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    Home » Learning Activities for Preschoolers

    Published: Aug 13, 2023 · Modified: Oct 3, 2023 by Marianne Lim · All activities should be supervised by an adult. This post may contain affiliate links.

    Save the Dinosaurs and Other Rescue Activities for Your Preschoolers

    Inside: A collection of fun and educational rescue activities for kids! Gear up for some fun rescue action!

    Does your child love adventures and heroes? A rescue mission theme activity might just be what they need! Stimulate your child’s imagination and engage them in an activity that will inspire them to become heroes as they immerse themselves in a world of creative rescues. Gather your little ones, gear up, and get ready for a fun adventure to save the day while working on their fine motor skills with these learning activities!

    Save the dinosaurs rescue activity for preschoolers
    Jump to:
    • Rescue Activities for Preschoolers
    • Need more heroic rescue activities?
    • What are the benefits of animal rescue activity?
    • Gear up for some fun rescue activities!

    Rescue Activities for Preschoolers

    Rescue Activity 1: Save the Dinosaurs Scissors Practice

    Use scissors to snip away the paper strips wrapped around the toy dinosaurs

    The dinosaurs are stuck in a bush and need to be rescued! This easy prep activity is a fun way to get some scissors practice for your preschooler. Wrap some strips of paper around some medium sized animals, and let your child snip away to save them. Depending on your child’s ability, thinner strips are easier for new scissors users to snip while thicker strips will provide more challenge for the more seasoned users. 

    Fine motor practice for child unwrapping painter's tape from toy dinosaurs to rescue the animal

    Not ready to hand your child a pair of scissors? You can also use painter’s tape to wrap the animals up and get your little one to peel it off. This will help them work on their pincer grasp as well as develop hand strength for using scissors in the future. 

    Related: Give your child more opportunities to practise scissor skills by trying this Haircut Number Game and this Raindrop Shapes Cutting Practice.

    Rescue Activity 2: Stuck in Mud Rescue Mission with Play Dough

    stick toy dinosaurs into brown play dough mud

    Put your child’s motor skills to the test with an excavation hunt. Bury some small animals in play dough mud and get your child to extract them using kitchen tongs. Using tongs or tweezers will not only help develop your child’s fine motor skills, but also their hand eye coordination as well as improve concentration and focus. For an older child, bury the animals deeper into the play dough to provide more resistance and increase difficulty when extracting the animals. 

    use tongs to rescue the toy dinosaurs that are stuck in the playdough mud

    To extend the play, offer a bowl of soapy water and a brush to clean the animals once they’ve all been rescued! 

    Related: Don't let your play dough go to waste! Use it for more fun Playdough Activities, and these Multi-Sensory Play Activities for Letter Formation!

    Rescue Activity 3: Develop Fine Motor Skills with the Colander Animal Rescue

    toy animals trapped in a colander with pipe cleaners threaded across the holes

    This effortless rescue mission is quick and easy to put together and can be done in advance. All you need is a colander, pipe cleaners and some animal figures for an enjoyable activity. Put your animals (or your child’s favorite figurine to save) in the colander, and start threading the pipe cleaners into the holes of the colander to “trap” them. This simple activity is easy enough that even young toddlers can do it independently. 

    Pulling the pipe cleaners out requires bilateral coordination and focus, while also working on their pincer grasp. Once they’ve rescued all the animals, extend the learning further by getting them to count the animals!

    Need more heroic rescue activities?

    Here are more creative and thrilling rescue activities to engage your kid in a mini adventure:

    Rescue Activity 4: Rescue the Pups (Busy Toddler)

    Get ready for a ruff ruff rescue with this fine motor activity that just needs a few simple supplies which you most likely already have at home. It promises not only lots of fun, but a good fine motor workout for your child.

    Rescue Activity 5: Laundry Basket Toy Rescue (Team Cartwright)

    This activity will not only motivate you to empty your laundry basket, but it also will keep your child occupied for a good chunk of time. Not only that, this rescue activity helps your child work on their problem-solving skills, perseverance, teamwork as well as inspiring creativity. 

    Rescue Activity 6: Animal Tape Rescue Activity (Busy Toddler)

    This is a highly recommended activity to occupy young toddlers. All you need is painter’s tape and some animals to rescue for your child to work on their focus, fine motor skills as well as hand eye coordination.

    Rescue Activity 7: Frozen Ocean Animal Rescue (Mama. Papa. Bubba. Blog)

    If you have a collection of mini ocean animal figures, this cool activity is a must do! The frozen ocean is not only stunning to look at, but offers lots of opportunities to work on their fine motor skills and patience.

    Rescue Activity 8: Rescue the Zoo Animals (Happy Toddler Playtime)

    Here’s another rescue activity that is so easy to set up – all you need is a bunch of zip lock bags that fit your animals. It also offers lots of learning opportunities as well as developing hand strength and dexterity to open the zip lock bags. 

    What are the benefits of animal rescue activity?

    What are the benefits of animal rescue activity?

    Toy rescue activities for preschoolers offer numerous benefits:

    Imagination: Stimulates creativity and storytelling skills.
    Problem-Solving: Encourages critical thinking through challenges.
    Fine Motor Skills: Improves hand-eye coordination.
    Confidence: Boosts self-esteem with successful missions.
    Cognitive Growth: Enhances planning and memory.

    In short, toy rescue activities provide fun, educational, and well-rounded development for preschoolers.

    Gear up for some fun rescue activities!

    These rescue activities are designed to be both fun and educational. While your child enjoys the adventure, they'll also be honing their fine motor skills, enhancing their coordination, and sharpening their cognitive abilities. It's a wonderful way to learn, grow, and have a blast all at the same time!

    So, gear up, let the rescue activities begin, and watch your child's imagination and character flourish!

    More Learning Activities for Preschoolers

    • Learn to Read Part 4: 10 Easy Sight Words Activities for Kindergarten Beginning Readers
    • Duplo learning activities for preschoolers
      Duplo Inspirations: 9 Fun Duplo Learning Activities for Preschoolers
    • Materials for easy scissor skill development activities for preschoolers
      A Guide to Scissor Skills Development in Preschoolers 
    • 10 Painting Activities which Support Fine Motor Development

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    About Marianne Lim

    Marianne Lim is a mum of three whose kids thrive on learning through play. A copywriter turned stay-at-home-mum, she now looks into play activities as her creative outlet and loves coming up with easy play ideas she can whip up quickly amidst the chaos with a boisterous son and a pair of twins at home. You can find her on Instagram at @raisingwarriors.my

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    Hi there! I’m Fynn—educator, author, and mom of three. I believe a lifelong love of learning starts at home, and I’m here to help you nurture that spark. Together, let’s create joyful learning experiences that strengthen bonds and inspire curiosity for both you and your little ones!

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