This has been one of our favorite books as of late Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd. It is a sweet little story about a dog getting himself spotted with messes along his day. I think little kids just like the idea of messes in general, because they are such a natural, unavoidable part of life. I think Buga likes that she can commiserate a little with this character in that way! :) As we read the story, she colors the spots on dog using a dry-erase crayon or washable marker.
This is a great way to teach colors, numbers, build listening skills, and following directions. We have also played AFTER reading the story as a way to retell the events that occurred in the book - which challenges memory and comprehension skills. At the end Buga gives Dog a "bath" by wiping him clean with a sweat-pant-fabric mitt I made for her. She loves doing this activity, even though we have done it several times already.
I like seeing how differently Dog's spots come out in each drawing she makes.....today they were more like circles than spots. Sometimes they are merely dots. Other times they are smears, smudges, scribbles...so cute.
