Jellyfish in a Jar YI

Lesson Plan:

Activity:

Jellyfish in a Jar

Lesson plan developed by Ms. Erika Geelhoed, BA Ed

Age Group:
Young Infants

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

Objectives:
Children will:

develop their sense of sight.
practice gross and fine motor skills by grasping, turning and manipulating a bottle.

CDA Competency Standard:

II.4.3a

Activities and materials encourage children to develop their senses
- a) Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch experiences are encouraged throughout a variety of developmentally appropriate materials and activities

Jellyfish in a Jar

Materials:

small clear plastic bag
water bottle
water
blue food coloring
scissors
hot glue gun

Procedure:

Prepare for activity by creating your jellyfish.
Cut the plastic bag into a square.
From the center of the plastic, fold it like a tiny balloon to make the head part and tie it with the string.

**Be sure not to tie it too tight. There needs to be a small hole for you to pour water into the head.

Cut the remaining plastic into strips to make tentacles.
Fill the bottle with water and add a few drops of the blue food coloring.
Pour a small amount of water into the head and push the jellyfish into the bottle.
Secure the cap with hot glue.
Find a comfortable spot to explore the bottle with the children.

Assessment:

Observe and record the children’s reaction to the jellyfish. How did they manipulate the bottle? Where they able to turn it over by themselves?

Online Early Childhood Education

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Exploring through Play

From the very beginning of life, children explore the world through play. Children of all ages play, but they play differently at different ages. The youngest children receive sensory feedback from their play with objects. Infants and toddlers use their senses and movements. They delight in these sensory explorations and become increasingly motivated to use their developing motor skills to impact their environment. Babies love to roll through a room of soft blocks, push musical toys to make them sing, and punch buttons to cause a hidden person or animal to jump up.