Home Hot Topics Articles About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading ECN Radio NEWSlink How to Get a School Grant Movement, Play and Physical Activity for Children Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Subscribe today to our bi-weekly newsletter!   ACTIVITY Yummy Ocean Cups By Julie Joy Children will create individual snacks of Jell-O and gummy creatures. Simple cooking projects can introduce preschoolers to math and science concepts such as measuring, counting, watching for changes, predicting, and more. They will gain experience following written directions. Of course, they also get to eat what they create! Before You Start Prepare your materials. Be sure you have enough to make approximately half a cup of Jell-O per child. Mark each plastic cup with the child’s initials. Let's Begin 1. Read aloud the printed recipe. (Use the recipe on the box, substituting ice for the cold water.) 2. Select children to complete different tasks. One child can empty the Jell-O package into the bowl, one can measure the ice, and another child can stir, and so on. Be sure an adult measures the boiling water though. 3. As the mixture is stirred, talk about how it is thickening. 4. Empty the Jell-O into a pitcher. Let each child fill his own cup half full. 5. Help children count out five gummy fish and add to their cup. 6. Place all cups into the refrigerator. Ask the preschoolers for predictions on how long before the snack is ready. 7. In a few hours – enjoy! Furthermore As a variation, you could also make frozen fish popsicles with blue Kool-Aid. To follow up, serve fish crackers for snack. Encourage kids to count as they eat or teach older children to count by twos. Suggested books include Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert or Swimmy by Leo Lionni. Additional activities I would include for this month are: Paper Bag Fish (art), She Sells Seashells (language, dramatic play, math), and Sharks & Fish (active group game).   Tweet Printed recipe Flavored blue Jell-O Measuring cups and mixing spoon Small clear plastic cups Gummy fish or sharks Hot water, ice Fish N' Fun Articles and activities listed on this website may be printed for single use. No article or activity may be duplicated or distributed in any form, in whole or in part, without permission from the publisher, Excelligence Learning Corporation. Contact Permissions Department.

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