Whether you are shopping for your home or the classroom, Safari Ltd.’s realistic animal toys are a perfect fit. Jumpstart the learning process with these five creative ways to include farm animal toys in your lesson plans.
1. Include Farm Animal Toys in Story Time
Reading stories to children is a great way to nurture a love of books; getting kids involved in the story can stimulate interest even more. After all, kids naturally want to get involved and help. Choose several age-appropriate stories that include farm animals to keep on hand. When story time comes around, have your kids select one. Then, as the story progresses, kids can get involved by:
● Matching farm animal figurines to pictures in the story
● Acting out animal sounds and walking
● Telling you what each animal eats
● Placing the farm animals in the correct places in the story (chickens in a coop, pigs in a pen, horses in a pasture, etc.)
2. Make Your Own Sensory Bins
If you want ideas for toddlers and young preschoolers, this farm animal sensory bin activity could be just what you are looking for. A plastic bin, animal figurines, and a few common household supplies are all you need for this interactive learning experience.
3. Create a Sorting Activity
Animal toys are perfect for hands-on sorting activities that teach basic math skills. Here are just a few ways kids can master this important skill through sorting:
● Diet: Encourage kids to group farm animal toys by what types of food they eat. Some animals eat hay, some eat corn, and some eat almost anything!
● Habitat: Have kids draw pictures of where specific animals live, such as a farm or forest. Then, they can match the animals to the correct picture.
● Texture: There are big differences between how a chicken and a pig feel. Let children explore these textures by sorting realistic farm animal figurines into animals with feathers, fur, or wool.
4. Recreate a Field Trip
Take your kids to an area farm to visit live farm animals. Then, let them recreate the experience with farm animal toys.
Have each child share what he liked most about the trip and which animal was his favorite. Encourage interactive participation, such as making animal sounds to match the figures to keep the activity fun.
5. Bring Circle Time to Life With a Song
Circle time is great for getting some extra energy out, and with a bit of planning, you can make these activities appropriate for preschool and elementary kids.
Choose a song that includes farm animals. “Down on Grandpa’s Farm” by Raffi is a great choice. Then, get the group started by singing the first verse. Let each child pick from a selection of farm animal figurines and provide the animal sounds as you progress through each verse. Feel free to go off-script and add extras to make sure everyone gets a chance to play along.
Using farm animals is a great way to tap into kids’ natural curiosity and make learning fun. The realistic details on Safari Ltd.’s animal figurines are especially well-suited for educational activities. Shop their online store for lifelike farm animal toys.
