C is for Cow

This super-easy alphabet craft offers great fine motor practice for older toddlers and preschoolers! We haven’t practiced “staying in the lines while coloring” a whole lot with Big Brother, mostly because I normally just give him a blank piece of paper and let him free-draw. I’m not a big fan of coloring books…I think my art education teacher in college brain-washed me. :)

Here’s what you’ll need:  a white piece of construction paper, a black crayon, and scissors.

1. Draw a “C” on the piece of white paper.

2. Add some cow spots (I’m a terrible artist).

3. Let your child start coloring the insides of the spots.

Big Brother was a little confused about what he was supposed to color and what he wasn’t, so I just drew tiny “x’s” on the inside of each of the spots so he would know where to color.

4. Cut out and enjoy!



Literature Link

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type


This cute book by Doreen Cronin is about some barnyard animals who are very irritated with their present living conditions. They’re cold and they want blankets and the farmer refuses…so they find a type-writer and decide to go on strike. Your child will love this adorable book!

5 Comments

  1. Cute craft/learning activity! :-) I love all your ideas. Out of interest, why do you not like colouring books? My son is obsessed with colouring and at having just turned 4 last week, I'm amazed with how much his colouring has improved over the last 9 mths from just purely scribbling to staying in the lines and colouring the whole portion with no white bits left. He's really neat and really good at staying in the lines, and the concentration he has when colouring is incredible. I have been thinking lately though that I'd like to see him drawing more as he's a great imagination. We got him an easel for Christmas and since getting it, he loves to stand and draw his own pictures on the whiteboard. I've taken a photo of nearly every picture he's drawn from a boy with a kite to a house in a storm. I love seeing the creativity coming from him and perhaps I should encourage it even more?! I'd love your input on the matter. Thanks.

  2. Hi Susan,

    I just remember my art ed. teacher showing us a picture a little boy had drawn of a bird. He tried to put as many details into it as possible…wings, eyes, etc. Then she showed a picture of the same boy's drawing of a bird 6-months later, after using coloring books frequently. The "bird" was now drawn as an "m" as is so often depicted in coloring books without any details.

    I guess that has just stuck with me and gave me a negative attitude towards coloring books, though I certainly think they are convenient in "quiet-time" settings. I'm not against them, I just think it limits their creativity. BUT, they are GREAT for learning to color inside the lines!

  3. Click Clack Moo is one of my favorite children's books! This is a great "C" activity – and I guess I could serve cookies for snack! ;)

  4. Thanks Janae! I appreciate your taking the time to respond! :-) Something to ponder. I would like to encourage more drawing from him, the easel has been great for that, for both the kids actually (he's just turned 4 and she's turning 3 this week!)

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