Centre:
Shell Printing in Playdough:
Students will explore the patterns and shapes of shells
by looking at them, touching them and using them to
push into playdough to make a print. Have one big
tub of shells for students to choose from and a big
ball of ocean coloured playdough (teal/aqua).
https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2014/06/shell-letters-
alphabet-activity.html
Centre:
Sand and Water Ocean Sensory Bin:
In this centre, students will have the opportunity to
explore how sand and water feel and also to play
with some sea animals that belong in the ocean and
some natural sea materials such as shells and
pebbles. Students will also have the opportunity to
experiment with floating and sinking objects. This
centre reinforces which animals belong to this
ecosystem and also what the ocean ecosystem is
made up of.
https://funlearningforkids.com/sand-water-ocean-sensory-bin/
Explicit / Intentional Teaching:
Mat session:
Introduction:
Introduce students to the book ‘Commotion in the
Ocean’ by Giles Andreae. Tell children they will be
learning about animals that live in the ocean. After
the story, ask children if they remember any animals
they saw in the book. Place pictures of these animals
on an ocean background on the wall for them to
refer to while they are playing in the centres. The
children will then go to the centres to play and learn
about the different animals in the ocean.
Key Questions:
• What are some animals that live in the
Ocean?
• What does the Ocean look like?
• What are some other things we can find in
the Ocean?
• What does the water in the Ocean feel like?
• What does the sand at the beach feel like? Is
it the same or different when it is wet and
dry?
Conclusion:
Children will join in singing and dancing to the
nursery rhyme ‘Down in the Deep Blue Sea’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pMEQsk3c5Y
As they are doing this the educator will be pointing
to the sea animals on the wall and showing children
how to move like them as they do in the video.
Objectives:
• Children can Identify at least two different
animals that belong in the ocean.
• Children explore various natural materials
that belong to the ocean ecosystem.
Centre:
Ocean Pollution:
Have a bucket with sand and some form of water
representation (blue jelly, playdough, blue water)
and sand, separated by rocks. Have bits of plastic
and rubbish wrappers scattered on the sand and in
the water. Students will identify what doesn’t
belong in the ocean from reading ‘What Would
Happen Do You Suppose?’ by Julie Parker earlier
on in the week, and pick out the rubbish with a
rubbish claw and put it in a mini bin next to the
bucket.
https://www.science-sparks.com/sea-pollution/
Centre:
Building a Sandcastle:
There will be a big tub outside full of beach sand as
a beach sandpit with lots of different shaped
buckets, shovels and various shells to decorate as
children build their own sandcastles. This activity is a
hands on sensory way to explore the beach and
also the weights when sand is in the buckets and
the difference between wet and dry sand and how
that helps to build (STEM) – children are designing
and problem solving.
https://www.preschool-plan-it.com/beach-theme.html
Centre:
Search and Find (Sea Animals):
This centre is directly related to the intentional
teaching and will be where students are observed by
the teacher for assessment and recording. Children
can explore the sea sensory bin (made of either blue
rice, blue foam, blue water beads, blue jelly bath)
and scoop out the sea animals and circle them on
the corresponding sheet.

https://www.powerfulmothering.com/under-the-sea-pretend-play-
plus-search-and-find/

Assessment & Recording: (What are we assessing? How are we assessing? How are we recording?)
- Students ability to identify at least two sea animals.
- Students ability to use their senses to explore the natural materials from the ocean.
- Teacher observation.
- Record the objectives on a checklist.
Highlight one or two outcomes specifically connected to your objective/s
Children have a strong sense of identity Children are connected with and contribute to Children have a strong sense of wellbeing Children are confident and involved learners Children are effective communicators
1.1 Children feel safe, secure and supported. their world 3.1 Children become strong in their social, 4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning 5.1 Children interact verbally and non-
1.2 Children develop their emerging 2.1 Children develop a sense of belonging to emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, verbally with others for a range of purposes.
autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and groups and communities and an understanding 3.2 Children take increasing responsibility for creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, 5.2 Children engage with a range of texts and
sense of agency. of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities their own health and physical wellbeing. imagination and reflexivity. get meaning from these texts.
1.3 Children develop knowledgeable and necessary for active civil participation. 4.2 Children develop a range of skills and 5.3 Children express ideas and make
confident self-identities. 2.2 Children respond to diversity with respect. processes such as problem solving, inquiry, meaning using a range of media.
1.4 Children learn to interact in relations to 2.3 Children become aware of fairness. experimentation, hypothesising, researching and 5.4 Children begin to understand how
others with care, empathy, and respect. 2.4 Children become socially responsible and investigating. symbols and pattern systems work.
show respect for their environment. 4.3 Children transfer and adapt what they have 5.5 Children use information and
learnt from one context to another. communication technologies to access
4.4 Children resource their own learning through information, investigate ideas and represent
connecting with people, place, technologies and thinking.
natural and processed materials.
Centre:
Muddy Animals:
In this centre there will be various farm animal
figures covered in ‘mud’. The mud will be made out
of milo and water (some flour can be added to
make it thicker). Children can get the animals out
of the mud and clean them off with fresh water
and a tooth brush and match them to their
corresponding animal card on the table.
Centre:
Farm Sensory Bin:
In this centre, children will be able to choose out of
the animal box, which animals belong to the farm
ecosystem. In a form of exploratory sensory play
children will place the farm animals in the
ecosystem and play with them, making animals
noises. The educator can facilitate this by
reminding children that there are pictures of farm
animals in the barn on the wall. Children will also be
able to explore the different types of natural
materials found on a farm such as grass, pebbles,
rocks, grains, sand and mud.
Explicit / Intentional Teaching:
Mat session:
Introduction:
Introduce children to the book ‘Big Red Barn’ by
Margaret Wise Brown’. Tell children they will be
learning about animals that live on a farm, what noises
they make and how to take care of them. After the
story ask children if they can remember any of the
farm animals from the book. With the students, place
laminated cut out pictures of farm animals on a big
red barn background and make the noises with them.
For example, “A pig goes on the farm, oink oink”.
Once the mat session has finished children will be free
to go an explore the rest of the centres set up.
Key Questions:
• What are some animals that live on a farm?
• What are some things we need to give animals
to take care of them?
• What does the farm look like? Does it have
green grass, does it have hay, does it have a
barn?
• What are some farm animal noises you can
remember?
Conclusion:
Children will have the opportunity to join in singing and
dancing to ‘Old MacDonald had a Farm’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6HzoUcx3eo
The educator will dance with the children and observe
who can make the animal sounds.
Objective/s:
• Children will be able to identify at least two
different animals that live on a farm.
• Children will be able to identify that animals
need food and water.
• Children will explore the different noises
animals make.
Centre:
Class Pet:
Children will have the opportunity to help take care
of a pet mouse in the centre. Through this
experience they will learn what the mouse needs to
live – water, appropriate food, exercise, sleep and
love and care. The teacher will have a pretend
cage set up next to the real one where they will be
able to move laminated, cut out objects such as a
wheel or meat, into the cage if it belongs there.
There will also be some other objects that don’t
belong in the cage such as cheese, in which the
educator can have a discussion with children
about that common misconception.
- Focus on health and safety considerations.
Centre:
Pretend Play – On the Farm:
In this centre, the educator will set up a farm corner
with a cardboard barn, some floor coverings that
resemble a farm such as grass, a brown sheet for
some mud, some yellow shredded paper for some
hay and a bunch of animal face masks for children
to wear. While children are pretending to be the
animals they will naturally try to imitate their noises –
if they are unsure the educator can prompt them
by walking pasts and saying “What sound does a
cow make? Can you moo like a cow?”

https://livingmontessorinow.com/montessori-monday-40-plus-
farm-sensory-tubs/
Assessment & Recording: (What are we assessing? How are we assessing? How are we recording?)
• Students ability to identify at least two farm animals.
• Students ability to recall at least one farm animal noise.
• Students ability to participate in taking care of a class animal.
• Teacher observation, video’s, taking pictures.
• Record children’s experiences in a floor book with pictures and annotations.
Highlight one or two outcomes specifically connected to your objective/s.
Children have a strong sense of identity Children are connected with and contribute to
1.1 Children feel safe, secure and supported. their world
1.2 Children develop their emerging 2.1 Children develop a sense of belonging to
autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and groups and communities and an understanding
sense of agency. of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities
1.3 Children develop knowledgeable and necessary for active civil participation.
confident self-identities. 2.2 Children respond to diversity with respect.
1.4 Children learn to interact in relations to 2.3 Children become aware of fairness.
others with care, empathy, and respect. 2.4 Children become socially responsible and
show respect for their environment.
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
3.1 Children become strong in their social,
emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
3.2 Children take increasing responsibility for
their own health and physical wellbeing.
https://lifeovercs.com/free-farm-printables/
Children are confident and involved learners
4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning
such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence,
creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence,
imagination and reflexivity.
4.2 Children develop a range of skills and
processes such as problem solving, inquiry,
experimentation, hypothesising, researching and
investigating.
4.3 Children transfer and adapt what they have
learnt from one context to another.
4.4 Children resource their own learning through
connecting with people, place, technologies and
natural and processed materials.
Children are effective communicators
5.1 Children interact verbally and non-
verbally with others for a range of purposes.
5.2 Children engage with a range of texts and
get meaning from these texts.
5.3 Children express ideas and make
meaning using a range of media.
5.4 Children begin to understand how
symbols and pattern systems work.
5.5 Children use information and
communication technologies to access
information, investigate ideas and represent
thinking.
Centre:
Jungle Sensory Bin:
The jungle sensory bin will be set up with lots of
different natural materials like tree bark, un-
contaminated soil, leaves, rocks, plants and some
water (pretend lakes/rivers). Children can explore
these natural materials and place the figure animals
out of the animal tub that belong in the jungle into
the sensory bin. If children need some enabling they
can refer to the pictures of jungle animals on the wall.
Children also explore natural materials through their
senses.
Centre:
Tree Bark Investigation:
Children will have the opportunity to investigate
some tree bark and leaves on an investigation table
set up by the educator with magnifying glasses.
Children can look at the colour compared to pictures
of the trees in the jungle and try to match them, they
can feel the bark, smell it and look very closely at all
the little details. If educators are around this could
lead into painting on the tree bark.
Explicit / Intentional Teaching:
Mat session:
Introduction:
Children will be introduced to the book ‘Rumble in
the Jungle’ by Giles Andreae. The educator will talk
and point out to children about all the different
animals that live in the jungle. Then the educator will
lead children on a jungle animal walk/hunt around
the centre. They will follow the different animal prints
to find the hidden animals. When they find each
animal, the educator will tell children what it is and
what sound it makes. Children will then be free to
explore the different centres set up and will be able
to look at the wall to know which animals belong in
the jungle that the educator has put up.
Key Questions:
• What are some animals that live in the
jungle?
• Which animal made these footprints? A big
or small animal?
• What sound does this animal make?
• What can you find in the jungle? Leaves,
trees, flowers, animals, dirt, rivers?
Conclusion:
Children can participate in dancing to the ‘Jungle
Boogie Dance’ which goes through all of the jungle
animals in a fun way and works on children’s gross
motor and coordination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDcRSutPsE
Centre:
Leaf Art Printing:
In this centre, children have the opportunity to
paint onto various different types of jungle leaves
provided such as palm leaves, ferns and banana
leaves and then print them onto a piece of brown
butcher’s paper to leave an imprint. This will
introduce children and allow them to explore the
patterns on leaves and how they look, smell and
feel.
https://theimaginationtree.com/leaf-printing-art/
Centre:
Match the Jungle Animals to their Pattern:
In this centre, children will be able to explore
different animal patterns by placing the jungle
animals on their matching pattern sheets stuck to
the table. There can also be some sensory materials
such as the ones in books about jungle animals that
resemble the feel of those animals’ furs.

Objective/s:
• Children will be able to recall two different
animals that live in the jungle.
• Children will be able to explore natural jungle
materials through sensory experiences.
https://fun-a-day.com/preschool-winter-activities-evergreen-trees/ https://www.pinterest.es/pin/64739313369885086/
Centre:
Playdough Jungle:
Children can explore the natural materials from the
jungle and use the jungle themed playdough to play
and create whatever they would like, for example
animals, trees, plants or just to decorate with the
natural loose parts.

https://nurturestore.co.uk/jungle-small-world-play-dough-fun

Assessment & Recording: (What are we assessing? How are we assessing? How are we recording?)
• Students ability to recognise and recall two different jungle animals.
• Students ability to use their different senses to explore a range of natural materials.
• Teacher observation.
• Recording on a checklist.
Highlight one or two outcomes specifically connected to your objective/s.
Children have a strong sense of identity Children are connected with and contribute to Children have a strong sense of wellbeing Children are confident and involved learners Children are effective communicators
1.1 Children feel safe, secure and supported. their world 3.1 Children become strong in their social, 4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning 5.1 Children interact verbally and non-
1.2 Children develop their emerging 2.1 Children develop a sense of belonging to emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, verbally with others for a range of purposes.
autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and groups and communities and an understanding 3.2 Children take increasing responsibility for creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, 5.2 Children engage with a range of texts and
sense of agency. of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities their own health and physical wellbeing. imagination and reflexivity. get meaning from these texts.
1.3 Children develop knowledgeable and necessary for active civil participation. 4.2 Children develop a range of skills and 5.3 Children express ideas and make
confident self-identities. 2.2 Children respond to diversity with respect. processes such as problem solving, inquiry, meaning using a range of media.
1.4 Children learn to interact in relations to 2.3 Children become aware of fairness. experimentation, hypothesising, researching and 5.4 Children begin to understand how
others with care, empathy, and respect. 2.4 Children become socially responsible and investigating. symbols and pattern systems work.
show respect for their environment. 4.3 Children transfer and adapt what they have 5.5 Children use information and
learnt from one context to another. communication technologies to access
4.4 Children resource their own learning through information, investigate ideas and represent
connecting with people, place, technologies and thinking.
natural and processed materials.
Centre:
How do Arctic Animals Stay Warm?
Children will have the opportunity to
experiment with water temperature in the
arctic and how animals stay warm with their
extra layer of skin called ‘blubber’. This
experiment will require educators to set up a
bucket of icy water and to have plastic zip lock
bags, one with Copha (vegetable fat
shortening) in it. Children will be able to stick
their hands inside a plastic zip lock bag and
put it into the bag with the ‘blubber’ or Copha
in it. Children will place both the covered hand
and the free hand in the icy water to see the
difference in how cold it feels. This gives
children an opportunity to learn through their
senses and understand their world.
https://forgetfulmomma.com/
Explicit / Intentional Teaching: Centre:
Mat session: Arctic Snow Hunt:
Introduction: In this centre, children will be searching through the
Introduce children to the book ‘Arctic Animals (Who’s snow (fake snow made out of Corn-starch and
That?) by Tad Carpenter. Talk to children about how Conditioner
cold it is in the arctic and how only some animals can https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/fake-snow/) to
live there because they have special fur and skin to find the arctic animals. Once they have found the
keep them warm. Children will sit in a circle and pass arctic animals in the snow they can match them to
around an ice-cube, this is what it feels like in the the picture cards of arctic animals on the table. This
arctic. The educator will stick up, with the help of is a way for children to learn about animals in the
children, all the artic animals mentioned in the book arctic and to explore with their senses.
onto an igloo background on the wall. Children will
then be free to wonder to any of the centres around
the room.
Key Questions:
• What does the arctic look like? Is there snow,
water?
• Which animals live in the arctic?
• Why can only some animals live in the arctic?
• Is it warm or cold in the arctic?
Conclusion:
To conclude the lesson the educator will take students
on a virtual tour of the Arctic, showing them google https://www.funwithmama.com/kids-snow-hunt-sensory-
exploration/
maps as if they were walking through and some real-
life footage of some arctic animals from zoo cameras
and other sources like National Geographic.
Objective/s:
Centre:
Arctic Animal Tracks:
In this centre, children will be able to explore
the footprints different arctic animals can
make by pressing them down into playdough.
To extend some children, the educator may
like to have already made some animals prints
in the playdough and get the children to try
and guess which animal made them.
• Children will be able to identify at least two
different animals that live in the arctic.
• Children will be able to explore temperature in
the arctic.
Centre:
Arctic Animal Rescue:
In this centre there will be figure arctic animals frozen
in a chunk of ice. Children will have to use eye
droppers to suck up really warm water prepared by
the educator (not boiling as this could burn them)
and then squeeze it out onto the ice block to melt it
and free the arctic animal inside. This is a great way
of enhancing children’s fine motor abilities as well as
science knowledge.

https://www.prekinders.com/winter-theme/ https://stayathomeeducator.com/arctic-animals-rescue-fine-
motor-activities/
Centre:
Arctic Slime:
In this centre, children will have the opportunity
to explore with their senses and discuss the
arctic while making arctic slime. Children will
also experiment with chemical science through
mixing ingredients (glue, liquid starch, water,
food colouring and glitter) to make the slime.

https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/arctic-slime-winter-
sensory-play/
 Assessment & Recording: (What are we assessing? How are we assessing? How are we recording?)
• Students ability to recognise and recall two different jungle animals.
• Students ability to use their different senses to explore a range of natural materials.
• Videos and pictures and scribing children’s questions.
• This assessment will be recorded in the children’s portfolios.

Highlight one or two outcomes specifically connected to your objective/s.

Children have a strong sense of identity
1.1 Children feel safe, secure and supported.
1.2 Children develop their emerging
autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and
sense of agency.
1.3 Children develop knowledgeable and
confident self-identities.
1.4 Children learn to interact in relations to
others with care, empathy, and respect.
Children are connected with and contribute to
their world
2.1 Children develop a sense of belonging to
groups and communities and an understanding
of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities
necessary for active civil participation.
2.2 Children respond to diversity with respect.
2.3 Children become aware of fairness.
2.4 Children become socially responsible and
show respect for their environment.
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
3.1 Children become strong in their social,
emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
3.2 Children take increasing responsibility for
their own health and physical wellbeing.
Children are confident and involved learners
4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning
such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence,
creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence,
imagination and reflexivity.
4.2 Children develop a range of skills and
processes such as problem solving, inquiry,
experimentation, hypothesising, researching and
investigating.
4.3 Children transfer and adapt what they have
learnt from one context to another.
4.4 Children resource their own learning through
connecting with people, place, technologies and
natural and processed materials.
Children are effective communicators
5.1 Children interact verbally and non-
verbally with others for a range of purposes.
5.2 Children engage with a range of texts and
get meaning from these texts.
5.3 Children express ideas and make
meaning using a range of media.
5.4 Children begin to understand how
symbols and pattern systems work.
5.5 Children use information and
communication technologies to access
information, investigate ideas and represent
thinking.