Alien Eyes Sensory Bag MI

Alien Eyes Sensory Bag

Caution:
This sensory bag should be provided with supervision. Do not place the bag in a crib, or playpen.
Check the back for tears, or leaks each time before allowing the child to touch the bag. Don't allow the child to bite the bag.

Lesson Plan:

Activity:

Alien Eyes Sensory Bag

Lesson plan developed by Ms. Erika Geelhoed, BA Ed

Age Group:

Mobile Infants

* Lesson plan objective and assessment can be adapted to use this activity with toddlers or preschoolers.

Objectives:

Children will:

develop sensory motor skills.
practice fine motor skills.

CDA Competency Standard:

II.4.4b

Candidate’s facilitation promotes children’s physical development
- b) Guides the development of children’s fine and gross motor skills

Alien Eyes Sensory Bag

Materials:

green Jell-O
water
ziplock bag
googley eyes

Procedure:

Prepare for activity by creating the sensory bag.
Start by making the Jell-O (follow specific directions on the package).
When you are finished making the Jell-O, put a few cups of it inside the ziplock bag.
Add a handful of googley eyes, and close the bag.
You can seal the bag with duct tape if desired.
Introduce the bag to the children in an appropriate area and let them explore.
While they are playing, talk with them about what they are experiencing.
You can introduce new vocabulary to them and/or have a “conversation” about the activity.

Assessment:

Observe the children during the activity and take anecdotal notes. Record how they reacted to the bag. Did they move the eyes around? How are their fine motor skills developing?

Note: Please provide appropriate supervision to the children in your care when completing all activities. You will need to decide what types of activities are safe for the children in your care. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when providing art and sensory experiences for children. Infants require special caution, only use non-toxic materials, and do not allow infants to put things in their mouths that are a choking hazard.

Online Early Childhood Education

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Encouraging Intellectual Development in Infants and Toddlers

Research has confirmed that there is an astounding amount of development in children's brains during the infant and toddler years. This development sets the stage for later capabilities. Early childhood teachers create learning experiences that allow children to reach their maximum potential. As infants and toddlers gradually explore their environments, they are observing and learning cause and effect. “If I do this … then this … happens.” This learning can be observed when infants discover their toes, learn to roll over, crawl, balance and walk.

We observe children’s intellectual development as they learn that shaking a rattle produces noise; something is not gone when out of sight (peek-a-boo); items can change shape (doors open and close, lids come off and go back on); or that items must be smaller than the hole in order to go inside (such as shape sorters or stacking blocks).

Children must have repeated and varied experiences with these concepts in order to build understanding. Intentional planning by the teacher ensures materials and experiences are offered to children to enhance intellectual development.