The Toddler 2 program engaged in an experiment using salt. There are various ways to use salt, but we wanted to test how salt could be turned into sand. We laid out containers filled with water, spoons, and droppers onto the black tuff tray. The toddlers were then invited to explore freely.
Right away, the toddlers began to stick their hands into the mound of salt to feel the texture. When we asked what it felt like, one of the toddlers responded, “It’s nice”. The toddlers also noticed that the salt was tinted blue. When water was added and we asked the toddlers what they saw, they excitedly said, “blue!”
As we watched the toddlers play we saw them interacting in different ways. Some toddlers enjoyed using the droppers to squirt water into the salt – the added water is what made the salt grow in volume and clump to form a sand like texture. Some of the toddlers enjoyed using the spoons to fill containers, or to stir with. Regardless of what our toddlers chose to do, we had so much fun.
With this activity we fostered our fine motor skills, and practiced turn-taking skills as we shared with one another. We also worked on our problem-solving skills.
