Activity Name: Making Bedtime “Mobile”
In “Duck’s First Sleepover”, Duck learns that different WordFriends™ prefer different sleeping environments. This fun activity helps you and your child explore vocabulary related to “sleep”.
Related Episode: 109 A. Duck’s First Sleepover
Age Range: 3-5
Skills:
- Identifying places to sleep.
- Matching letters/words to pictures.
- Writing letters.
- Cutting, gluing, tying knots.
Subjects: Language, literacy, art, fine motor.
Materials:
- Pictures of places that people and animals sleep (drawn or found in magazines, newspapers, etc…).
- Construction paper.
- Scissors.
- Glue.
- Colored pencils.
- Plastic hangers.
- Hole puncher.
- Pieces of string varying from 2-6 inches in length.
Directions:
- Talk with your child about the different places that people sleep (e.g. in a bed, tent, sleeping bag or hammock). Recall books, television shows, and visits to other places to get ideas. Keep a list.
- Talk with them about the different places that animals sleep (e.g. in a nest, hayloft, doghouse or burrow), and how these places differ from where people sleep. Keep a list.
- Choose several items from either list. Draw small pictures of them and/or cut out pictures from magazines.
- Glue the pictures onto differently colored construction paper pieces (for durability).
- Write the word of the item under the picture, or have your child copy the word.
- Punch a hole through the top of the construction paper pieces.
- Attach each piece to the hanger with string.
- Hang your mobile up for everyone to admire!
Variation: Create two separate mobiles–one for places people sleep and one for animals. Or create mobiles for other categories (food, clothing, toys) and for the letters in your child’s name.
Take it Further:
- Identify the first sound/letter in each of the words of the pictures on your mobile. Then ask your child how many they can remember.
- When you watch WordWorld with your child, play “I Spy” and look to see how many places you can find that the characters sleep in an episode.
- Next time you go shopping with your child, stop in mattress stores, camping stores and pet stores to see different places to sleep.
