Where Is Mama Frog?
Pick up the brush and draw the familiar story! Replay the journey of the little tadpole to find their mother with your child, and talk about the characters and wonderful plots.
- 3½ years
- Quick prep
- At home
- About 15 minutes
Developmental benefits
- Language：Remembering characters, adding events, and telling an ending helps your child organize key moments in story order and retell them.
- Movement：Holding a drawing tool and adding characters and settings gives your child practice controlling small hand movements while creating a picture.
Preparation
What You’ll Need
- 1
White paper
- 2
colored pencils
Step 1
Help the Tadpole Find Mom
Choose a familiar story, such as a tadpole searching for its mother, and retell it through drawing. Draw the tadpole together and recall how the story begins. Then ask what happens to the tadpoles and what they decide to do.
What to notice
- Says what the main character wants to do, such as “The tadpoles are looking for their mother”
Comprehension and Text Structure - Uses a drawing tool to draw a tadpole on the paper
Fine Motor
Tips
- If your child does not remember the story, tell a short part to bring back the characters and plot, then hand the storytelling back to them.
- Your child does not need to retell every detail exactly. Key events are enough—for example, the tadpoles cannot find their mother, so they go looking for her.
Step 2
Who Did the Tadpole Meet?
Let your child tell most of what happens after the little tadpole sets out. Whenever the tadpole meets someone, invite your child to draw that character and explain what happens. Offer only a simple prompt to keep the story moving, such as, “Who did the tadpole meet next?” Then give your child time to fill in the middle of the story.
What to notice
- Retells several events from the story, such as whom the tadpoles met Comprehension and Text Structure
- Draws an animal from the story, such as a goldfish
Writing
Tips
- If your child immediately says the frog is the mother, reply, “You figured it out! The tadpoles don’t know yet—shall we help them keep looking?”
- If your child invents different animals or events, follow their version and let them draw, act, and tell the new story.
- Offer only one or two clues rather than telling the entire plot. Leave room for your child to fill in the story.
Step 3
The Tadpole Finds Mom!
After meeting several animals, the tadpoles finally find their mother. Invite your child to draw the frog, review the clues from earlier in the story, and explain why this is the tadpoles’ mother.
What to notice
- Remembers the clues about the tadpoles’ mother, such as “green” and “four legs”
Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning) - Counts the frog’s four legs
Counting and Cardinality
Tips
- Mark the clues gathered along the way on the frog: a green body, four legs, and a wide mouth that says “ribbit.” Then see whether the frog matches the story’s description.
Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026