Craft: Wiggle While You Read!

 
By Anna Harmon

Kids wiggle. They wiggle out of chairs, into laps, listening to music, and when they want attention. Wiggling can be a reading deterrent – but it can also be used to create great read aloud energy. This craft, shown below, accompanies a movement-filled book, and was created by a Read To Me staffer. Enjoy!

In Wiggle by Doreen Cronin, author of Caldecott Medal-winning Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type, a fun spotted dog wiggles through the house, out the door, like a crocodile, and into bed. This book allows children to pay attention to you reading aloud, while releasing all that pent-up energy!

To prepare for a wiggle-ful reading, or for a craft after, make a wiggling dog companion.

Basic supplies:

• Construction paper (we used brown and light pink)*
• Scissors
• Markers
• A pipe cleaner
• Tape and glue
• Wiggle eyes (optional, but fun!)

Assembly:

• Cut out one large oval (face), two smaller ovals (ears), and a triangle-shaped “circle” (nose) out of the brown paper. Then, cut a half-oval (tongue) out of the pink paper.*
• Glue the ends of the ears and tongue onto the back of the face. (Glue the tongue so it sticks out to the side.)
• Fold the ears over towards the front.
• Glue the nose on the bottom of the face, a little over the edge.
• Use a marker to color in the nose and create spots.
• Glue on the wiggle eyes.
• Wrap the pipe cleaner around a finger to create a spring.
• Tape one end of the pipe-cleaner onto the back of the face.
• Have your reader slide the pipe cleaner onto their finger, a marker, etc. and voila: a fellow wiggling enthusiast!

*Or you can use our wiggling dog template found here (with color scheme) or here (free of color-coding). Just print, cut along the lines, and trace it onto the construction paper as many times as you want! If you use the second template, you can even print directly onto construction paper.