Hands-On Boys

by Sarone van Niekerk
(Eastern Cape, South Africa)

Hi, I've three boys of which two are 'doing school'.
Having taken note of what insect, animal they last had in their hands, I used it as a spring board for a lapbook.

We made a puppet of the animal (cutting, shapes, imagination). We made insect-form booklets which required them to punch and put in round headed paper fasteners (fine motor skills).

We compared the types in that particular animal group (differences, similarities). It would have been good to encourage them to pretend they were the particular animal.

The activities enabled them enjoy material without feeling as if they were doing 'school'.