For Everyone
For Parents
For Teachers
Activities
Pet Tricks
Make up a pretend show of pet tricks.
Materials
- Paper or Posterboard
- Markers
- Stuffed animals or toys
Directions
Have your child make a poster or a program for a show of pet tricks. He can think of his pet, or another animal, and make up tricks that they might be able to do (it doesn't have to be real). Also make up funny names for each trick. For example, a dog bouncing on its tail might be called "The Tigger Dog," since Tigger is the bouncy animal from the "Winnie the Pooh" stories. On the poster, help him draw the animal doing the trick and write down the name so people coming to see the show will know what to expect.
If he wants to put on a show, he can use stuffed animals, action figures, or other toys. Invite the rest of the family to come to the show, set up a stage on a table or couch, and have him move the toys as if they were doing the tricks. For example, "The Flying Fish" might be a toy fish that you throw up into the air and catch to look like he's flying. Let him introduce each pet and its tricks so the audience can follow along in the program.
Talk About It
Talk about different kinds of tricks — acrobatic tricks, magic tricks, et cetera — and how people learn them. If you've ever seen a magician, what tricks can you remember? Have you ever seen other kids do tricks on their bikes or skateboards? How long do you think they had to practice those? What kinds of tricks are safe and what kinds are not? What other things are there that people need to be trained to do?
Watch Related Stories
How to be a Good Dog
Not Afraid of Dogs
Related Books
Elympics by X. J. Kennedy & Graham Percy
How to Be a Good Dog by Gail Page
Not Afraid of Dogs by Susanna Pitzer
Age Range: 4-6
Skills/Subjects:
- Creative Expression
- Language and Literacy Development
- Science
- Physical and Motor Skills
Related Episodes:
