Lately, many of the children in Toddler 1 have shown a strong interest in animals. During play and exploration, the children have been reading books about different animals and learning about their features and characteristics—such as the sounds they make and the environments they live in, like water, forests, or jungles!
To build on this growing interest, the educators created an animal habitat sensory experience for the children to explore. This activity included various textures like sand, water, and grassy areas. Each habitat featured animals that corresponded to the environment—such as a whale swimming in the ocean and insects crawling in the forest! Furthermore, we added elements such as sea shells to the ocean area, some grass and trees in the forest, as well as bowls and tongs for the children to manipulate and explore with.
The sensory elements encouraged curiosity and inquiry, with many children asking questions and making observations as they explored. One child, while exploring the ocean habitat, exclaimed, “Whale swimming!”. Another child pointed excitedly and said, “Bug in the grass!”. To further build on the experience, the educators then added some water cups with water droppers to the tray. The children were quick to explore with them, and while using their problem-solving skills, they used the water droppers to add water to the different habitats. One child added some water to the ocean area, they said “Fishes swim!”. Another child added water to the forest area, then moved the bear over and pretended the bear was drinking some water.
This learning experience was a wonderful way to expand the children’s interests and support their development through sensory-rich, imaginative play! We wonder what other animal habitats we could explore next!
