Who Lives Here?

from 24 months · 30-45 min · Fine motor

What you need

Draw a big house shape on the paper while they watch, with a door and a roof.
Ask 'who lives in our house?' and draw a simple round face inside for each person they name.
Hand them a crayon to add hair, arms or a scribble to each person, pets included.
Point to each face and say the names together, then tape the drawing up where everyone can see it.

Naming everyone who lives at home, and seeing them all together in one house, puts the people they know best into words and pictures.

Naming people: Saying each name as a face goes on turns the household into a list they can say themselves.
Mark making: Adding hair, arms and scribbles to each face is drawing with a job to do.
Belonging: Seeing their own face inside the house with everyone else is a simple picture of where they fit.

Watch for them remembering someone you left out, or pointing at the right face when you say a name.

Keep your faces as plain circles so their hair, arms and scribbles are the parts that stand out.

Easier: draw one face at a time and let them scribble a colour on each

Harder: add the people who visit, like grandparents or friends, outside the front door