Looking for a fun way to encourage imaginative play? Get your preschooler to craft her own "critter dice"—cute, six-sided, animal-themed dice. All it takes are two two single-serving milk or juice cartons, and some adorable animal images! These dice are a surefire way to bring out her inner animal lover and inspire storytelling and acting.
What You Need:
- 2 small cartons such as single-serving milk or juice cartons or half and half cartons
- Scissors
- Tape
- Glue
- Construction paper
- Pictures of 6 different animals (stickers or online photos from a zoo site will work)
What You Do:
- While your child is drinking the carton of milk or juice, encourage him to help you find pictures of his six favorite animals. Use stickers or go to a zoo website and print off photos of six animals such as a kangaroo, a giraffe, a boa constrictor, a giant tortoise, a flamingo, a crocodile, or whatever else comes to mind!
- Once the cartons are empty, cut the tops off so that you have open-topped cubes. Get your young crafter to wash and dry the cartons.
- Slip one open cube over the other like a box and lid.
- Next, help him cover it with construction paper, gluing or taping the paper into place.
- Now it is time to cut out the animal photos. Have him glue one on each side of the Critter Cube.
- Let the glue dry, and then you and your child are ready to play. Did you roll a kangaroo? Then it's time for everyone to get hopping!
Expand on this activity by having each player perform a different action that the animal would do. A giraffe can gallop, then stretch down low to drink, or reach up high to eat leaves. The last player to add an action to the round gets to roll the dice to figure out what animal comes next!
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