To fill a Grogger

The sensory table contained three bowls, a few spoons with very short handles, and a funnel.  It was time to put something into the bottles we decorated on Tuesday.  The kids spooned colored rice, black eyed peas, and red kidney beans into the funnel and watched them pile up in the bottom of their groggers.  Next, they tested out the sound and decided when they had enough things to make a satifsying sound when shaken.  

The short handles on the spoons make it impossible to use the palmar grip, so the children must use the pincer grasp to hold the spoon.  This grasp is the basis of the pencil grip which the children will develop over time.  We're always working muscles to help develop coordination and strength.  There was also a challenge in keeping the rice in the spoon all the way from the bowl at the bottom of the bowl to the top of the funnel.  

At circle time, the Purim puppets told the story of Haman (boo!!!!!) and of the brave Queen Esther.  We practiced shaking the groggers when we heard Haman's name - and stopping together in order to hear more of the story.  We plan to share the story of Purim again and again in the next few weeks.