This letter family is called the Zig-Zag Monster family. To introduce the letter family, your child could decorate their own monster and then watch as it walks down a slope by itself! The slope mirrors the diagonal stroke they will need to make to form the Zig-Zag Monster letters.
The walking monster needs to be cut and folded quite precisely to work, so you may need to support your child when making the model.
Download your template below:
Print the template then get your child to use pencil crayons/felts to decorate their monster. They could do zig-zag patterns as these will be the strokes needed for writing the letters later.
Cut the rectangle out by cutting along the solid black line, then glue it onto a thin piece of cardboard e.g. a cereal box.
Carefully fold along the grey lines lifting the middle pieces to create the head and tail and folding down the other pieces to form the legs. Use a pencil to curl the tail then fold the head over.
Create a ramp using books. You will need some friction to stop the monster from sliding straight down. We used a piece of toilet roll. Place the monster at the top of the slope and let go. Watch as it walks down the slope by itself! You might need to give it a gentle nudge to get it started!
Getting the monsters to walk can be a bit tricky. Try experimenting with the surface of your ramp and the height. You could also try changing the position of the monster’s head and tail. When you get your monster walking, why not make another one and have a race!
If you have a go at this activity and share any photos on social media, I would love to see them. Please tag @miniwritersclub and let me know how you get on. Feel free to share your pictures in the Facebook group.
Anna