Kids will have fun recreating life on the farm with this small world activity. Imagine and create with a shoebox farmyard you and the kids can make together.

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What's happening on the farm today? Anything you can imagine!

• Horses are munching fresh oats in their stalls; pigs are exploring the barnyard; Farmer Ben is showing off his new straw hat. 

Kids can explore life on the farm with this cardboard box activity. The craft and pretend play are easy to provide with everyday craft materials and lots of imagination.

• Kids build the barn and fences; decide which animals they want in the farmyard; position the animals and other characters in the scene.

Inspire all this and more in exciting farmyard small world play!

On-the-farm small world play

Building a barn is the first step in creating your farmyard scene Use any size shoe box, or similar box, you have on hand. 

Save the lid to make a craft tray!

Then create the characters and props that will complete the farmyard scene. This is where individual preference for materials and loose parts will make your farm unique.

This creative play supports language and fine motor skills, as kids build a farmyard and tell stories about the characters. 

1. Make the barn.

                                                 Front view                                               Back view

Front view:

Set a shoe box on its side.

Cut a piece of cardboard equal to the depth of the box and longer than the length of the box to make a roof/hayloft.

Bend the cardboard slightly in three places as shown: 1) on each side 2) in the middle to form a peak.

Secure the roof/hayloft to the barn on either side with tape. 

Back view:

Cut a piece of cardboard to fit the opening created by the roof. Glue in place and secure with tape.                        

2. Make the farmer, farm animals, and fences.

Here is a list of materials we used to make characters and props. You can substitute whatever you have on hand. I provide options throughout the steps to make the figurines and props.

• craft sticks
• green and brown felt
• burlap fabric
• foam packing
• clothes peg
• bottle cork
• chenille stem
• modeling clay
  
  

Straw 

Pull threads from burlap fabric to make straw for the stalls and hayloft.

• You could also cut up thin strips of paper to make straw.

Horse

Here is our recent post with a tutorial for making cardboard animals.

Tree

Cut a trunk from brown felt and a tree top from green felt.  Glue the trunk and tree top to a piece of cardboard. Support the tree in a piece of modeling clay.

Alternately, you could make a cardboard tree that you color with paint, markers, or crayons.

Support the tree in a piece of modeling clay.

Fence

Glue wooden craft sticks together to form two posts with two or three rails attached. We used natural fence around the enclosure and painted gates at the stalls.

Support the fence in pieces of solid foam packing.

Pig 

Paint a cork stopper pink for the body of the pig.

Attach two small pieces of pink chenille stem to the underside of the cork with a stapler or glue gun. Bend the chenille stems to form legs.

Cut the face and ears together (in one piece) from craft foam. Glue a smaller piece of foam on top of the face for the nose. Make eyes and nostrils with a fine point marker.

Curl a small piece of pink chenille stem for a tail. Attach with a glue gun.

Farmer Ben 

Glue denim fabric on the wooden clothes peg to make a farmer dressed in overalls. 

Glue a small piece of burlap fabric to the top of the clothes peg for a straw hat. Fray the edges of the burlap to make a brim for the hat.

3. Set up the farmyard.

a) Spread a piece of felt or cardboard next to the barn to define the outdoor space. You could also use a sheet of craft foam or burlap cloth for the ground area.

b) Place straw in the barn and hayloft.

c) Position the fences and trees around the farmyard.

d) Place the farm animals, farmer and other props in the space.

• Modeling clay and solid foam packing provide stable supports for the farmer, the animals, and the other props. Kids can then move the characters and props around the farmyard and barn.
  
  
• Alternately, use egg cups cut from a paper egg carton as supports for the fence. Simply insert the craft sticks into the egg cups. Paint the egg cups if preferred.

Small world play with a shoe box farm

What's happening on the farm? There are lots of farmyard stories waiting to be told!

Start with a shoe box, add a mixture of recyclables, craft supplies, and imagination, and have fun with the small world farmyard you and the kids create together. 

Preschool Lesson Plans Farm Unit 

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