The Groovin’ Rattle Shaker play parenting event was a success! It was a pleasure to guide our Nihao School parents and their child in making the sensory bottle. We had quite a lot of people so I failed to take pictures of the different bottle sizes that were brought in! Some children brought an XL bottle while others brought an XXS. The opening of the XXS bottle was so small, I was worried that the small parts we prepared would not fit! Fortunately, the shovel was not that big, otherwise it would be a pretty sad experience for the babies that brought in the XS bottle! 😂
At the beginning of the activity, the students were still a little cautious and shy. To lighten up the atmosphere, we cheered together and sang to my classic opening song “Hello Song”. The song looped again and again, indefinitely, because we had so many children! After every child’s name was called on, we finally ended the Hello Song. I wondered if we would all go home and dream about it that night!
After the greeting came the highlight of the day - Sensory Bin! I took out our color trays filled with a variety of little parts- beans, beads, sequins… Everyone’s eyes lit up and all wanted to take a grab! Before we began bottling, I assigned a special mission to the parents - put your hand in the sensory bin and give me your best act of dramatic expression! This was the funniest moment to see family members stare at each other and silently picked who would be more suitable to perform this embarrassing act before a large crowd. However, every family completed this mission with flying colors even I was surprised! The children also thought it was fun to watch their parents and their friends’ parents show off an exaggerated expression. The ice breaker session ended with a blast!
Finally it was time for us to make our rattle shaker! Children used a small shovel to fill their bottle with parts one after the other. After locking the bottle tightly, we rattled to the Hello Song (yes, looping again!😂), followed by class favorites “Wheels on the Bus” and “Baby Shark”.
Activity Learning Outcome:
Explores objects and world through all five senses
Engages in play that helps develop arm, leg, and core strength (reaching, grasping, pushing)
Using hands to grasp small objects between thumb and fingertips Clap
Shows curiosity, exploring a wide variety of art media through sensory experiences
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