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Celebrations · The activity desk

Zodiac dog friend picture

Draw a dog and imagine a friendly outing while learning about the Chinese zodiac.

Let's play →

A little plan for play

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What you need

Paper and child-appropriate crayons

Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.

Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.

Set up: Place paper and crayons on a table. An adult can draw a large circle to start the dog's face.

Adult's role: Explain that the dog is one of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac and let the child guide the story.

Let's make it happen

  1. Draw a round face with two floppy ears, eyes and a nose.
  2. Add a body and tail with large shapes and color the dog.
  3. Draw a path or park and tell a story about the dog's outing.

Make it simpler: Add a nose to an adult's circle and color it together.

Clean up: Put crayons away and keep or recycle the picture.

Observe unfamiliar real dogs from a distance and ask their caregiver before approaching.

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