Hello Families! One of my favorite things to do when at the beach with Riley is to hunt for seashells. Here is a fun activity you can do with your child after gathering some shells from the beach.
What is our theme? Beach
What is the lesson (overall purpose)?
Learning about the difference in the appearance of shells and the uniqueness of each one by observation and printmaking.
MA Guidelines/Standards:
CD56 The younger toddler demonstrates an awareness of simple patterns
CD57 The older toddler matches and sorts according to color, shape or size
CD59 The older toddler recognizes and creates simple patterns
Cd61 The younger toddler discovers living things found in nature
CD64 The older toddler observes and identifies living things and begins to identify their basic needs
Learning Outcomes:
Sorting by size and color
Identification of different textures for example smooth vs bumpy
Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XEnZxjTbus Story: “It’s a Seashell Day”
https://youtu.be/bsK7z3weK5c Music: Sea Shells
Also...watch the Videos posted below!
Riley gathering beach shells - Video Below!
Riley shell painting - Video posted below!
Materials:
Bucket for collecting your shells
Seashells
Play-doh (either homemade or store bought)
magnifying glass
rolling pin
Activity (Procedure):
First, gather some shells from the beach. Look for shells that are both big and small. Look for all different kinds of shells.
Next when you get home, after washing the sand off your shells, take a look at them. Use your magnifying glass! Look for things that are different AND the same about your shells.
Now it’s time to use your play doh! Use the rolling pin to flatten the playdoh out. It will be easier to make an imprint when the dough is smooth. Take a shell and press it into the dough. Now look at the imprint the shell made! Do this with all the shells you collected.
Activity Wrap Up:
What did you notice with your magnifying glass when you first looked at your shells? Were some bumpy, some smooth? What colors were your shells? What did they feel like?
Did you use the front and the back of the shell to make prints in the play doh? Did the prints look the same or different?
Did you try touching the playdoh after the prints were made? What does it feel like? Is it still smooth or are there bumps in it now?
How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment)
On top of the sensory experience, this playdough imprinting activity also encourages development of fine motor skills, language skills, processes, exploration and textural differences. All important for children learning about the world around them
How can you extend this activity? (Modifications)
Try arranging your shells from biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest. Can you count your shells? How many are big? How many are small? Can you sort your shells into groups of shells that are the same? How many shells are the same? How many are different?
Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions)
Don’t be concerned if you don’t have a large assortment of shells to work with. What’s important is that your child is able to distinguish a difference in the patterns that are created in the playdoh.
What is our theme? Beach
What is the lesson (overall purpose)?
Learning about the difference in the appearance of shells and the uniqueness of each one by observation and printmaking.
MA Guidelines/Standards:
CD56 The younger toddler demonstrates an awareness of simple patterns
CD57 The older toddler matches and sorts according to color, shape or size
CD59 The older toddler recognizes and creates simple patterns
Cd61 The younger toddler discovers living things found in nature
CD64 The older toddler observes and identifies living things and begins to identify their basic needs
Learning Outcomes:
Sorting by size and color
Identification of different textures for example smooth vs bumpy
Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XEnZxjTbus Story: “It’s a Seashell Day”
https://youtu.be/bsK7z3weK5c Music: Sea Shells
Also...watch the Videos posted below!
Riley gathering beach shells - Video Below!
Riley shell painting - Video posted below!
Materials:
Bucket for collecting your shells
Seashells
Play-doh (either homemade or store bought)
magnifying glass
rolling pin
Activity (Procedure):
First, gather some shells from the beach. Look for shells that are both big and small. Look for all different kinds of shells.
Next when you get home, after washing the sand off your shells, take a look at them. Use your magnifying glass! Look for things that are different AND the same about your shells.
Now it’s time to use your play doh! Use the rolling pin to flatten the playdoh out. It will be easier to make an imprint when the dough is smooth. Take a shell and press it into the dough. Now look at the imprint the shell made! Do this with all the shells you collected.
Activity Wrap Up:
What did you notice with your magnifying glass when you first looked at your shells? Were some bumpy, some smooth? What colors were your shells? What did they feel like?
Did you use the front and the back of the shell to make prints in the play doh? Did the prints look the same or different?
Did you try touching the playdoh after the prints were made? What does it feel like? Is it still smooth or are there bumps in it now?
How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment)
On top of the sensory experience, this playdough imprinting activity also encourages development of fine motor skills, language skills, processes, exploration and textural differences. All important for children learning about the world around them
How can you extend this activity? (Modifications)
Try arranging your shells from biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest. Can you count your shells? How many are big? How many are small? Can you sort your shells into groups of shells that are the same? How many shells are the same? How many are different?
Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions)
Don’t be concerned if you don’t have a large assortment of shells to work with. What’s important is that your child is able to distinguish a difference in the patterns that are created in the playdoh.
RSS Feed
