The children were invited to explore some bottles, wooden sticks, and pipe cleaners to see how they would explore and engage with them. The activity was set up by placing pipe cleaners and sticks in some bottles, while other bottles were left empty, with additional pipe cleaners and sticks provided in a basket.
Leona excitedly came over and grabbed an empty bottle. She then picked up wooden sticks and placed them in one by one. She repeated this action over and over again, showcasing her focus and concentration. When a pipe cleaner got stuck around a wooden stick, she shook it off and then continued placing the stick into the bottle. Later, she grabbed some pipe cleaners and added them as well. Leona also tried transferring pipe cleaners from one bottle to another. It was wonderful to watch her explore and experiment with different concepts (transporting schema). She also stirred the bottle with the sticks and imitated drinking. When Tanusha asked, “Are you making something yummy, Leona?”, she looked at Tanusha, smiled, and started smacking her lips, which was funny. Tanusha wondered if the bottles reminded Leona of adults around her drinking from similar-looking bottles, and if she was imitating that behavior.
Lou started by placing sticks into the bottle. She later took the sticks out and placed them into the basket one by one. Isaiah and Bennett tried to fit their fingers into the bottle to grab and pull the sticks and pipe cleaners out. After multiple trials and errors, they figured out how to turn the bottle upside down to remove the materials, demonstrating their problem-solving skills. Bennett easily put the sticks and pipe cleaners in and out of the bottle. He picked up a long pipe cleaner and tried placing it into the bottle. When Tanusha asked, “Does that fit in there, Bennett?”, he looked up at her and gave a big smile. He also sat on the basket and collected the sticks and pipe cleaners.
Isaiah also shook the bottles to make sounds and even shook them to remove the sticks. He spent some time trying to figure out how to take out a red pipe cleaner that was stuck inside the bottle. He tried turning the bottle upside down and shaking it. After multiple attempts, he handed the bottle to Tanusha. When she asked, “Do you need help, Isaiah?”, he nodded his head.
Abir also participated, as he tried to pull the pipe cleaners out by inserting his fingers into the bottle. He seemed to enjoy holding the bottle, as he walked around the room carrying one in his hands. Tanusha wondered if Abir liked the smooth texture and lightness of the bottle, which provided him with a sensory experience.
Eloise and Micah focused on placing wooden sticks into the bottles and spent a considerable amount of time doing so. It was wonderful to see them stay focused and grow more confident as they repeated the action. Eloise attempted to put multiple wooden sticks in at once, but when she was unable to do so, she adjusted and placed them in one by one.
It was great to see the children exploring and discovering different ways to place the sticks and pipe cleaners in and out of the bottles. This activity supported the development of their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, social skills, cognitive skills, and problem-solving abilities, while also helping them understand cause and effect. To extend this learning experience, we can provide more bottles (with different-sized openings), as well as blocks, rings, and spoons, to observe how the children continue to engage.
