Reading stories aloud together builds vocabulary, improves comprehension, and promotes speech development. By adding a craft to the experience, you continue to build on story time learning; practicing motor skills and creativity, while reminding your child of themes and words from the story. It becomes active engagement, in the same way that the added movement of Bendy Bookworm’s yoga poses are, in order to benefit the child’s optimal ability to learn through play.
This craft is ideal for ages 18 months - 5 years old because it supports early developmental skills like practicing cutting with scissors, drawing shapes, and making independent creative choices. Pair it with the suggested title for a great At Home: Story Time and Craft activity!
Cognitive Skills: vocabulary (learned from picture book)
Motor Skills: glueing and scissor practice
Emotional Skills: patience, creativity, and autonomy/ independent choice (practiced during the craft)
Materials:
Paper Plate
White or Green and Yellow Construction Paper
Glue
Scissors
Crayons
Pencil
Noisemaker
Optional: washable paint, colored tissue paper, googley eyes, cotton balls
Step One:
*Fold plate in half.
*Poke a hole through the center of the paper plate with a pencil.
*Color, Paint, or Cover one side of the Paper plate red and the other side green.
Step Two:
*Cut Out: 4 leg shapes and 1 crown shape (picture below) out of green and yellow construction paper or white paper and then color the shapes.
Option: cut out 2 eyes or use googley eyes glued to cotton balls.
Step Three:
*Glue it all together.
*Insert noisemaker through center hole for tongue.
Pair With:
These titles can be found on overdrive/ hoopla (ebook catalogs that you may be able to access with your library card!) or at your local library!
