Teacher Feature: Toddlers Explore Oceans |

It’s Teacher Feature Thursday!

This week we are featuring Laura Bonilla. Her toddler classroom was learning about oceans and Laura decided to create a sensory bin full of bubbles and ocean animals. Below you will find a reflection from Laura and images from her lesson.

What were your topics of exploration?

We were learning about the ocean as a habitat.

What were your learning objectives? (What did you want your children to take away from the lesson?)

I wanted to provide an ocean inspired sensory experience.

What was most successful about your lesson?

The kids loved the experience and the bubbles nicely replicated sea foam. I was also amazed at how long the bubbles lasted.

What could you have done differently? What recommendations would you have for another teacher trying out this lesson?

I recommend teachers use a powerful mixer to create a large pile of bubbles. I would have also included more objects for the children to use in the sensory table.

Here are a few images from their unit on oceans:

This class had been learning about oceans all month and used this lesson as a way to review the topic. Laura began by reading Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway. They had read the book before and the children were able to help identify the different sea life depicted.
Then it was time for sensory fun. Laura had the children help create the bubble mixture. She started by adding dish soap. The children used their gross and fine motor skills to help Laura.
Next Laura added corn starch. The corn starch acted as a binder for the bubbles making them last longer.
Lastly, Laura used a hand mixer to create the frothy bubbles. The children were mesmerized and couldn’t wait to get wet.
Then the kids were off! Some of the children liked the discovery sensation when they found a sea creature under the bubbles and other focused on washing the animals in the frothy water. Laura spent time narrating their play and sharing information about the different sea creatures in the bin.