Speckled Frogs

Physical Development - Moving & Handling (40-60+ months): Handles tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control.

Draw some frogs or print the template below. Get your child to squeeze some paint into a paint tray/pots. Let them explore different ways to create speckled frogs e.g. using their fingers or a paintbrush to add dots.

They could also try printing dots with Duplo bricks or bubble wrap. If you tape the bubble wrap to a rolling pin they could create a speckled pattern by rolling it over the frog. Rolling the rolling pin up and down the page is a great way to practise the first pre-writing shape.

While you leave the frogs to dry, you could make the speckled log.

Hand and Wrist Strength – Squeezing the paint and using the rolling pin develops the muscles needed to control a pencil when writing. Strong wrists, hands and fingers means it will be easier for your child to hold a pencil for longer periods of time before fatigue sets in.
 
 Bilateral Co-ordination – Painting the bubble wrap on the rolling pin requires children to use two hands together with one hand holding the rolling pin steady and the other hand controlling the paintbrush. When they write they will use this skill; their dominant hand will hold the pencil and their other hand will keep the paper still as they write.