Toddlers and preschoolers love learning about all sorts of animals, but have you noticed that there’s something special about woodland creatures?
Squirrels, foxes, rabbits, and bears evoke a feeling of wonder and magic in children. Often, these are the characters in their favourite stories as they represent freedom and innocence — everything to love about childhood!
From their soothing earthy colours to their interesting personalities, there’s a lot to love about these creatures. If your child is in a woodland animal phase, this week’s Co-Create activity will be right up their alley!
Benefits of Woodland Animals Coded Sequence
This week’s activity is once again brought to you by Anushikha Bansal, a DIY blogger and homeschooling mom to 3-year-old Atharv. You can see Anushikha’s previous Co-Create activities here.
This game is called Woodland Animals Coded Sequence. Making this can be a fun arts and crafts activity for your child. Playing with it offers several cognitive benefits and learning opportunities, such as:
1. Teaches alphabets and phonic sounds: Identifying and calling out the alphabets will help your child get familiar with the letters and their pronunciations.
2. Helps learn comparison: Differentiating between the alphabets and animals will sharpen their comparison skills.
3. Hones hand-eye coordination: Picking up and placing the sticks in the right slots will hone fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
4. Improves problem solving: Figuring out which slot each of the sticks go into will improve their problem solving ability.
5. Betters left to right progression: Filling in the slots from one side to another will familiarize your child with left to right progression. This is useful for life skills such as writing.
6. Strengthens concentration: Working to complete fall the slots will improve their focus and concentration.
7. Teaches more about animals: This game is sure to get your child curious about woodland animals. Tell them a little about each of the lovely creatures as they play!
Creating Woodland Animals Coded Sequence
Age group:
This activity can be enjoyed by children between 3 to 6 years.
Material required:
1. An empty cardboard box
2. A piece of cardboard
3. Craft sticks
4. Pictures of woodland animals (printed or drawn)
5. Adhesive tape, a pair of scissors, and glue
6. Paint or sketch pens (optional)
7. A white board marker
Creating the game
1. Cut the animal pictures and the piece of cardboard into small circles and stick them together.
2. Attach these pieces onto craft sticks with glue.
3. If you wish to, ask your child to paint the box or draw on it with sketch pens to make it look more attractive.
4. Make thin slits on the empty cardboard box to slide the craft sticks inside.
5. Cut a rectangular piece of cardboard and stick clear adhesive tape across it for the wipe & clean board.
Playing Woodland Animals Coded Sequence
Write the beginning letters of the four animals that you have pictures of on the wipe & clean board. Encourage your child to identify the animals whose names begin with those letters. Insert the sticks in the respective slots.
To increase the challenge, write the alphabets at different levels and ask your child to adjust the height of the craft sticks accordingly. Wipe the board and repeat to keep playing!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this activity. If you would like to share your experience playing this game, tag us at #CoCreatewithshumee. Take care and stay safe!
Anushikha Bansal is a DIY blogger and the co-creator of #noprepkidsactivity. You can follow her @toddler_ed on Instagram.