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playdough

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

June 11, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some fun coral reef activities and play dough invitation to play. Also, grab more ideas on my Coral Reef page and Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook.

June 9th is all about celebrating Coral Triangle Day.

It’s a day to promote ocean conservation and protection, especially in the Coral Triangle.

To mark it, I have fun coral reef activities and a play dough invitation to play.

Additionally, the Coral Triangle includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

While coral reefs everywhere are important, the coral triangle gains a lot of attention for its diversity within its waters.

Let’s dive into an ocean of learning about the beauty and diversity of coral reefs and the Coral Triangle.

I have books, hands-on activities, facts, and more.

Summer is the perfect time to learn more about the oceans that surround us and the unique coral reefs in them.

Coral Reef Activities Facts

  • The Coral Triangle is also known as the Amazon of the Seas.
  • Here, in the triangle, live 6 out of the world’s 7 species of marine turtles.
  • It is one of the eight major coral reef zones throughout the world, and it is recognized as a very important place of marine biodiversity and a major priority for conservation.
  • Over 600 different species of reef-building coral make their home in the triangle.
  • 76% of all the world’s coral species are found in the Coral Triangle. The area boasts the highest coral diversity in the world.
  • Researchers believe that the Coral Triangle may be where all Coral Reefs once began.
  • The most endangered species in the area are Yellowfin, Tuna Skipjack, and Bigeye Tuna.

Also, look at some of these fun coral reef books and resources.

Coral Reef Unit Study Resources

Add some of these coral reef unit study resources to your unit study.

National Geographic Readers: Coral Reefs

In this level 2 reader, young readers explore the amazing underwater world of coral reefs. Beautiful photos and carefully leveled text make this book perfect for reading aloud and for independent reading.

Coral Reefs (New & Updated Edition)

What is life like in a coral reef? What do corals eat? Why are corals more colorful at nighttime? Learn about some of the most beautiful locations in the natural worldMarine biologists believe coral reefs existed 400 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Today this active environment is home to about 20,000 kinds of brilliantly colored corals, plants, and animals--more sea creatures than are found anywhere else in the world. The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is so large that astronauts can see it from outer space! Children in early elementary grades will enjoy Gibbon's informative text and clear, detailed illustrations on this journey into the unique lives of coral reefs.

Coral Reefs: A Whole New World Under The Sea -

The world is keen to protect the coral reefs. Why? The coral reefs provide shelter to all kinds of sea creatures. If they die, life below the sea will become very difficult. It is important to educate the young about the whole new world under the sea. This beautiful nature encyclopedia will be just the right tool to use!

Ocean Sea Animal, 52 Pack Assorted Under The Sea Life

Sea animal toy, approximately 2 inch, creature including Octopus,hippocampus, seahorse, jellyfish, turtle,clown fish, crab,shark Otter and etc

7 Pack Artificial Coral

Use for a diorama or for play fun.

Ecosystem: Coral Reef - A Family Card Game About Ocean Animals, Habitats, and The Food Chain - Board Game for Kids

MARINE BIOLOGY GAME - Learn about underwater creatures and their habitats in this nature card game! Players use aquatic animals such as sea turtles, sharks, and clownfish in a grid formation in this ecosystem building game. Earn points by aligning ocean life with the habitats and food sources where they most flourish.

Coral Reef

Hardy adventurers ages 6 - 9 dive into a silent watery world where tiny coral animals grow together to form rock gardens of white, pink, and red-orange. In this action-packed undersea circus, jaws snap, tentacles sting, ink gets squirted, and fish suddenly glow while animals that look like plants sway gently and bashful clams hide the lively secrets inside their shells. Surprisingly dry and armed with a few pieces of equipment and their boundless imaginations, children explore this magical realm one small square at a time

Life in a Coral Reef (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Coral reefs are some of the largest natural structures in the world, and they are created by tiny coral polyps no bigger than a grain of rice. This Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book introduces readers to the amazing world of the coral reefs and the many marine animals who lived there.

WILD ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Create an Underwater Coral Reef - Science Kit

CREATE AN UNDERWATER WORLD -- Use chemical reactions to create colorful underwater scenes. Mix solutions, build an artificial coral reef and grow instant chemical coral with this coral reef kit.

Coral Reef Tin Box Magnetic Travel Game

Travel-Friendly Educational Toys: Coral Reef features 48 challenges, from easy to expert. Thanks to its compact size and new tin box portable travel case, you can put this puzzle at the top of your family's travel games list.

Also, look at these hands on ideas to study about the ocean and coral reef.

More Coral Reef Activities and Resources

  • Build your own underwater coral reef while you learn about chemical reactions, gravity, osmosis, marine biology, and coral bleaching.
  • How to draw a coral reef.
  • Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas
  • Edible Geography – Sea Levels
  • Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef
  • Try this coral reef themed magnetic logic puzzle with your study
  • Celebrate World Reef Day with a Blow Painting Coral Reef Hands-On Activity
  • .Small hands will love this coral reef sponge painting activity.
  • How Do Sharks Float STEM Activity Free Shark Unit Study & Notebooking Pages
  • Hands-on Egg Carton Sea Turtle Life Cycle Activity
  • Egg to Sea Turtle Lesson Plans & Lapbook
  • Quick Unit Study & Easy Salt water Density Ocean Science Experiments
  • Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap
  • I love this collage style of coral reef watercolor art.
Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Moreover, look at my huge Ocean Unit Study and Sea Turtle Unit Study.

Coral Reef Activities Play Dough Invitation

You will need:

  • 1 cup Flour
  • ½ cup table salt
  • 1 cup of Water
  • 1 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 tsp. Cream of tartar
  • Food coloring
  • Optional-essential oils

Also, you will need:

  • Small bowls, cups, or a divided tray
  • Shells
  • Plastic ocean creatures
  • Beads
  • Toothpicks
  • Aquarium pebbles
  • Chenille stems

First, combine flour, salt, water, coconut oil, and cream of tartar in a medium pot over medium-high heat.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Stir constantly until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and is no longer sticky.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Quickly remove from heat and put the dough onto a smooth surface.

When it cools enough to touch, knead it for a few minutes and add food coloring and essential oil mixing well.

This is the perfect time to mix in a fun beachy scented essential oil like coconut or pineapple.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Now that your playdough is ready to go you can begin building your coral reef Hands-on invitation to play.

Grab some small clear cups or use a divided tray to place all your items out in an inviting way.

Cut colorful pipe cleaners down into different lengths.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Put playdough in one bowl, beads and toothpicks in another, chenille stems, toys, shells, and any other little items you have each in their own bowl.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Encourage your child to build an ocean base with the playdough, press chenille stems into it, poke in toothpicks and stack pony beads on them, Add fish and other ocean toys.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Your child can build and rebuild unique coral reefs as they learn about their beauty and importance.

Fun Hands-on Coral Reef Activities and Play Dough Invitation to Play

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: coral reef, crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, ocean, playdough

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity

February 17, 2023 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love these 9 fun facts about Jello and a playdough activity. Be sure to also check out my Edible Skin Project and Free Homeschool Human Body Unit Study that uses Jello as well.

Too, February 13th through 19th is National Jello Week.

So, I decided to pull out a favorite recipe of homemade playdough.

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity

And to give it some color and a wonderful scent I’m using Jello.

Also, I’m giving list of ways you can use it in your homeschool for learning.

You probably already know that playdough is an amazing tool for building up fine motor skills and strengthening the hand.

Shaping, rolling, pinching, forming, and flattening are great prewriting exercises and they are just loads of fun for kids.

But that is just one aspect of the benefits of playdough.

Homemade playdough is so easy to make and has a much better smell and texture than store bought.

This yummy scented version made with Jello is nontoxic and totally taste safe for little ones but I would try to keep them from eating much of it.

9 Jello Facts You May Not Have Known

  1. There are 22 official JELLO Flavors.
  2. The powdered mixture is made up of about 90% sugar.
  3. Jello was served to immigrants at Ellis Island to welcome them with a yummy treat.
  4. Some of the weird and not surprisingly unpopular flavors that they have tried are- tomato, celery, chocolate, and coffee.
  5. Utah is the state that loves Jello the most. They consume more Jello than any other state.
  6. Jello is 136 years old this year.
  7. Strawberry is the most popular flavor.
  8. There is a Jell-o museum in LeRoy, New York.
  9. You can find a box of Jell-o in 3 out of 4 pantries in America.

Here are some great ways I have compiled to extend the playdough learning beyond exercising just their imagination and fine motor skills.

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity

Here are some great ways I have compiled to extend the playdough learning beyond exercising just their imagination and fine motor skills.

Math Jello Playdough Activities

  • Roll out small balls and have your child count them.

Use them as counters for addition and subtraction.

Practice for skip counting. Having a sensory activity for teaching often helps the information click in your child’s brain better.

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity
  • You can have your child make 2d shapes to learn their names and how many sides and points they have.

But also 3d shapes like cubes, spheres, and cones as well.

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity
  • Use a simple scale or balance to weigh different amounts of gelatin.
  • Roll out various snake shapes and measure with a ruler.

Literacy Craft Ideas Using Jello

  • Use playdough to roll out snake shapes and have your child use it to form upper- and lower-case letters for practice. Too, have them say they sound or tell you something that starts with that letter once they make it as well to reinforce what they are learning.
  • Roll out small balls and call out simple words for your child to spell, put out the matching number of playdough balls and have your child smash one flat with each letter they call out.
  • Use letter shaped beads or stamps to press out simple CVC words into rolled out dough for practice.
9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity

Science Ideas Using Jello Playdough

  • Let your child make the playdough with you and note how the ingredients transform and take on a different structure and states of matter when heat is applied.
  • Use playdough to create insects and labels like head, thorax, abdomen, wings, etc.
9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity
  • Make multiple colors of playdough and break it down into smaller pieces. Let your child explore color mixing by working the various colors together.
  • Press animals into playdough to create “fossils”.

More Playdough Activities

  • Roll out playdough and press random objects from around the house into playdough. See if your child can identify them from the mold it made.
  • Create “baked goods” from playdough and encourage your child to describe their creations to help build vocabulary and of course imagination.
  • Use playdough as a base for a sensory bin or tray.
  • Roll playdough flat and use a toothpick or craft stick to draw or write on it.
  • Easy Hands-On Science: Label the Atom Playdough Activity
  • Make a Fun and Easy Salt Dough Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map
  • Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

Finally, look how to make this playdough activity.

How to Make Jello Playdough

You will need:

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup table salt
  • 1 packet Jello – any flavor
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan.

Place the pan over medium heat and stir often until mixture begins to pull away from the side of the pan, this usually only takes a few minutes.

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity

Flip dough out onto a lightly floured surface and allow it to cool until it is comfortable to the touch.

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity

Knead for a minute or two to continue mixing.

Once fully cooled your jello playdough is ready for all those fantastic ideas.

If you love this playdough activity, add cookie cutters, a rolling pin, and other items to extend the playdough activities and stretch your child’s imagination.

9 Fun Facts about Jello and Playdough Activity

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, Jello, kindergarten, playdough, toddler

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