The children in School-age 1 engaged in a creative and exploratory activity using blue disposable gloves filled with water. The children filled the gloves with water, and then asked for help to have them tied around the top. Each child wanted their own water filled glove to squeeze and jiggle. The children described the feeling of the water being inside of the gloves, saying things like “it’s cold” and “it feels so squishy!”. Initially intrigued by the texture and movement of the gloves, the children imaginations quickly transformed the gloves into “pets.” They gave each glove a name, like “Squishy” and “Bubbles” and they even assigned personalities, and began caring for them as if they were real. The children grabbed markers, and designed small faces, hair, and clothing on their gloves to create even more authentic pets.
One group of children collaboratively built homes for their pets using blocks, magnet tiles, and other loose materials. The children carefully designed spaces with “rooms” and “beds” to keep their pets comfortable. Others wrapped their gloves in blankets and pretended they were babies, role-playing caregiving activities such as feeding, rocking, and singing lullabies. Some children used dramatic play to create adventures for their glove pets. Pretending they were swimming in a “lake” made from a piece of paper or taking them on an airplane to destinations they built out of blocks. Caring for the gloves as if they were living beings nurtured empathy, compassion, and a sense of responsibility. Additionally, this imaginative play fostered story-telling and role-playing skills, building on their ability to imagine taking care of a pet.
Others took a scientific approach, observing how the water shifted inside when they were squeezing them and discussing what might happen if the gloves were punctured. A few of the children got to experience this affect, when they were provided with scissors and cut a hole in one of the gloves fingers. The children became excited as the glove popped and water came spilling out. Dramatic play scenarios unfolded, with children creating elaborate stories about their pets adventures, family dynamics, and daily lives.
The combination of sensory experiences with the water-filled gloves and imaginative play allowed children to engage their fine motor skills, social interactions, and empathy.
To further extend this learning experience, we plan to introduce more experiments with sensory materials like gloves by freezing them, adding small objects inside, and encourage children to paint or decorate the gloves or similar materials like balloons.
