and then text and/or print the image to set the tone for your Very Hungry Caterpillar party.
Food Ideas for a Very Hungry Caterpillar Party
As I mentioned earlier, Eric Carle spelled out the foods to be served at a Very Hungry Caterpillar party. I totally embraced it. We had apples, pears, plums, strawberries, and oranges from the weekday food adventures. Then ice cream cones, pickles, Swiss cheese, salami, lollipops, and sausages from the Saturday binge. Cherry turnovers were easier than cherry pie because I could cut them up.
I printed pictures from the book and taped them to construction paper to make food labels. A wooden skewer in a ball of clay made them stand up on their own.
Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Cake
Two of the foods the caterpillar eats on Saturday in the book are chocolate cake and a cupcake. I had a crafty coworker make and decorate a chocolate cake to look like the caterpillar’s head. It was the perfect smash cake! Cupcakes with green frosting served as the body when laid out in the correct pattern. This is something that can be recreated at your house pretty easily or you should be able to buy the pieces for much less than a full-sized custom cake.
Party Decorations
The bright colors and polka dots throughout The Very Hungry Caterpillar book lend themselves to fun and easy-to-find party decorations. Solid paper plates, cups, and napkins in bright colors worked great. Or you can get a themed party supply set.
Hanging over the food, I taped tissue paper pom-poms at staggered heights to make the caterpillar. Construction paper eyes and nose and pipe cleaner legs and antenna made it come to life.\
Outside, I made a simple “Crawl on In” sign for the front door out of the paper. Printed caterpillars taped to construction paper with wooden skewers were stuck in the ground along the sidewalk to guide people toward the house.
I found polka dot scrapbook paper and construction paper that served as backgrounds for photos of my son’s first year. Black bulletin board letters added to this made a DIY birthday banner and DIY Very Hungry Caterpillar highchair banner. I taped string on the back of the paper to arrange it.
My favorite décor find was Very Hungry Caterpillar fabric. I got this abstract dot pattern and the caterpillar print. This Etsy shop has both as well as additional options like the butterfly and foods. I used the caterpillar fabric as a table runner and tucked the dot fabric around my son’s highchair to make it match the theme. I also used it for my DIY party hats below.
DIY Party Hats
I wanted a fun party hat for photos but didn’t want to spend a fortune. So I made my own to go along with the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme. A standard paper party hat was the base and I covered it with a cut piece of the abstract dot fabric. The pom-poms I hot glued to the top and bottom hid any imperfections. An embroidery patch with the age was the final touch.
I made two in case one got dirty because I wanted to use it for his 12-month photo session. Of course, I forgot to put it on him during the excitement of the party. But the guests enjoyed posing in the hats!
Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Outfit
I wanted a cute outfit that would photograph well for a smash cake session and went with the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme. A now-closed Etsy shop made a diaper cover and tie out of the same dot fabric I bought for decorations. This one is very similar if you want something like it and they have several options. We used a plain onesie for the party and went shirtless for the photoshoot.
Here’s a super cute option with a tutu for a girl from TutuKute2 on Etsy:
If Mom and Dad want to get in on the fun, I love these matching shirts from seller JustTrendShirt:
Gift Ideas for Kids Who Love The Very Hungry Caterpillar
I put together a few gift ideas to go along with the party theme. If you get them early enough, they can also be incorporated into the decorations.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book – A nice, new copy of the classic book is always a hit. If you get it before the party, you can have partygoers sign it as a guest book. I wish I had thought of that before the party!
Other Eric Carle books – Eric Carle’s distinctive illustrations and stories are great for young kids, so adding more to the child’s bookshelf is a great gift. I particularly like this board book box set. And you can check out Amazon’s Eric Carle Gift Guide for more good ideas.
Plush Very Hungry Caterpillar – What kid doesn’t want to hug their very own hungry caterpillar?
Hungry Caterpillar Pull Toy – This wooden toy has a movable body that twists and turns like a real caterpillar.
Apple Shape Sorter – This plush play set has a five-star rating and makes a fun gift.
Very Hungry Caterpillar game – This simple game is designed for ages three and up.
I hope this helps you plan the best Very Hungry Caterpillar party. Let me know how it goes in the comments below!
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Hi! I'm Jessica! I help people fund adoptions, navigate parenting, save money, and enjoy the good things in life. 
