Panda is Missing!: Fun Activity Ideas

A fun, hands-on science experiment to help children visualize and talk about big emotions 'erupting' and then calming down, inspired by Zinc's frustration.

Instructions:

1. Place the small bottle in the center of a larger bin or tray to contain the mess.

2. Fill the bottle about halfway with warm water, a few drops of dish soap, and some red food coloring.

3. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to the bottle and mix.

4. Talk with your child about Zinc's big, frustrated feelings. Explain that you're going to show what that looks like.

5. Slowly pour vinegar into the bottle and watch the 'lava' erupt! As it fizzes out, talk about how it's okay to have big feelings and discuss ways to calm down.

You will need:

• Baking soda

• Vinegar

• Red food coloring

• A plastic bin or tray

• Small plastic bottle

An engaging scavenger hunt where children find and rescue 'lost' toys around the room, practicing problem-solving and motor skills just like Zinc and Cobalt.

Instructions:

1. Help your child decorate a pair of kitchen tongs with foil or tape to make them look like 'robot grabbers'.

2. While your child isn't looking, hide 5-10 small toys around a room.

3. Give your child the mission: 'Oh no, the toys are lost just like Panda! You must use your robot grabbers to rescue them!'

4. Encourage them to only use the tongs to pick up the toys, which is great for building hand strength.

5. Celebrate as each toy is found and returned to the toy box.

You will need:

• Kitchen tongs

• Aluminum foil or tape

• Small toys

Turn cleaning up a messy room from a chore into a fun, fast-paced game inspired by Zinc's messy room dilemma.

Instructions:

1. Talk about how Zinc's messy room made it hard to find Panda.

2. Set a timer for 3-5 minutes and play some upbeat, fun music.

3. Challenge your child to be a 'Tidy-Up Tornado' and put as many toys as they can into the toy bin before the timer goes off.

4. Join in the fun to make it a team effort!

5. When the timer rings, admire the clean space and celebrate your fast work.

You will need:

• Toy bin or laundry basket

• Kitchen timer or phone

An art activity where you and your child paint story stones with characters and emotions to retell the story of 'Panda is Missing!' or create new robot adventures.

Instructions:

1. First, wash and dry your stones so the paint will stick.

2. Talk about the book's characters (Zinc, Cobalt, Panda) and their feelings (worried, silly, happy).

3. Use the paint pens to draw the characters and different emotion faces on the stones.

4. Let the stones dry completely.

5. Use your new story stones as puppets to retell the story or make up a brand new adventure for the robot friends.

You will need:

• Smooth, flat stones

• Acrylic paint pens

• Clear sealant spray (optional)

Using household recyclables, build your own robot friend like Zinc or Cobalt, fostering creativity and conversations about what it means to be a loyal friend.

Instructions:

1. Gather a variety of clean recycled materials.

2. Talk about Zinc and Cobalt's friendship and loyalty.

3. Lay out the materials and let your child design their own robot. Ask them questions like, 'What will your robot's name be? What is its special friendship power?'

4. Use tape, glue, and craft supplies to assemble the robot.

5. When finished, put the new robot friend in a place of honor!

You will need:

• Recycled materials (cardboard boxes, toilet paper rolls, bottle caps)

• Googly eyes

• Pipe cleaners

• Tape and non-toxic glue