Lately, the School-Age 1 children have been exploring various types of sensory activities. One of the activities the group partook in was creating pumpkins using yarn, glue, water and balloons. To make the pumpkins, the children began by wrapping several long pieces of yarn that was soaked into a mixture of glue & water around the balloons. As the group was starting, they quickly concluded that it was a bit tricky to put the yarn onto the balloon. “It keeps falling off! It’s a little slippery” Olive exclaimed. Sriya explained the texture of the material telling the group that it felt sticky like slime as she maneuvered the pieces of yarn around the balloon. Throughout the experience, the children showed determination as they stuck to the task at hand.
The pumpkins were left to dry overnight, then the balloon was popped and removed through the holes left inside the yarn. Brown pipe cleaners were then added for the stem, and green ones for the leaves. This activity helped to engage the group in problem solving as they tried to keep the balloon on the string, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, communication and cooperation.
