Have fun exploring life on the farm with this shoebox farmyard small world play idea. Imagine and create with a cardboard box farm you and the kids can make together.
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Recreate life on the farm with this shoebox farmyard small world play idea. Kids can explore the barn and barnyard with a recycled cardboard box and homemade characters.
A small world farm supports language and fine motor skills as kids build a farmyard and tell stories about the characters.
What’s happening on the farm today?
- Horses are munching fresh oats in their stalls; pigs are exploring the barnyard; Farmer Ben is showing off his new straw hat.
- Kids build the barn and fences; decide which animals they want in the farmyard; position the animals and other characters in the scene.
The craft and pretend play are easy to provide with everyday craft materials and lots of imagination.
Shoebox farmyard 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.
Create the characters and props with simple craft materials to complete the farmyard scene. Individual preference for materials and loose parts will make your farm unique.
1. Make the barn.
Front view Back view
Front view:
Set a shoe box on its long side. The top of the box will become the hayloft.
Cut a piece of cardboard equal to the depth of the box and longer than the length of the box. 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 or glue gun.
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 plain paper into thin strips to make straw.
Horse
Here is our 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, or bend the bottom of the cardboard back and inch (2.5cm) or so and tape to the table or farmyard base.
Alternately, cut out a cardboard tree. Color with paint, markers, or crayons.
Fence
Glue wooden craft sticks together to form two posts with two or three rails attached. Use plain sticks or colored sticks, or color sticks yourself with paint or markers.
Support the fence in pieces of solid foam packing. You could also 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.
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 a wooden clothes peg to make a farmer dressed in overalls.
Cut out a small circle from burlap fabric. Glue 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) Create your farmyard scene on a table top or floor area. If preferred, place a piece of cardboard under the farm as a base that can define the space and allow easy transport of the small world scene.
Spread a piece of felt next to the shoebox barn to define the outdoor space.
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., and allow kids to move the characters and props around the farmyard and barn.
Life on the farm small world play
What’s happening on your 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 PLAN FARM UNIT
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