Becoming a Mini Beast

LESSON 5

Children explore movement, imagination, and creative expression as they consider the world from the perspective of mini beasts. 

Open-ended costume and prop materials such as: 

  • Scarves or fabric  

  • Cardboard  

  • Paper  

  • Tape  

  • String or yarn  

  • Crayons, markers, paint, fabric paint 

  • Recycled materials 

  • Play silks 

  • Pipe cleaners 

Materials

Preparations

  • Gather open-ended materials for costume and prop making. 

  • Prepare an open space for movement and dramatic play. 

  • Create opportunities for children to explore ideas through movement and creative expression.  

  • Encourage children to make connections between previous observations and new forms of play.  

  • Support children's storytelling, collaboration, and imagination.  

  • Observe and document children's ideas, language, and emerging narratives. 

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children explore how mini beasts move and interact with their environment.  

  • Children use movement, materials, and imagination to express ideas.  

  • Children develop empathy by considering the experiences of other living things.  

  • Children create stories, props, or costumes inspired by their observations of mini beasts. 

Objectives for Children

Opening Invitation

Practice singing the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” with the actions you came up with.

At night consider saying the “Bedtime” poem to your child.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,  

How I wonder what you are!  

Up above the world so high,  

Like a diamond in the sky.  

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,  

How I wonder what you are! 

Bedtime Poem

(at bedtime you can use a finger to draw the star, the sun, the moon on your child's back) 

 A star for you to wish on, 
A sun so warm and bright, 
A moon for you to sleep on, 
Happy dreams, 
A kiss goodnight. 

Collect and Connect

Gather children together and revisit some of the mini beasts explored throughout the unit. 

You might look through books, photographs, drawings, or creations from previous lessons. 

You might ask: 

  • What mini beasts have we discovered?  

  • What do you remember noticing about the way they move?  

  • What makes each mini beast unique?  

Introduce today's invitation: 

“We have spent time noticing mini beasts, their bodies, their homes, and the ways they move through the world. Today we are going to use our bodies and imagination to explore what life might be like from a mini beast's point of view." 

 

Activity Flow

Begin with a movement invitation. 

Invite children to explore different ways mini beasts move through their environment. 

Rather than showing children how to move, encourage them to investigate: 

"I wonder how this creature might move." 

  • Children might explore: 

  • Crawling like a beetle  

  • Wiggling like a worm  

  • Flying like a butterfly  

  • Moving carefully like a spider  

  • Traveling together like ants  

 Invite children to experiment with: 

  • Speed  

  • Direction  

  • Height  

  • Size of movements  

  • How a creature might interact with its environment  

Some children may enjoy large movements, while others may prefer observing, making smaller movements, or sharing ideas through words. 

 

Mini Beast Costume & Prop Invitation (Optional) 

Invite children to create simple materials that help express their mini beast ideas. 

You might say: 

"Artists and creators often use materials to help share their ideas. I wonder what you might create to help show your mini beast." 

Children may choose to create: 

  • Wings from fabric or paper  

  • Antennae from pipe cleaners  

  • A shell from cardboard  

  • Patterns or textures inspired by their mini beast  

  • Props or small creations for their play  

Children may also use materials they already have available, such as: 

  • Tea towels  

  • Scarves  

  • Play silks  

  • Cardboard boxes  

This invitation is optional. Some children may prefer to continue exploring movement or storytelling without creating anything. 

There is no expectation for a finished costume. The focus is on the process of imagining, creating, and expressing ideas. 

 

Mini Beast Adventure Play 

Invite children to continue exploring the world of their mini beast. 

Children may choose to: 

  • Move through the environment like their creature  

  • Create stories with others  

  • Explore where their mini beast lives  

  • Imagine challenges or discoveries  

As children play, you might encourage wonder: 

  • Where is your mini beast going?  

  • What does your mini beast notice?  

  • What does your mini beast need?  

Allow time for children to develop their own ideas and stories. Some children may create elaborate narratives, while others may simply explore movement and sensory experiences. 

Observe and document children's language, ideas, and stories. These observations may become inspiration for the next lesson's storytelling experience. 

 

Reflection 

Gather children together and reflect on their experience. 

You might ask: 

  • What mini beast did you explore today?  

  • How did your mini beast move?  

  • What did you discover?  

  • What story could your mini beast tell?  

You might say: 

"Today we used our bodies and imagination to explore the world from a mini beast’s point of view. We wondered how they move, what they notice, and what their lives might be like." 

I wonder what stories our mini beasts might have to tell."