Sheepfold

The goal of this handwriting activity is to train finger flexibility. It is important to focus on the finger movements. The pen should lie loosely in the hand and the wrist should be placed on the table. Through movements from the fingers, the pen and its angle is also changed automatically. This leads to a relaxed pen posture and a fluency in the writing movement. With a relaxed pen posture, the fingers and wrist take control of the pen, fewer muscles are involved and the child tires less quickly when writing.

Required material

Colored pencils, wolf dice & printed templates (see resources below).

Resources to print

• Wolf dice
• Five sheep
• Ten sheep

How to play

In this game, your mission is to save the sheep from a wolf by leading them safely into a sheepfold.

Roll the wolf dice to determine your actions:

Roll lands on a color:

• Select a colored pencil matching the color rolled
• Color in a sheep's wool using small circular motions

If all the sheep are already colored you can draw a present for them (a flower, a ball, use your imagination!) and roll the dice again.

Roll lands on the wolf:

If you have a sheep with colored wool:

• Choose one of the sheep with colored wool and save it by skillfully guiding it into the corresponding rectangle (representing the sheepfold) with a quick and direct stroke towards a flower
• Color in the flower using small circular motions

If you don't have sheep with colored wool:

• Roll the dice again

The game ends when all the sheep are safely inside the sheepfold.

Variations

1. Draw your own sheep and sheepfolds, allowing you to practice your drawing strokes in various directions—vertical, horizontal, and diagonal.

2. For a two-player showdown, use the template with 10 sheep. Players choose a side with 5 sheep. Take turns rolling the dice, competing to be the first to save all your sheep. The winner will be hailed as the ultimate sheep-saving champion!