by Kate Petersen
Age Range of Child: 3-6 yrs.
My children have always loved the story of The Three Little Pigs. We’ve even acted out the story in our home using blankets on top of couch cushions for the house made of straw, upside down laundry baskets for the house made of sticks, and random boxes piled up for the house made of bricks. So, I guess it was only natural for my children and I to find food that resembles straw, sticks, and bricks (which also make for a yummy snack!) and use them as craft materials to create the houses featured in the story of The Three Little Pigs!
Below is a list of what you’ll need:
* A few sheets of thick card stock or good quality art paper
* Markers
* Craft glue (I like Weldbond brand because I find it to hold stronger than Elmer’s but is still non-toxic)
* Shredded Wheat cereal (house of straw)
* Pretzel sticks (house of sticks)
* Nibs licorice (house of bricks)
* The story of Three Little Pigs (optional)
First, I like to re-read the story so that it’s fresh in their minds. Then draw the outline of a house (plus a door) on 3 sheets of paper. If your child is old enough, you could also ask them to draw the houses themselves or create a dashed outline for your child to trace. Label each house as either “1st Piggy’s House of Straw”, “2nd Piggy’s House of Sticks”, or “3rd Piggy’s House of Bricks.”
Next, have your child apply the glue in a squiggle pattern inside the house and put down either the shredded wheat (for the shredded wheat it helps if after you glue it, shake the excess off then re-apply some more), pretzel sticks, or Nibs licorice.
Now that their artwork is complete, you could ask them to tell you the story of The Three Little Pigs using their food inspired Piggy houses instead of the book!