The Caterpillar Spins a Cocoon

Caterpillars crawl slowly, wrap themselves in a fabric cocoon, and after resting come out as butterflies. Children wind down with a calm movement story.

How to play

1. The caterpillars belly-crawl very slowly through the grass munching on pretend leaves (1 min).
2. Each caterpillar lies on a piece of fabric and, with help, rolls once to wrap up in a cocoon (2 min).
3. Inside the cocoon they stay still, listen to the music, and breathe slowly (2 min).
4. They come out little by little: first one hand, then the other, then the head... (1 min).
5. Now they're butterflies: they sit and slowly open and close their wings (1 min).

Rules

• The caterpillar goes slowly with its tummy on the floor.
• My face stays outside the cocoon.
• Inside the cocoon I'm still.
• I come out slowly when the teacher says so.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: drape the fabric over the child's shoulders in the wheelchair, and they make wings with their arms.
• Autism: the child chooses to wrap up or just lie next to the fabric; many enjoy the gentle pressure.
• Blind or low vision: the teacher narrates each step in a calm voice and taps the child's shoulder to come out.

Learning goals

• Calm down with a movement story.
• Feel stillness and the fabric's gentle pressure.
• Show transformation with the body.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Large fabric pieces: 6
• Calm music

Teacher tip

The face always stays outside the fabric, and never wrap it tight. This closer works great after a session of rolling and crawling.

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