Clifford . Parents & Teachers . Activities . Work Together . Expressions

Activity: Expressions

Age Range: 3-7
Clifford's Big Idea to Grow On: Work Together
Skills:
•	Language and Literacy Skills
•	Cognitive Skills
•	Social and Emotional Skills
Related Books:
•	I Spy Shapes in Art by Lucy Micklethwait (HarperCollins Publishers)
•	The Feelings Book by Todd Parr (Little, Brown & Company)
•	Clifford's Busy Week by Norman Bridwell (Scholastic)

Draw facial expressions and share personal feelings using shapes and language with your child in a fun, meaningful way.

Materials:

circle shapes for tracing face patterns
markers or pencils for tracing and drawing
light colored or white paper

Directions:
Begin by using a circle shape to draw nine face patterns for each person. Draw and verbally respond to the facial expression prompts below. Share your work and talk about the thought following each prompt.

Draw a happy face. Name something or someone that makes you feel happy.
Draw a sad face. Name something that makes you feel sad.
Draw a surprised face. Name a favorite surprise?
Draw a mad face. What or who makes you mad?
Draw a laughing face. Laugh as loud as you can!
Draw a scared face. Does anything scare you? If so, what?
Draw a silly face. Make your silliest face!
Draw a sleepy face. What makes you sleepy?

Talk about It: Ask your child share ideas and feelings about special people, friends, and favorite pets. Then talk about how family and friends can work together in fun ways to make special memories by playing, learning, cooking, traveling, and spending time together.

Take it Further: Create a "Lost and Found" journal by describing, drawing, and cataloging information about lost personal or family items at home, daycare, and school. Help your child update the journal weekly to record newly lost or found items.

With a Group: Build a teamwork train by using basic geometric shapes. First take a good look at a train picture and invite children to identify basic geometric shapes. Provide children with shape patterns, pencils, scissors, colored paper, and glue. Use rectangles for boxcars, circles for wheels, and a cylinder for the smokestack. After shapes are traced and cut, help children cooperatively build a train along a wall or large window. Have children sign and date their boxcars. Substitute children's names as you sing and clap to the old railroad tune, She'll (child's name) Be (will be) Coming Around the Mountain...when she/he comes!