Look, Listen, Touch, and Feel; these are the words used to describe the young toddlers play in Shale room. We have been observing our Shale children over the past few weeks to find out what they are interested in, this brought us to our new big idea of “Collecting”. By providing a variety of sensory materials such as tinfoil, crumbled tissue paper, ice balloons, soft and hard balls, shopping bags and baskets, Sensory bottles and Sensory bins, we have noticed how much the children love to explore by looking, touching, listening, and feeling through collecting sensory materials.
Sensory experiences provide young children to develop:
- Fine motor skills
- Curiosity and imagination
- Experimentation
- Scientific concepts (some materials float in water while others sink)
- Social skills (turn taking)
As our shale friends began to explore sensory materials through collecting, they collected different textured materials in the small bags or big containers, listened to different sounds from the variety of media and materials, and expressed their ideas using art materials. As we continue to explore sensory through collecting we will provide variety of materials such as natural objects, recycled objects, and loose parts that can inspire young children’s creative sensibilities in diverse ways and support their own learning in as many ways as possible.
Have a wonderful weekend, see you all on Monday – Young, Sarah and Cassi.
