This activity combines two things toddlers love:
👉 books
👉 messy, hands-on play
Using Dear Zoo, you can turn a simple story into a full sensory experience that helps your child hear, see, and explore new words.
🖐️ How to do it
Start by reading Dear Zoo together.
Keep it simple:
- point to the animals
- name them slowly
- repeat the sounds or words
Then bring the story to life.
Set up:
- an art canvas or tray
- a few large zoo animal toys
- edible paint (linked below 👇)
Let your child:
- touch the paint
- move the animals through it
- explore freely
🎨 The paint
Use this safe, baby-friendly edible paint recipe:
This keeps everything stress-free if it goes in their mouth (because it probably will 😄)
https://kidactivitieswithalexa.com/cornstarch-edible-baby-paint/
🐯 Keep it simple
You don’t need to recreate the whole book.
You can:
- focus on one or two animals
- repeat the same words
- let your child lead the play
At this age, repetition matters more than variety.
🧠 What they’re learning
Through this activity, your child is building:
- early vocabulary (animal names + sounds)
- sensory awareness through touch
- connection between books and real-life play
✨ Make it interactive
As they play, you can say:
- “Tiger!”
- “Roarrr”
- “Big elephant”
- “Soft… squishy… messy!”
Even if they’re not repeating yet, they’re absorbing everything.
💬 A gentle reminder
Language development at this age doesn’t look like talking back.
It looks like:
- watching
- listening
- touching
- repeating over time
👉 You’re building the foundation.
💛 Real life moment
(Here’s where you place your screenshot)
Add a tiny caption above it:
“Real life moment from class 💛”