LATEST STORIES
Tiny Hands, Big Discoveries
Kia ora! Today at BestStart Rototuna, I created an engaging, sensory-rich outdoor activity for the babies in our Kakano room, inspired by our Under the Sea Life theme. I created a blue playdough "sea" in our trough to represent water, and on the other side, l added sand to create a mini beach.
To make it even more exciting, I included seashells, which the babies loved exploring! It was so wonderful to see the babies deeply engaged in this experience. They were fascinated by the sand, watching it slip through their fingers, and feeling the different textures. Each baby had the opportunity to explore at their own pace, experimenting with the playdough and sand, building their fine motor skills and engaging their senses.
In addition to the sensory exploration, we practiced both English and Te Reo Mãori Languages like the color of the playdough, blue, is (kikorangi), and sand (Kirikiri), shells (Anga) and sea (Moana)as part of their learning. This activity was not only fun but also beneficial for their development. Sensory play like this helps babies build important skills such as hand-eye coordination, tactile exploration, and language development. It also encourages creativity and imagination, as they start to make connections with the materials and their environment.