Getting crafty with Stick Man!
Creativity plays a crucial part in your child’s learning and development. It contributes to many aspects of learning such as curiosity, imagination, and problem solving.
Arts and craft activities are a fun and powerful way to support your child’s speech and language skills. Your child will practise listening, following instructions, sequencing steps, and learning new words – all without even realising it!
Why not go on your own creative adventure using the book ‘Stick Man’ by Julia Donaldson? You may wish to create your own Stick Man or binoculars to take on your journey!
You will need:
- Sticks
- Pipe cleaners
- Two empty toilet rolls or kitchen rolls
- Sticky tape or glue
- Scissors – please supervise your child when they use scissors
- String or shoe laces
- Stickers/sequins/paint for decorating
- Coloured pens or pencils
Remember – It’s about the process not the end product, your child’s learning comes from taking part in the activity
Now with your binoculars and Stick Man in hand you are ready to go on a journey of your own…
Top tips:
- Support your child’s oral language: let them help with the making, decorating and planning of your adventure, such as where you will go and what you might see
- Introduce new vocabulary to your child: use words such as ‘cut’ , ‘stick’ and ‘art’ and ask your child about what they have made
- Spark conversation with your child: talk together about how you can help Stick Man ‘get home to his family tree’ – it will boost your child’s self confidence and get them chatting
- Follow your child’s lead: your child will learn best when they are interested and able to make some of their own decisions/choices within their play
- Revisit the experience together: display your child’s craft somewhere in your home as a much-loved keepsake and use as a talking point about the day you shared together
- If you don’t have your own copy of the Stick Man book: check out your local Essex Library to borrow a copy!
