Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a very fond memory from my own childhood – not to mention a reminder not to eat every bit of food I see – but it’s familiar to modern-day kids too.

The books remain in print and popular, while apps firm StoryToys has released a series of well-crafted apps based on the caterpillar and his world.

The latest is The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Creative Play, which was recently released for iPhone and iPad. The name gives a firm clue to its content.

“This stunning app is designed to spark your child’s creative exploration, cultivate imaginative thinking and encourage artistic expression,” explains its App Store listing.

“Your little ones will love exploring and experimenting with shape, colour and texture, inspired by the creator of the world’s favourite caterpillar.”

So, the app is about drawing, painting, colouring and creating on-screen collages based on Eric Carle’s original artwork for his books. Not just The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but Brown Bear, The Mixed Up Chameleon, Mister Seahorse, The Very Quiet Cricket and others.

What’s good about this app is that it’s very easy to use for younger pre-school children, but as their skills improve, what they can do with the app also opens up.

Every picture they create can be saved in the app’s gallery to show off to family and friends, too. We’ve found this to be a much-loved feature in other creative apps for children: they love showing their work when they’ve finished it, just as they do with physical paintings and drawings.

StoryToys is also promising “seasonal surprises throughout the year” in updates to the app, so hopefully it’ll stay fresh in the coming months.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Creative Play costs £2.29 for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store.

Read about more Very Hungry Caterpillar apps for kids on Apps Playground.