The children have had so much fun with a variety of hands-on activities that not only entertained them but also helped them develop key skills. One of the highlights was an activity inspired by the children’s enjoyment of a balloon game the day before. Jessica, always eager to explore new ideas, wondered if the children might enjoy a similar experience using balls. Her idea? A fun challenge where the children could throw balls into the air and watch them stick.
To set up, Jessica wrapped a steering wheel cover with tape, sticky side facing out, and hung it up so it was suspended in the air. She then introduced the children to the ball pit balls, inviting them to explore the texture and feel of the balls. It didn’t take long for the children to dive right in! They eagerly grabbed the balls and began experimenting with different ways of making them stick to the tape. Some children tossed the balls onto the sticky surface, while others playfully tipped their toes to carefully place the balls on the tape.
After a while, Jessica introduced a new twist to the activity. She placed a blue ball on the tape and asked the children to focus only on throwing the “blue” balls. The children were quick to grasp the concept and did a fantastic job of following the instructions. They eagerly searched for blue balls, proudly showing them to the group and enthusiastically shouting out the colour’s name. As the activity progressed, Jessica introduced other colours, including green, yellow, and red, expanding their knowledge and reinforcing their understanding of colour recognition.
Throughout this activity, the children not only had fun but also worked on various developmental skills. They practised both fine and gross motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination, by throwing and placing the balls with precision. Their language skills were enhanced as they identified and called out colours. Additionally, the activity supported the development of social skills such as turn-taking, collaborative play, and independent play, as the children interacted with each other, shared their discoveries, and worked together to keep the activity flowing.
Looking ahead, we are excited to extend this activity into new games and challenges. Ideas include rolling the balls into different sized holes, engaging in colour-matching games, and incorporating other creative throwing games. These activities will continue to help the children develop important skills while having fun!
