Great activity to develop children’s senses
Why not try this activity in your nursery, it is very simple to do and the children will learn a bundle of skills.
Here is how a nursery made these Jelly Boats
A practitioner used a sharp knife away from the children to chop the large oranges into halves and removed the orange segments and membrane. The children helped the practitioner to mix the jelly cubes with water until they had dissolved, they used language such as “mix and stir”.
Together with the children the practitioner made up a rhyme, “ mixy mixy mixy this is how we mix”. The practitioner gave all of the children a cup of jelly mixture to tip into the orange skins. The children used their senses to describe what their jelly smelt like. This activity led to the children talked about having jelly at home.
The practitioner talked to the children about where the jelly needed to go in order for it to set, whilst waiting for the jelly adults listened to the children discussing between themselves about wibbly wobbly jelly.
As the jelly was setting it was time to create a sail, the children designed their very own sail for their boat using a variety of resources such as felt pens, glitter and glue, the children showed pride in their achievements by showing their peers. After the jelly had set the practitioner supported the children in putting their boats together for them to take home. The children were very excited to show their parents/carers as well as the nursery management as they went home