This is a fun and simple activity for gaining early fine motor strength that your kids can easily do at home! I took strips of paper and wrapped them around the animals taping relatively often (to prolong the activity) and then had the kids use scissors to “free” the animals.
You could definitely also use string or yarn to make this a harder experience for an older child. I told my kids that when the freed the animal they had to “excitedly” make the sound of the animal that they had just freed — they loved it!