One of the most well-known classic stories for kids is the Three Little Pigs. This tale of excitement has been told and retold in story variations, series, and movies for years and most kids all over the world know how the narrative goes. For little learners there are many opportunities to develop motor skills, piece things together, think critically, and practice reading with this short and easy read. Here are 20 of the most creative, crafty, and, hands-on activities we could find using this familiar story in the classroom or at home.
1. DIY 3 Houses Craft
A fun way to practice working with different materials with your toddlers is by helping them put together some simple houses made from different materials. This idea can be modified depending on what you have access to. For the brick house, you can cut out pieces of dark red and brown construction paper. For the wood house, you can use match sticks or popsicle sticks. For the straw house, you can use leaves or ribbons.
Learn More: Rainy Day Mum
2. DIY Toilet Paper Puppets
Here is a book-based activity that uses recycled materials and is easy for your preschoolers to express their creativity when decorating. Give them some paper rolls and supplies for decorating their characters and let them work in groups to make the 3 pigs and wolf.
Learn More: Red Ted Art
3. Storytelling Glove Puppet
Reading time is a great opportunity to practice story sequencing, and incorporating visual props is always a fun way to keep your little listeners engaged. You can find/buy a glove puppet and use it during your read-aloud to demonstrate different actions and characters.
Learn More: Pinterest
4. Fairytale Themed Wooden Blocks
You can find props and teaching tools for many of the classic fairy tales, and use them in your classroom to follow along with story time, or have your students act out the retelling with these as a guide.
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5. Watercolor Play Time
Help your preschoolers channel their inner artists with this fun craft activity. Make sure you have plenty of watercolor paints, a black sharpie, and some white paper. You can provide them with some reference photos or examples of what their little pigs and bad wolf can look like, then let them paint their own!
Learn More: Artree Kids
6. Sequencing Online Game
This picture comprehension game is perfect for the virtual classroom, at-home practice, or literacy and sequencing practice anytime/anywhere. This education website also has resources for interactive learning, games, and printable Three Little Pigs activities.
Learn More: Education
7. STEM Problem Solving Break Down
This story lesson plan has a few components, each helping students utilize different comprehension skills to understand different aspects of the fairy tale. After reading the book together, have 3 stations set up for students to build their own variation of a pig’s house. Then have them try to blow down their structures, and discuss why some materials fall and others don’t.
Learn More: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
8. Printable Math Activity
This link has a list of basic word problems using concepts from the story for your little smarties to solve with your help. Each problem covers different math skills such as number recognition, addition, shapes, and more!
Learn More: Math Stories
9. Little Piggy Circle Craft
Practice drawing, cutting, and gluing skills with this fun and simple art project. To assemble this little piggy your students will need to cut out 3 different-sized circles. Give them guide sheets to trace and cut and assist them if necessary with the scissors.
Learn More: 3 Boys and a Dog
10. Authentic Story Breakdown
Here is another STEM challenge you can try with your preschoolers using the organic building materials from the fairy tale. Take your class outside and find some bricks, straws, and sticks. Bring your materials back inside and have your students interact with them as you read the story out loud.
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11. Building with Candy
Now I know your preschoolers will love this building challenge using Dots candies and toothpicks. Each group of students gets their materials and little cut-out piggy to build their house around. At the end of class time, walk around with a blow dryer and test each group’s house to see which is strong enough to stay standing!
Learn More: Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten
12. DIY Finger Puppets
Let’s get crafty with these adorable felt finger puppets! This art project will help your kiddos improve their motor skills, work with scissors, and put pieces together to make a little piggy. Have pink and grey felt, and give your students the option to make a pig or wolf.
Learn More: Someday Crafts
13. Storytelling Stick Puppets
Visuals are always a useful tool during reading and circle time. Your toddlers can spend some time making their stick puppets with googly eyes, fabric, and buttons, then when everyone is finished they can use their puppets to act out the story as you read aloud.
Learn More: Little Hearts Big Love
14. DIY Paper Plate Masks
Kids love messing around with masks! They make story time a blast, and help students feel comfortable and playful with one another. These paper plate masks are super easy for your kids to create, cut out some eye holes, paint on some facial features, and decorate however you like!
Learn More: Rachel Weston
15. Story Cards
Story comprehension, sequencing, and vocabulary are important concepts of literacy for toddlers. With these printable cut-out cards, you can mix them up and have your preschoolers arrange them according to the story, use them for vocabulary and reading practice, or for retelling.
Learn More: Live Worksheets
16. Edible Sensory Table
It’s time to get a little messy with your tots and this mud-inspired sensory table! Spread out some delicious chocolate pudding on a tray and then place a few toy pigs in the edible mud. You’ll then invite your little ones to use their hands or various tools to help their piggies play around in the dirt, for a sensory experience that’s both sweet and educational.
Learn More: Messy Little Monster
17. Footprint Piggies
Kids love finger painting, so let’s do some foot painting! Set up is simple, get a container with pink washable paint and have your kids step in the paint and then onto the paper. Once their footprints are dry they can draw little piggy faces on their toes!
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18. Water Bottle Piggy Bank Craft
This DIY craft is extra special! Not only will your toddlers love painting and decorating their plastic bottles, but once they are finished they can cut a slit in the top, take it home, and use it as a piggy bank.
Learn More: Home Art TV
19. Little Piggy Snack Time!
There are so many fun and creative ways to incorporate learning themes into snack time for preschoolers. This idea uses different treats to create pig faces, houses, and a wolf. You don’t need them to be super pretty, your kids will love eating them and play-acting with them regardless!
Learn More: Becky Bolin
20. Pig Nose Craft
With just a few craft supplies your toddlers can turn themselves into little piggies and retell the story for their class. You can put these together using toilet paper rolls, construction paper, string, and a marker, so easy!
Learn More: Education
