Today's activity is this super fun and easy-to-make Robot Helmet.
Combining skills required to make the helmet such as fine-motor skills and creativity with imaginative play and gross motor skills when the helmet is finished, is sure to keep your child busy, creating and learning.
Ages: 2-6+
Maddie is currently 3 years old
Materials: Cardboard Box, Foil, Glue, Sticky tape, Embellishments (we used milk bottle lids, coloured foil, number stickers, recycled goods and pipe cleaners)
For added literacy, we first read "Little Robots" by Mike Brownlow
Begin by cutting a "window" out of one side of the box to make it helmet shaped and then cover with glue (we used PVA glue)
Cover the entire box with foil.
Use this time to encourage new language and practice new skills such as "overlapping" or "folding"
When your box is covered with foil let your child get creative with their "embellishments"
Maddie learnt how to make "pipe cleaner springs" by wrapping a pipe cleaner around a marker
Attaching certain items will require sticky tape.
A lot of coordination and fine motor skills are required for this type of addition.
Adding "buttons" and "antenna"
For added numeracy skills, I included number stickers.
Maddie added the numbers 0-9 (that she had to find in a tub full of numbers) and then we wrote a list together of what "pressing each number" would make the robot do.
Time for imaginative play. "Beep, whizz, whirl"
Be sure to include robot movements and actions for added Gross Motor Skills
Handy Tips:
- Simplify this activity by pre-cutting the foil to the required size for each panel. This will allow less coordinated children to have a go at covering the box themselves. Assist your child as needed to complete the robot helmet ensuring that they have creative control over the embellishments they use.
- Extend this activity by including the added Literacy and Numeracy skills by reading Robot inspired books together and/or making a "number bot." We had a fabulous time figuring out what would happen when each number was pressed. Use this to reinforce basic number recognition. Your child could write their own list of instructions for the robot and then have to act out each action when you press their buttons.
- Further this activity by making robot arm covers, leg bands, robot fingers etc. Ask your child how they would make them and what they would need.
- Discuss the processes your child is going through with each stage of the activity. This will help them to make connections between the process and the language used to describe the process.
- Use descriptive words such as "embellishments," "over-lapping" etc. to encourage language development.
- Play a game with your child/ren where they must act as the robot and follow the directions given.
- Source boxes from supermarkets if you have none at home. They are always more than happy to let me have any boxes I like when I ask as they have an oversupply of them.
- If your child enjoyed making a Robot Helmet, they might like our Dinosaur Helmet too.
Debs :)
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