Washing the Farm Animals Activity for Toddlers

Inside: This farm animals activity is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills. Fill a bin with soapy water and invite your toddlers to wash the animals using brushes!

Using sponges and water droppers is a fun way for toddlers to work on building fine motor skills, and it’s hands-on fun!

This farm animals activity is simple to put together. All you need are plastic farm animals, a tub of soapy water and your toddlers will be busy scrubbing.

When finished, dry the animals with a towel and they are ready for more play!

Washing the Farm Animals Activity for Toddlers

What you will need:

• Plastic farm animals
• Small scrub brushes
• Liquid soap
• Small towels and a tray
• Container with water
• Water droppers (optional)

Setting up this farm animals activity:

Fill a water table or other container with a shallow amount of water, adding a squirt of liquid soap.

Place animals and brushes inside the water.

Place a tray nearby with a towel to dry the animals when finished.

Tell your toddlers that they are going to give the farm animals a bath in warm soapy water.

Show them how to hold the animal in one hand while holding a brush in the other.

They will then move the brush back and forth, scrubbing the animal with the water.

For additional fine motor practice you can provide water droppers.

If your toddlers have not yet used them, take a moment to demonstrate how they will need to squeeze the bulb while the dropper is in the water and release when it is on the animal.

It might take a few tries to get the hang of it, and older toddlers with stronger fine motor skills will have an easier time.

Continue to assist them a few times until they are able to squeeze and release the water by themselves.

If some toddlers seem frustrated, put the droppers away and wait until their fine motor skills are a bit stronger.

Small cups can also be added to the bin to pour water over the animals. (Scooping and pouring water is another fun way to build fine motor skills.)

When the animals are finished with their baths, dry them off using a towel.

Simple water fun to go with your farm theme!

More farm ideas:

Toddler Farm Pigs Golf Ball Painting Activity

Awesome Muddy Pigs Sensory Art

Looking for farm themed lesson plans designed just for toddlers?

We’ve done the work for you! These lesson plans include 20 activities that focus on hands-on, multi-sensory, low-prep activities.

Here’s a look at the skills covered in the lesson plans:

• Counting
• Pre-writing
• Literacy
• Social and Emotional Well Being
• Shapes
• Number Sense
• Music
• Gross-Motor
• Fine-Motor 
• and much more!

What you will find inside:

Skills: a detailed skills list to help you visualize the development in the activity.

Materials: Items to gather before doing the activity

How to: Best read before the activity is prepared to understand how to present it and have toddler engage in the activity.

Extensions: A place to see all the suggestions the teachers have made to take this activity a little further. Or make it simpler.

Modifications: Things that can be added or switched out in the activity.

All lesson plans have been carefully crafted and kid tested!

Whether you are a new teacher developing an entire toddler curriculum, a veteran teacher searching for new inspiration, or a parent homeschooling your toddler, you’ll find everything you need in these Toddler Unit Lesson Plans.

Click here for more information!