Shape and Dimension Sensory Bin

Lesson Plan:

Activity:

Lesson plan developed by Aurora Tollestrup, BS Ed

Age Group:

Mobile Infants

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

Objectives:

Children will:

experience a new sensory activity while exploring shape and dimension.

CDA Competency Standard:

II.5.1a

Activities encourage curiosity, exploration and discovery.
- a) Activities involve developmentally appropriate, hands-on experiences

Shape and Dimension Sensory Bin

Materials:

sponges cut to various shapes
large bin
water

Procedure:

To prepare materials:

Cut the sponges to various shapes such as circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, etc.
Place an inch or two of water into the large bin and add the sponges.

For the activity:

Invite the children to explore the sensory bin.
For young infants, sit them on your lap and let them place their feet in the sensory bin, kicking and exploring the sensory objects while talking to the infant about the shapes.
For mobile infants, sit with them and allow them to grab the sponge shapes and explore them while you talk to them about the shapes.

** Supervise the children closely as they play. Water play should always be monitored carefully for safety. Always use caution with anything that young children might put in their mouths.**

Assessment:

Assess the children’s reaction and exploration of the materials.

Online Early Childhood Education

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Early Math

Infants spend a lot of time observing and exploring their environment while their development soars. From noticing changes in feeding habits to experiencing classifying and sorting activities, they are learning about math concepts all around them. Toddlers are mastering the art of discovery and testing the boundaries of nearly everything they come into contact with. They have a keen sense of the familiar and are able to identify concepts and test new theories. All of these traits are rooted in mathematical concepts!

Big Ball, Medium Ball, Small Ball too Lesson Plan found at http://www.lessons4learners.com/big-ball-medium-ball-small-ball-too-t.html

Math is basically the study of classification, change, space, quantity and patterns. Early childhood educators are wise to include early math instruction in their infant and toddler programs as children as young as infancy. A newborn child may notice a change in their feeding habits. A mobile infant may gesture for more when they eat all of their snack. A toddler may recognize and sort objects that are similar in size or shape. These ordinary investigations and habits of infants and toddlers are really a means of mathematical exploration and understanding. Believe it or not, these are the building blocks to further math knowledge and understanding.