Mouse Shapes Learn to Spell Your Name Activity

It’s time for Virtual Book Club for Kids!  Our featured author this month is Ellen Stoll Walsh.  We decided to feature Mouse Shapes and we came up with a fun and educational literacy activity to go with it!

Let me tell you a little bit about how Virtual Book Club for Kids works in case you are new to the series.  The Educators’ Spin On It, Toddler Approved and Rainy Day Mum have put together a wonderful line-up of great authors to explore.  On the second Thursday of each month, talented bloggers will be sharing one of the three featured books by the highlighted author that month.  Each blogger will share an activity or craft to compliment one of the three books.  You are invited to try out as many of the ideas that you feel would be a good fit for your kids.

Now, onto the Ellen Stoll Walsh book and activity we chose this month.

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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