If your children love The Tiger Who Came to Tea, written by Judith Kerr, and you’re looking for things to do with kids this summer, be sure to head to London to see this beautiful story on stage. It’s currently showing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, and is great for children aged three and over. You could also enjoy a sensory retell of this story with a bit of creativity and a few props. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

Make Tiger Masks

The first thing you can do to get your kids in the mood for a sensory story is to make tiger masks. Not only will these bring the tale to life for your little ones but it’ll also allow them to get hands on with a wide range of artistic materials including paints, coloured paper, glue, elastic and anything else you might want to use. Let your children be as creative as possible and enjoy bringing your DIY tigers to life. 

Make a Jungle Scene 

Tigers come from the jungle, so you could always make a sensory tiger play scene to help enhance your storytelling. While we don’t know exactly where The Tiger Who Came to Tea lived or how he made it to little Sophie’s house, forest crafts are always fun. To make this work, get hold of an old shoe box and decorate it like a forest. You could paint the box, cover it in camouflaged paper or decorate it with rocks and leaves. You could even make a papier mâché water hole and fill it with water for your kids to splash their toy tigers in. 

Lay Out Some Props 

The Tiger Who Came to Tea ate and drank everything in Sophie and Mummy’s home including buns, biscuits and cake. He also drank all the tea and milk before gobbling up the dinner on the stove and drinking all the bathwater. When telling the story, why not let your kids tuck into the same snacks as the tiger to really ignite their senses? This will help them to understand just how greedy that tiger was while enjoying a wide range of treats. 
 

Make Your Own Tiger Snacks 

Sensory fun doesn’t get much better than baking. Children love mixing, kneading and tasting, so how about making various tiger-themed cakes, biscuits and snacks. Tiger paw cookies are always a good idea or you could make a black and orange marble cake to tuck into at story time. There’s no right or wrong answer for this so let your imagination do the talking and find some fun recipes. 
 

Act Out the Parts

It’s one thing telling the story to your kids. It’s another letting them act out the parts. Take it in turns to play Sophie, Mummy, Daddy, the Milkman and, of course, the Tiger. Use your masks or experiment with costumes and face paints for a more sensory experience. 

If you’re looking for kids activities near me, don’t miss The Tiger Who Came to Tea currently playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London. Google ‘things to do with kids near me’ and book your tickets today.