By Zohra, Dayhome Educator in Fort McMurray
During a 15-minute observation, I noticed Vera, Ari, and Ella engaging in creative and collaborative play with sensory bottles. The activity evolved as the children explored various possibilities, demonstrating their creativity, problem-solving, and social skills.
Initially, the three girls worked together to match colorful blocks to the sensory bottles, sorting the blocks by color and placing them into bottles with corresponding colors. This activity supported their cognitive development, particularly in color recognition and categorization skills.
Ella then suggested building a tower with the sensory bottles, which the group enthusiastically attempted. Despite the tower falling multiple times, the girls persisted, showcasing their resilience and determination. When they finally succeeded in constructing a stable tower, they were overjoyed, with Vera excitedly exclaiming, “We did it!” This moment highlighted the importance of teamwork and perseverance.
Inspired by their success, Vera came up with a new idea: measuring their height using the sensory bottle tower. She stood beside the tower to see how many bottles tall she was. Ari and Ella eagerly followed her lead, engaging in early math and measurement concepts.
The sensory bottles also captured their curiosity in another way. They began peering through the bottles, which contained ocean creatures and water dyed in various colors. This exploration encouraged observational skills and sensory engagement, as the children examined the textures, shapes, and movements within the bottles.
Skills and Benefits:
- Cognitive Development: Enhancing color recognition, categorization, and problem solving abilities.
- Social and Emotional Skills:Fostering teamwork, communication, and persistence.
- Early Math Skills: Introducing measurement concepts and spatial awareness.
- Fine Motor Skills: Handling and stacking bottles to build the tower.
- Sensory Exploration: Engaging visual and tactile senses through the sensory bottles.
This play session provided a rich, multi-sensory experience, promoting creativity, collaboration, and foundational learning enjoyably and engagingly.
