Daycare Lesson Plans on “The Very Busy Spider”

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These daycare lesson plans on “The Very Busy Spider”, one Eric Carle’s most popular stories are easy and fun. These lesson plans are easy to set up with minimal supplies required.

This beautifully illustrated Eric Carle book introduces little ones to farm animals, patience, hard work, and the fascinating world of spiders. Pairing this story with hands-on very busy spider activities is a fun way to bring learning to life and spark curiosity about nature.

For a printable version of this lesson plan with 2 weeks of activities and a schedule including the Oklahoma ELGs for your QRIS requirements, check out our listing for “The Very Busy Spider” lesson plans on Etsy.

I like to start each of my units of study with a book. So grab a copy of “The Very Busy Spider” and see what creativity it sparks in you!

Read-Aloud & Discussion

Read The Very Busy Spider aloud, allowing children to feel the textured web in the book. Ask questions like “Why didn’t the spider talk to the animals?” and “What do spiders eat?” Encourage children to recall the different animals that visited the spider and act out their sounds.

Spider Web Weaving (Fine Motor)

Provide hole-punched paper plates or cardboard with holes around the edge. Let children lace yarn through the holes to create their own spider web.

Spider Web Art

Draw a web with white glue on black paper and allow kids to sprinkle glitter or sand over it for texture.

Handprint Spider Art

Have children dip their hands in black paint (excluding thumbs) and press them onto paper with the fingers facing out. Do a print with each hand. Create a spider with eight legs. Once dry, they can add googly eyes.

Spider Sensory Bin

Fill a bin with cotton balls, toy spiders, plastic bugs, and webbing material. Let kids explore and “catch” bugs like a real spider. Add tweezers or tongs for an extra fine motor challenge.

Move Like a Spider (Gross Motor)

Create a yarn “web maze” in a hallway or play area. Let kids crawl under, over, and through the yarn as if they are moving through a spider web. Encourage them to move like different animals from the book—gallop like a horse, crawl like a spider, or flap like an owl.

Spider Crackers Snack

Give each child a round cracker with peanut butter or cream cheese spread on top. Use pretzel sticks for legs and raisins for eyes to create an edible spider. Talk about what real spiders eat while they enjoy their snack.

Sing & Act Out “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”

Sing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” with hand motions, then try variations like “The Big Fat Spider” (moving slowly and stomping) and “The Fast Little Spider” (moving quickly). Let children take turns acting out the spider’s journey up the waterspout.

Spider Life Cycle Exploration

Show real pictures or use a life cycle of a spider chart to discuss the stages: egg sac, spiderlings, and adult spider. Let kids cut out and glue pictures in order on a paper plate.

Spider Math: Counting & Patterns

Provide kids with toy spiders or spider cutouts and ask them to make patterns (ABAB, AABB) or sort them by size. Use number cards and have them place the correct number of spiders on a web drawing. You could use plastic spider rings from Halloween for this as well.

Build a Sticky Web (STEM Challenge)

Use painter’s tape to create a web on a doorway or between two chairs. Give kids crumpled paper or cotton balls to toss and see if they can stick to the “web,” mimicking how a spider catches its food.

Web Walk (Outdoor Science & Observation)

Go on a nature walk to look for real spider webs. Bring magnifying glasses and talk about how webs are built, what they catch, and why spiders are helpful. If you find a dewdrop-covered web, observe how light reflects off it!

Watercolor Spider Web Art

Draw spider webs on white paper with a white crayon, then let kids paint over it with watercolor. The wax resist will make the web appear magically! This helps with fine motor skills and creativity.

Spider Races (STEM & Problem-Solving)

Use a straw, string, and a paper spider to create spider races. Thread string through the straw and attach a paper spider. Hold the string tight and have kids blow into the straw to make the spider move across!

Spider Web Salt Painting

Have kids draw a web with glue on dark paper, then sprinkle salt over it. Once dry, let them use watercolor paint to gently dab color onto the salt-covered web and watch the paint spread!

For more unique lesson plans with enrichment for your daycare, check out:

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