Soldier Pegs

Make soldier pegs for the nursery rhyme 'The Grand Old Duke of York'. A simple craft that can be used for working on fine motor skills. Use the soldier pegs as a prop by moving them up and down the hill as you sing the nursery rhyme. 

We are loving doing lots of nursery rhyme activities at the moment. Don't forget to check out all our other nursery rhyme crafts and activities. 

To make soldier pegs you will need: (affiliate links)

• Wooden pegs (UK link / US link)
• Acrylic paint (red, black, gold)
• Mod Podge varnish (UK link / US link)
• Sharpie marker pens (UK link / US link)

How to make wooden soldier pegs

• Paint stripes of red and black paint across the front of the peg. Black at the top and bottom for the soldiers hat and feet and red in the middle for the soldiers jacket.  Leave a gap for the soldiers face. 
• Once dry add gold dots as buttons.  Leave to dry.
• Varnish the peg using mod podge. This is especially important over the face as it stops the marker pens from bleeding. 
• Once the varnish is dry use the marker pens to draw on the soldiers face. 

We make a hill from green card for the soldiers to march up and down. 

Oh the Grand old duke of York, he had ten thousand men, he marched them up to the top of the hill...

...and he marched them down again. 

As you sing the nursery rhyme use the pegs as a prop and move them up and down the hill.  This is brilliant for working on those all important fine motor skills. 

Harry (aged 4) loved clipping the pegs on and off the hill. 

Daisy (15 months) tried to balance the pegs to make the soldiers stand up on the hill.

Harry loved singing this nursery rhyme and we even had a go at doing some marching ourselves. 

The full nursery rhyme

Here are a few more 'Grand old duke of York' crafts: 

Grand old duke of York fingerprint craft - Teach Me Mommy

Grand old duke of York moving picture - Adventures of Adam

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