Today the toddlers enjoyed a festive and engaging Reindeer Soup sensory play experience! As they approached the sensory tables with excitement, they immediately noticed the colourful "reindeer broth" which included water along with a variety of natural materials such as leaves, pine cones, and greenery. The tables were filled with toy vegetables, berries, bowls, utensils, pots, eye droppers and spatulas. All the ingredients and materials that the Tod squad needed to create their own imaginative soup and recipes. The children eagerly went to work, mixing, dumping, stirring, and pouring as they created their own reindeer concoctions for their rubber ducky reindeers. Each child explored the materials at their own pace, showing curiosity and creativity in how they combined the different items as well as how they interacted with their peers.
The learning outcomes that were observed included working on Social skills and collaboration play. The children shared materials, worked side by side, and engaged in simple conversations about what they were making. “I making soup for my mommy” said Isla as she took a spoon up to her mouth and pretended to blow on it. “Is the soup hot?” asked the educator. Isla smiled and responded, “yes, my soup is so hot. I blow on it” They experienced sensory exploration by touching the different textures, identifying the colours, exploring with the water temperatures warm and cold, building further on their sensory awareness. Imaginative Play was explored as they worked at creating reindeer soup, which encouraged storytelling for our older toddlers. “Santa likes soup too!” said Quinn as she played with the materials. “And me, I like soup too” she added. Lastly, our fine motor development was being demonstrated as we used our fine motor skills and eye hand coordination to scoop, stir, pour and grasp onto the various tools. The toddlers were fully engaged and delighted in every part of this festive sensory experience, playing and exploring alongside their peers and educators.
