Farm Animals & Barn

Farm Animals & Barn

How?

-Download images of farm animals & a barn. (I think I got the photos from a toddler activities website & modified the activity to suit my son)

-Cut & paste on cardboard/old cereal box.

-Find old tissue box.

-Use blu-tack to stick barn to box, with the barn door over the opening of the box & place on a raised surface (e.g. table/desk/counter top).

-Use blu-tack to stick animals in another part of the house, on a door/back of chair/fridge door

-Stick them at a height that requires him to really stretch up, but is still within his reach.

-Between the place you stuck the animals & barn, create an obstacle course, for e.g. step-up

boxes, balance beam, crash mattress.

-He'll have to go through the course to obtain the animals & "help" them return to the barn for the night. One animal per trip.

-Observe the child for signs of tiredness and interest. Modify as you go along, for e.g. if there are still half of the animals left & he's already tired/lost interest, then get him to carry back 2 or more animals per trip.

-Vary the obstacle course after a few times of playing this game to maintain interest.

Why?

-Gross motor: stretching up several times to obtain animals & place in box; obstacle course (balance & co-ordination)

-Fine motor: removing animals stuck on door (some versions of blu-tac are a lot more adhesive than others). In setting up the game, I also get him to help pull apart the blu-tac & place it on the back of the animals (it works the hand muscles)

-Hand eye co-ordination: when placing animals in box

-Matching: make 2 or more copies of the same animal & have him match them by saying for e.g. "it's the turn of the black horses. Can you gather all the black horses together & help them return to the barn?"

-Maths: subtraction - count the animals at start of game, then removing one by one (or two by two, at a later stage). Addition - count the animals being put into the barn.

-Cognitive: teach him the names of the animals; talk a bit about the animals (e.g. what they like to eat; sounds they make)

Variation?

-I use pictures of cute/funny dogs & drew my own kennel

- I also have pictures of birds & a birdhouse (obtained from a kids activities website)

- combine animals from the different sets & ask him to select animals that belong, for e.g. in a

kennel

- Use plastic toy animals instead of the cut out ones