Accordion Caterpillar
Alternate forward and backward folds to turn two paper strips into a springy caterpillar.
- 👶 Age
- Ages 6–9
- ⭐ Difficulty
- Medium
- ⏱️ Time
- 15–25 minutes
- ✂️ Collection
- Color, Cut & Build
- 🎯 Theme
- Accordion Caterpillar
About this activity
Alternate forward and backward folds to turn two paper strips into a springy caterpillar. Move the folds closer together and farther apart to make the caterpillar crawl across the table.
How to do this activity
- Print on A4 or Letter in portrait, using Fit to page with all four borders visible. Use light card if your printer supports it, coloring pencils, child scissors and a glue stick. An adult helps with cutting. Color before cutting; leave glue areas uncolored.
- Cut the two strips and the head. Do not cut across the dashed lines.
- Glue the blank first panel of one strip over the hatched last panel of the other. Keep both decorated sides facing up and line up their long edges.
- When dry, fold the long strip back and forth at every dashed line, including the join. Glue the remaining hatched end behind the head; let it dry before gently opening the accordion.
Tips for parents and teachers
- The top row is a key, not a piece to assemble: thick outside lines are cut lines, dashed lines are folds and diagonal hatching marks glue. Thin lines inside the pieces are decorations. The page border is not part of the model.
- Move the folds closer together and farther apart to make the caterpillar crawl across the table.