Oliver and Company: 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 Oliver and Company released in 1988. 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 Activity

Teach your child this rhyme that goes along with the movie.

Three Little Kittens

Three little kittens lost their mittens

And they began to cry,

"Oh, mother dear, we very much fear

Our mittens we have lost."

"What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!

Then you shall have no pie."

"Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow,"

"No, you shall have no pie."

The three little kittens they found their mittens

And they began to cry,

"Oh, Mother dear, see here, see here!

Our mittens we have found."

"What! Found you mittens! You good little kittens,

Now you shall have some pie."

"Purr, purr, purr, purr,

Purr, purr, purr."

Read a Book

There are a lot of incredible books available to go along with the movie Oliver and Company. In the movie, Dodger and his gang love having Fagan read them a story. Pick one you think your child would enjoy and involve them while you are reading. Ask them questions about the pictures and story. Following are a few suggestions of books to read.

• Oliver Twist (Young Reading Series 3 Gift Books) by Charles Dickens, Mary (RTL) Sebag-montefiore, and Barry Ablett
• The Lost Kitten! by Alison Allen-Gray and Joanne Moss

Make a Collar

Cut a strip of colored paper of your child's choice. Cut a circle out of yellow paper. Let your child decorate the strip of paper and put a stuffed animal's information on the yellow circle. Put the collar on the stuffed animal and use a staple to attach it.

Take a Trip

Take a trip to a local animal shelter or pet store. Let your child see the different types of pets that a person can have. Talk about the responsibility that goes along with caring for a pet and how different types of animals need different types of food and care.