Animal Patterns

Activity Overview

Patterns can be found everywhere in our world and daily lives - in nature and in man-made things - and should be pointed out to children. Understanding patterns helps children make predictions because they begin to understand what comes next. This also helps children learn how to make logical connections and use reasoning skills both in literacy and numeracy-based sequencing. In the activity below, students will explore patterns that are visual and also linked to a favorite topic – animals.

What You Need

• Duck, Duck Goose by Wiley Blevins, illustrated by Elliot Kreloff

• Animal figurines or stuffed animals (with several of the same animal) or Animal Patterns Pieces (cut out into individual animals)

Steps

1. Read Duck, Duck Goose by Wiley Blevins, illustrated by Elliot Kreloff. As you read, emphasize the patterns of animals on each page (for example, “horse, lamb, horse, lamb, horse…”) and encourage your student to guess which animal comes next in the pattern.

2. Using animal figurines, stuffed animals, or the Animal Patterns Pieces, create an AB animal pattern (for example: dog, cat, dog, cat, dog, cat). Guide your student to guess which animal comes next and encourage them to extend the pattern as long as they like.

3. Ask your student to make an animal pattern of their own, guiding them if needed.

4. Continue practicing patterns, increasing in difficulty as your student is interested and able:

   1. AB (dog, cat, dog, cat, dog, cat)

   2. AAB (dog, dog, cat, dog, dog, cat)

   3. ABB (dog, cat, cat, dog, cat, cat)

   4. ABC (dog, cat, fish, dog, cat, fish)

Guiding Questions

• What animal is this?

• What animal will come next?

• Can you line up your animals?

Extensions

• Make patterns using toys, natural materials gathered outside, or anything else in your home.

• Instead of visual patterns, try making sound patterns using the sounds that the animals make for example: quack, quack, moo, quack, quack, moo.

• What other ways can you creatively find patterns in the world? Like the auditory example above, they don’t have to be objects.