101 Dalmations Movie: Educational Activities and Games for 2 to 5 Year Olds

Let's face it, kids love movies, but it's been proven that they should watch no more than 2 hours of TV a day. So why not combine their love of a movie and activities that will help them learn and grow? Following are suggestions for the movie 101 Dalmations released in 1961. These activities would also work well for preschool classes and party games for this age group.

Watch the movie

Let your kids watch the show while you prepare the activities for the rest of the day or attend to other responsibilities.

Rhyme Activities

Teach your child these rhymes. They'll love doing the actions and the time they get to spend with you while they learn.

One little, two little, three little kittens (hold up three fingers)

Were napping in the sun (pretend to be sleeping)

One little, two little, three little puppies (hold up three fingers)

Said, "Let's have some fun."

Up to the kittens the puppies went creeping (make your fingers creep up your arm)

As quiet as could be.

One little, two little, three little kittens

Went scampering up a tree! (wiggle your fingers in the air)

Old Mother Hubbard (pretend to walk with a cane)
Went to the cupboard (pretend to open a cupboard)
To get her poor doggie a bone,
When she got there
The cupboard was bare (shake your head)
So the poor little doggie had none. (hold your hands out)

Craft Activity

Print out an outline of three or four dogs or draw them yourself. Give your child some crayons and ask them to put a certain number of spots on the first dog, another number on the next dog and so on. If they are having a hard time, help them count.

Get a white piece of paper and cut out a strip long enough to go around your child's head. Cut out two floppy dog ear shapes too. Let your child draw spots on the band and ears. Staple the ears to the ban on opposite sides and staple the band together so that it fits your child. Then let them pretend to be a dog. Encourage them to do things like roll over, bark and sit.

Read a Book

Dogs help humans in all sorts of ways, pick books on these topics or pick a book that you think your child would enjoy. Keep your child's attention by asking them questions about the pictures and the story.

• Dogs Don't Wear Sneakers WITH a Plush Dalmatian Dog wearing Red High-Top Tennis Shoes (Book and Toy Combo) by Laura Numeroff and Joe Mathieu
• Working Dogs (Planet Reader Level 1) by Sherry Shahan
• Dogs Working for People (Books for Young Explorers) by Joanna Foster and James L. Stanfield
• Sparky: Firehouse Dog by Jody L Studdard