bowl of jello

The idea for today's activity came from here.  I read about their Gelatin Sensory Tub and wanted to try it. I thought about a slightly different take on it by trying to make jello "blocks" to play with.  I put my jello in ice cube trays to form but the pieces ended up being more floppy that I thought (I guess it's been a while since I've had a jiggler).  We ended up with a sensory tub instead of blocks but we had a lot of fun. The mom on No Time For Flash Cards had a much more appealing array of jello.  We had two colors.  M didn't seem to mind though.
We poked it....

Scooped it....

Squashed it...

M had a lot of fun.  He got to practice holding and handling a spoon (even though he didn't eat any jello).  He also got to practice picking up some not-so-easy-to-handle jello chunks.  We've done a lot of activities that have allowed M to practice his grasp and fine motor skills.  The other day he took one of those small lipstick cases out of his grandmother's purse, opened the button clasp, took out the lipstick, fit it back inside, and buttoned it.  We were kind of impressed.  That's why we do these kinds of crazy things :)

A few tips- make sure you and your child are not wearing anything you don't want ruined.  Even if you don't plan on touching the jello, you will end up with it on you.  Do it on a surface that could be easily hosed down, wiped down, or thrown away.  We used a plastic table cloth.  And finally, only do this if you can handle a mess.  M needed a bath afterwards and anything he inadvertently touched on the way to the tub turned instantly sticky.  Messy but fun.

M's age when we played: 11 months, 3 weeks