Move! is an intriguing book all about animal locomotion with eye catching paper collage illustrations. Each page gives one large printed movement word and two animals that move in this way. From page to page, animals are connected by their similar movements. The book includes a two page info spread in the back with a little bit of information about each animal for further learning.
Read on for some simple yet impactful ideas for play and exploration!
Move! (with added in an obstacle course)
It’s as simple as that! Read through the book and let kids notice the different animals. Then move like each animal! Kids can move like the word on the page or extend their knowledge by asking in what other ways the animals on the page might move. With older kids, wonder why the animal is moving in this way (such as “I wonder why the armadillo is swimming across the river?”)
Once kids have had the opportunity to explore different movements in free space, set up an obstacle course for them to move through like their favorite animal or like a specific animal from the book.
What are we learning?
🔹 Practicing gross motor movement
🔹 Proprioception → the hidden sense that helps us understand where our bodies are in space and how much pressure to use
🔹 Vestibular system → this hidden sense connected to our inner ear and helps with balance, attention and focus
🔹 Moving like different animals helps foster creativity and imaginative play
Create Paper Collage Art
Steve Jenkins has illustrated many children’s books using the paper collage artwork style. This can be such a fun way to explore art and problem solving with your explorers. Provide paper in various colors, stick glue, and pictures of other collage art or real photos to look at for examples. Explorers that aren’t quite ready for scissors can still make paper collage art by tearing.For more ideas and examples of paper collage art in children’s books, check out our favorite Steve Jenkins book Actual Size or other authors such as Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, and Lois Ehlert.
What are we learning?
🔹 Problem Solving, Focus → deciding how to create a picture from different pieces of paper, what colors to use, etc. help develop problem solving skills as well as attention and focus
🔹 Creativity / Open ended and process oriented art → providing examples and materials as well as knowledge on a subject such as noticing together the art while reading allows but then allowing kids to create as they will gives space for process oriented art. Does it look like a whale when they are done? Who cares? Did they play and work and learn and practice so many important skills while they created their art? Absolutely!
🔹 Early writing skills → when we practice fine motor movements like cutting, tearing, gluing and placing, we hone skills later needed for writing
Compare and Contrast
Move! shows us many different animals and connects them from page to page with similar movements. Look at each animal's body and discuss what helps them move like the word on the page. Do they have long back legs or large wings, etc. Find differences in their bodies and wonder if certain animals can move like other pages such as "Can a hare swim?"
What are we learning?
🔹 Focus and Problem Solving → taking a moment to look closer at each animal enhances focus and wondering what about their bodies helps them move in certain ways develops problem solving skills
🔹 STEM → learning to compare and contrast readies the brain for analytical thinking and other STEM concepts
There’s More Learning!
Due to this story’s focus on animals, every activity and reading of the book gives opportunities for children to become animal allies and to practice developing cognitive empathy (the ability to take on another person or creature’s perspective.)
I’d love to hear which ideas sparked play and joy with your explorers or if you have any other connections for play! Comment below or tag me in your play on Instagram @magnoliaoutdoor
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