Feed the Hungry Monster
What you need
- a cardboard box with a wide mouth cut by you
- a few big blocks, each bigger than a toilet roll tube
- a crayon, to draw a funny face
How to do it
- Cut a wide mouth in the side of a box yourself, then draw a funny monster face around it.
- Show them a block and post it into the monster's mouth with a big "yum, yum, yum!"
- Hand them a block and let them feed the monster, while you make loud munching noises.
- Tip the box over and spill all the blocks out, then feed the monster again.
Why it matters
Posting a big block into a hole needs a steady hand and a lot of looking, and the silly munching makes every try something to laugh about.
What they're learning
- Hand and eye together
- Lining a block up with a hole and letting go at the right moment builds careful reaching and releasing.
- Following a request
- Feeding the monster what it asks for gives them practice listening and acting on a simple ask.
- Cause and effect
- Every block that goes in makes a thump and a munch, so they see what their actions do.
What to look for
Watch whether they push the block straight at the mouth or turn it to fit. Use blocks only, nothing smaller than a toilet roll tube, and cut the mouth yourself so the edges are smooth.
A tip
Cover any rough cardboard edges with tape after you cut them.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: make the mouth extra wide and hold the box close, so every block goes in
Harder: ask the monster for a block by name, like "the monster wants a red one", or "give it two"
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