Oftentimes, the best lessons taught to a child are the lessons that give them the inspiration to pursue their own passions. Eric Carle, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and over 70 other stories, has expressed that the highest compliment a child can offer when looking at his art is to say “I can do that.”

As a child, Eric Carle was told the original fable of pretzel creation (don’t know it? look it up…) by his grandmother. As an adult, Eric would write Walter the Baker and name a valuable character in the story after her. Children remember! Filled with unlimited potential and passion, they’re ready to change the world from the moment they realize there is a world to change. Love and encouragement are the fuel that allow young people to stay their course through life’s obstacles and grow into creators.

 

Now, here’s an exercise you can download and use to motivate your own hungry caterpillar. Encourage them to fill out, either by drawing a picture or writing, the left half of the attached exercise, and have a grandparent or someone else close to them fill out the right. The goal of the exercise is to trade compliments and give the child (and whoever works with them!) some simple positive reinforcement for sharing and expressing themselves.

Invite the grandmas and grandpas in your world to see THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR CHRISTMAS SHOW coming up on November 23rd, and don’t forget to see Nana herself in LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET this March!

Family bonding time is great at a DCT play. Buy tickets at dct.org!

IMAGE CREDITS: THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered marks of Eric Carle LLC, © & ™.  LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET permission granted by Penguin Random House LLC.
Photo by Alessandra Mello, Courtesy of Bay Area Children’s Theatre.