Simple activities allow preschoolers to have fun while learning about one of the strangest-looking creatures in the animal kingdom: the rhinoceros. You can use the activities to review a lesson about rhino appearance, habitats and behavior, or just as a way for the children to have fun together. Children can take home the crafts they make to help them remember rhino facts.
Rhinoceros Mask
Print out a simple picture of a rhinoceros face that is about the size of a sheet of paper. Have the children color the masks and help them cut out the masks. Cut eye holes in a position that will let the child see out of the mask. Punch a hole on each side, about halfway up the mask. Tie a length of twine through each hole, position the mask on the child's face and tie a knot that will keep the mask secure but not too tight.
Heart Rhino Paper Craft
Cut hearts out of construction paper for kids to glue together into a rhino shape. Each rhino body requires one large heart, a few inches across, and one slightly smaller heart. Have the kids turn the hearts upside down and glue the larger heart overlapping the smaller one to form a body with four "legs." Cut out a bean-shaped piece as the head and have each child draw eyes and mouth on it. Turn four small hearts upside down to form the ears, horn and tip of the tail.
Toilet Paper Tube Rhino
Draw or print a template depicting a simple oval rhino tummy, a head, horn, front legs and rounded hind feet with tabs sticking out. Cut out one set of these body parts for each child. Have each child color a piece of paper gray and glue it around a toilet paper tube. Then children can glue on the body parts to form a rhinoceros that can stand upright. You may need to help them glue the tabs of the hind feet just inside the bottom of the tube.
Rhino Red Light, Green Light
After teaching the children about rhinos, have them get down on all fours and pretend to be rhinos. Tell the children to line up against one wall. When you say, "Green light," the children should stampede toward you. When you say, "Red light," they must stop where they are and bellow like a herd of rhinos. Have a prize for the first child to reach you -- or for the most considerate rhinos in the room.
References
Writer Bio
Benjamin Twist has worked as a writer, editor and consultant since 2007. He writes fiction and nonfiction for online and print publications, as well as offering one-on-one writing consultations and tutoring. Twist holds a Master of Arts in Bible exposition from Columbia International University.
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