Fairy Tales often serve a two-fold purpose – they entertain and they instruct. The Three Little Pigs, quite a perennial favorite with preschoolers, can be used to fulfill some of the following objectives –
To develop vocabulary
To develop communication skills
To develop reading skills
To develop writing skills
To develop artistic skills
To develop math skills
To learn about shapes
To learn life lessons of self-control, friendship and bravery
Materials
The Three Little Pigs storybook or enjoy listening to Suzanne telling the story below
Drawing sheets
Colored paper
Cardboard
Colors – pastels, crayons, markers, colored pencils, water-color
Drinking Straws
Toothpicks
Lego bricks
Glue
Scissors
Directions
Read aloud the ‘The Three Little Pigs’ story or watch Suzanne. If you read, Read slowly, clearly and infuse drama, using different voices for the different characters. Encourage the children to participate in the reading by chorusing the lines “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!” and “I will huff and I will puff and I will blow your house in!”
Discussion Points:
The mother of the Three Little Pigs told them to always choose excellence in whatever they undertook in life. Discuss if the Little Pigs followed their mother’s advice.
The Three Little Pigs each chose different materials for their homes – straw, wood and brick. Discuss which proved the strongest and why.
The Little Pig with the brick house shows self-control – he worked on his house a long time and then he could relax and play. His siblings, on the other hand, chose to take the easier path and chose the easier option, and as result were nearly eaten by the wolf. Depending on your story, adjust story line. There are so many different versions of the 3 little pig story.
The Little Pig with the brick house saved his siblings from the wolf and how the wolf is punished. How would you feel if you were the little pig with the brick house? How would you feel if you were the little pig with the straw or wood house?
Activities
Hand out drawing sheets and colors, and have the children draw and paint scenes from the Three Little Pigs.
Construct small model houses from drinking straws, from toothpicks and from Lego bricks. For the straw and toothpick kittle stick from your daily walk) houses, you could first make a cardboard construction and stick straws and toothpicks to that. The children can see for themselves which is the sturdier house.
Have the children count the number of straws, toothpicks and bricks used to build the houses.
Cut color paper into squares, rectangles, triangles and circles, and ask the preschoolers to assemble these shapes into house forms. They can glue them onto drawing paper.
Have the children write and decorate the letter ‘P’. Talk about names and words that begin with ‘P’.
Try to find words that rhyme with ‘Pig’. For example, wig, fig, jig, rig, big, dig, gig and twig. Explain what these words mean.