Since the infants have been showing interest in sensory exploration, Tai prepared a simple activity with bubble wrap. She placed paper on a small table, added paint on top, and covered it with bubble wrap for the infants to explore with their senses.
Paxton and Thaniel watched carefully as Tai set everything up. Tai offered them small rollers and modeled how to roll them over the bubble wrap. Paxton quickly began rolling the rollers on the surface, even trying to use two rollers at the same time! Later on the day, Remy and Paxton started tapping the rollers on the table to pop some of the bubbles. What a creative way to explore the material!
Thaniel and Harnaaz preferred to explore with their hands. They touched the bubble wrap and squished the paint underneath, watching the colors move and spread under the surface. With the help of educators, Zendaya and Max joined the table as well, exploring with both their hands and the rollers. Tai supported the experience by modeling language and curiosity. “Look what happens when the blue and purple mix!” she said as she moved the colors under the bubble wrap using her fingers.
Ramona also came to explore, testing both the rollers and her hands. She observed Zendaya, who looked very excited, moving her hands up and down while holding one roller. With a big smile, Ramona offered Zendaya a second roller to use. What a sweet moment of sharing! Later, Paxton noticed Tai wiping some paint from her hands with a cloth. When Tai placed the cloth on the table, Paxton picked it up and started rubbing it over the bubble wrap where the paint was underneath. “Were you trying to clean the table, Paxton?” Tai wondered.
Throughout the experience, the infants explored tactile and visual sensations as they watched the paint move under the bubble wrap. There were also lovely moments of observation, creativity, helping, and sharing while the children discovered different ways to interact with the materials. To extend this idea, Tai wants to bring in an activity where the infants can paint with bubble wrap.
