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Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney

This book is by the creator of the Llama, Llama series, Anna Dewdney and is every bit as sweet as those books are. Little E is a bit too small for most of the jobs on the construction site. He keeps trying to help but it's not until he find a job that is just the right fit, that he finally manages. 

Any truck or construction loving kids will adore this book, as Little E partners up with each of the big rigs and tries to pitch in. It encourages kids to keep trying but also to understand that not all jobs are made for them...just yet!
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​⚈​ 1 Play ideas      ⚈​ 2 Classroom Activities  
Invitation to play - Age 1+
If allergies are not an issue, whole peanuts can be both a great snack and a fun sensory activity (try shelled sunflower seeds as an alternative). Kids love to smash them open, have a nibble and then can play with the left over shells. Add their favourite toys to the mix and they'll likely stay put and explore. Little dump trucks and diggers work really well to load and unload the shells. You can re-read the story and pretend to 'clean up the site' just like Little E. 

​Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram ​-HERE
Making noise - Age 6m+
​This book is full of sound words. Thumpa, bumpa, beep, wham, rumble, crumble, bam, smash, grrrr, rrrrrmm, chug, drrroom, thunka, clunka, clang, bang and whir. Grab anything in your house that is a potential instrument.  Try tapping two wooden blocks together. Find some old paper to crinkle up. Scissors are great for clicking together back and forth (also a nice bit of muscle building). An empty water bottle with some wooden pegs makes a nice rattle (or just a challenge to get out). A tin pan can be drummed on with anything. Read the book again and see if you can make some sounds to go along with it or just let little ones explore the sounds on their own.

Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram ​-HERE
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Fun food - 1+
The internet can provide some great inspiration for creative looking snacks (or sensory play depending on your little person 😂!). Trucks are actually pretty easy to put together with a few cuts of bread and any circular food for wheels (tomato, cheese, grapes, etc). Try painting a picture with hummus or cream cheese. It might not look as pretty as some of the pinterest perfect ones, but your little one will think its great. 
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Read about when we originally shared it on Instagram ​-HERE
  • Compare size or load capacity of small and large trucks
  • Plant trees like the characters do 
  • Help clean up a local community area
Click below for other books and activities about trucks: