Mouse Shapes Learn to Spell Your Name Activity

Let’s explore books by Ellen Stoll Walsh.  Today, I’m  featuring Mouse Shapes and we came up with a fun and educational literacy activity to go with it!

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Book and Learn to Spell Your Name Activity

The Book:  Mouse Shapes

In the story Mouse Shapes, three mice stumble into a pile of shapes.  They begin to build houses, trees, and the sun.  During their building, they are interrupted by a cat.  They scatter away and then return later to build a surprise to scare away the cat the next time he returns.  It works and they get to build their final creation.  It’s something that mice really like.  I’ll give you a hint….you need a triangle and lots of circle holes to make it!

The Activity:  Name Shape Building

This is an easy activity that can be adapted to fit various stages of literacy development.

Getting Ready

Materials Needed: various colors of construction paper, scissors, large sheets of white paper, markers or crayons

1.  Cut out the shapes.  We made ovals, circles, triangles and rectangles.  For each shape set you will need to cut out enough pieces for every letter in your’s child’s name.

2.  Write a letter of your child’s name on each shape.

3.  On each large white paper draw the various shapes on the bottom of the paper.  You will have one paper with all circles, one with rectangles, one with triangles, etc. (see variations below)

4.  Place the shapes in a pile in the middle of the floor.

Ready to Sort and Build

It’s time to play!  Have your child sort the shapes placing all the triangles in one pile, circles in another, etc.

Each pile will have all the letters in your child’s name.  Have him put the letters in the correct order on the large sheet of white paper above the hand-drawn shapes.

My 2 year-old is working on identifying the letters in his name so I had him match the letters to the letters that I wrote on his sheet.

My 4 year-old can order the letters in his name so I left his shapes empty.  He is working on his writing the letters in his name.  So after he ordered the shape letters, he used them as models to write the letters in the shapes on the bottom of the paper.

It was great practice for both of them.

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Now, it’s time to explore some other great activities and crafts to compliment Ellen Stoll Walsh’s books.

Mouse Paint

• Playdough to Plato – Free Color Book
• Toddler Approved – Surprise Color Mixing Heart Craft for Preschoolers
• Colour mixing painting from 3 Dinosaurs

Mouse Shapes

• Growing Book by Book – Mouse Shapes Learn to Spell Your Name Activity
• Inspiration Laboratories – Shape Collages Inspired by Mouse Shapes
• Mama Miss – Triangle Puzzle
• The Pleasantest Thing- Mouse Shapes Puppets

Mouse Count

• Lalymom – Mouse Count Ping Pong Ball Game
• Rainy Day Mum – Mouse Count Number Lines and Ordering
• Still Playing School- Mouse Count Sensory Bin
• The Educators’ Spin On It – Mouse Count Activities with Lids