Farm Small World with Barn Craft

06/16/201303/01/2017

Cock-a-doodle-doo, moo moo, baa baa, meow! Come explore our farm small world and recycled barn popsicle stick craft. Our inexpensive small world today is a fun sensory activity full of varying textures and imaginative play. It takes a little more love and time than our past worlds. Short on time? Skip the details and go for the barn and cardboard containers of sensory items. It’s all made from recycled cereal boxes and popsicle sticks. The kids can get involved with the preset-up by assisting with the production of the Big Red Barn and fence!

Let’s break it down, total cost=$11. As in our previous small worlds, the green bin is from Big Lots, $5. They’re great bins for dry small worlds, plus re-usable and cheap. Dollar store: green hay, used for bushes, and tan hay. Food items: amaranth (cow feed), black beans (pig mud), yellow split peas (corn). Rocks, felt scraps, cardboard, burlap fabric (available at Michaels) we had as well. Green grass is an old plastic plant cut up, but originally purchased from Michaels clearance section. We had all the Safari Ltd TOOB animals.

Originally, I bought the animals on Amazon here: (they have recently changed the design)
Farm TOOB
Horse TOOB
Cats TOOB
Farmer TOOB

The big read barn is popsicle sticks, red & white acrylic paint, glue, cereal box 2 pack size, and cardboard scraps. The largest purchase was the farm animals — our favorite! When creating small worlds, I try to recycle household goods to keep the cost down and conserve — fun and challenging at the same time! Now let’s make the fence and barn.

Making the Fence: We used popsicle sticks and lots of them! Have your child construct them with white, non-toxic school glue. Set aside to dry. C did 5 total. Once dried, apply white acrylic paint with a sponge brush. Normally, I use washable paint so C can paint, but it wasn’t thick or vibrant enough. Tip: I cut the barn fence tops down once I put the world together. I realized that barn fence isn’t really that tall. To save time and paint, do it before you assemble the fence pieces or not at all (that’s me being way to literal, lol)!

Making the Big Red Barn: First, cut a large 2 pack size cereal box in half. I used the scraps to make the pigs mud pit and cows feed box. For the barn tower, I cut out a piece of thick cardboard to the desired shape and C and I glued popsicle sticks to cover the surface. I used hot glue (saves time and dry time) and C used white glue. Leave a spot for the window too. For the roosters perch, I cut the pop sticks and hot glued them together to form the perch. Next, I hot glued a smaller piece of cardboard to brace it (see photo below).

Once dried, I painted everything red. Next, I attached the white border pieces. Finally, I hot glued the barn front onto the box. {Caution} Glue is extremely hot and should only be administered by an adult. Now it’s time to add all the fun details and play!

It’s playtime!

Let’s tour the Big Red Barn and visit all the barnyard animals on the farm today!

Farmer Joe is on the job! It’s time to eat cows!

Red rooster is watching guard over the barn today, while horse enjoys some hay.

There’s baa, baa sheep taking a drink and those silly pigs rolling around in the mud!

Farmer Joe’s a hard worker! Time to clean up the barn! Neigh!!

I spy the Chicken! She’s eating out of the corn barrels! Watch out for the rolling hay. It’s a windy day on the farm! Ow, there’s those sneaky wild Cats! What are they up too?

I spy Dog jumping over the bridge! “Wait for me friends!” Look out, there’s Goat and Horse! Donkey is patiently waiting to get a drink behind the green bushes.

Look, it’s a nest! But, where’s the Chicken?

C kept singing, “Old Mac Donald had a farm e-i-e-i-o!” His favorite part was definitely the muddy pigs and the cock-a-doodle-doo’n Rooster! Today’s small world will be staying around for a while. It was super fun and a great sensory experience with all the beans, grass, trees, and hay!

Playtime! I love all his facial expressions.