One of the best parts of encountering the alphabet with Mother Goose Time is getting to watch my kids enjoy learning so much. My little ones had a wonderful time creating a fox out of the letter “F.” They told stories with fun animal magnets and put together an alphabet puzzle. We read, danced, played, and had a blast while learning.
F is for Fox
This creative activity let the kids exercise their skills in fine motor, letter/word recoginition, and visual arts.
Supplies
- topic poster*
- letter F*
- wiggle eyes*
- napkin*
- pompom*
- scissors
- markers
- glue
- blankets or towels
- chairs
*These items are supplied by Mother Goose Time.
Discuss
- What parts of you are similar to a fox?
Make
- Encourage children to discuss ways to turn the Letter “F” into a fox.
- Invite children to remove the “F” from its frame then use the leftover paper to cut a tail and/or ears. Attach to the Letter “F.”
- Tear napkin and glue on for a busy tail, then decorate fox as desired.
Play
- Set out blankets and chairs for children to build a fox den.
- Pretend their fox is hiding or sleeping inside.
Observe
- Did the child have the fine motor strength to rip the napkin?
- Did he have the visual-motor skill to glue pieces independently?
Our Experience
The kids really enjoyed talking about which parts of the fox were most like them and which were different. Two eyes, two ears, and a nose were traits noted that people had in common with foxes. We don’t have a tail, although the overall consensus was that a tail might be a pretty cool thing to have.
The preschooler did a great job with ripping up the napkin. He did require a wipe to get some of the extra glue off his fingers in order to glue all of his napkin tail in place. I’m always amazed at how much fine motor control you can see them develop with the placement of wiggle eyes. Getting those suckers in place with just the right amount of glue takes some doing!
Fox and Friends
Literacy is encouraged with wonderful thematic play, such as that seen in today’s project of story telling using magnetic pieces and story starters.
Supplies
- storytelling pieces and scene*
- story starters*
- scissors
Discuss and Explore
- What types of animals can be friends with foxes?
- Which types of animals are not friends?
- Set out the storytelling pieces.
- Observe as children tell stories or play with the pieces.
Play Together
- Invite a child to choose two animal pieces.
- Use a story starter card to set the scene.
- Encourage the child to use short sentences to tell a story about the two animals. Do you think these animals are friendly to each other in real life?
- Repeat with another child.
- Simplify: Give the child an animal then ask him questions such as, “What is the name of this animal?” or “Where does it live?”
- Challenge: Choose 3 animal pieces and invite the child to illustrate a story.
Observe
- Did the child speak in simple, complete sentences as he shared his animal story?
- Do his words make sense and relate to that animal?
Our Experience
My kids thought this was just the best game ever! We played stories for so long that I was the one who called it quits so that we would have time to make lunch. They loved having animals that they recognized from the A to Zoo monthly storybook. The story prompts were a gold mine for helping my younger kids keep up with my older kids when it came to telling stories! The tales they came up with were so good that we ended up writing some of them down and letting my kindergartner use them for copy work!
Puzzle in the Den
Math is made fun through puzzles and games that reinforce basic concepts. For the puzzle this month, the kids used their growing knowledge of alphabetic order to place the pieces in the correct order.
Supplies
- storybook puzzle*
- sheet
- simple puzzles
Set Up
- Drape a sheet over the table to create a fox’s den.
- Place the puzzle in the den.
Independent Play
- Encourage the child to go inside the den and work on the puzzle with a peer.
- When the puzzle is complete choose another puzzle to work on in the den.
Observe
- Did the child participate in completing the puzzle?
- Did she recognize when a piece did not fit?
Our Experience
I love how something as simple as having the children complete the puzzle in their very own fox den can spur excitement about an activity. We always take pictures of puzzles when we complete them around here, so my little guy was thrilled to be given the same treatment as the “big kids” when he finished his puzzle. What a great experience!
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Happy Learning!
As a blog ambassador for Mother Goose Time, I am happy to share preschool curriculum ideas, activities, and crafts with my readers. Mother Goose Time provides our family the opportunity to use their curriculum free of charge in exchange for honest and authentic stories based on our personal experience.
