Young children LOVE to get messy! Their little hands and minds are so eager to dig into whatever materials they can find. They have no comprehension for the disaster that it makes or the clean up that it entails for us parents.
Specifically, one fun and messy sensory experience for babies, toddlers, or preschoolers is playing with Jell-O. In fact, any gelatin material will provide endless fun and sensory play for your child. Simply mix in some toys or fun new objects and you’ve got an exciting new activity for your little one.
This Jell-O activity has an ocean theme and your child will be thrilled to dig through the Jell-O to find the deep-sea creatures. I got small ocean toys at the dollar store, but you can find them anywhere especially in the summer. You can use anything that you’d find in/at the ocean or beach!
I did this activity outside to limit the mess in my house, but it can also be done inside. Simply place a towel down for easy clean-up.
The other great thing about this sensory activity is that the Jell-O is edible!! Both of my toddlers still put everything in their mouth so using non-edible products sometimes scares me. With this activity, I didn’t have to worry about them eating the Jell-O since it’s a safe food.
For the children who are a bit sensory defensive, or don’t like touching different textures, this is a great activity for them as well. If they are disgusted by the thought or touch of anything slimy or wet, jell-o may be a tough sell for them. However, this is a way to make it fun!
Be sure to focus on the aspects of the activity that don’t bring the sensory material to light, for example, talking about the ocean, sea creatures, playing outside, etc.
This post may contain affiliate links which I would receive a small commission should you make a purchase.
What You Need:
- Blue gelatin (I used 3 packs)
- Small plastic ocean ice toys (I got a pack at the Dollar Tree with fish, crabs, starfish, dolphin, etc.)
- Small plastic storage bin, Tupperware, or bowl
- Spoons or cups for scooping
What To Do:
1. Make gelatin as per instructions on box. This will involve boiling water, dissolving the gelatin powder, and then mixing in cold water.
2. Place liquid gelatin in your plastic container.
3. Add in toys and sea creatures.
4. Refrigerate as per instructions on box.
5. Hand them some scoopers and let them have fun digging and exploring the ocean creatures! Let them scoop, play, and even eat! Don’t forget to use a lot of language to introduce them to new words and phrases related to the activity.
I hope your child enjoyed this Ocean Scene Jell-O Toy Dig. Check out more summertime outside activities for toddlers and preschoolers here.
