Invitation to Create a Coral Reef

The  book The World of Coral Reefs: Explore & Protect the Natural Wonders of the Sea by Erin Spencer  (Author), Alexandria Neonakis  (Illustrator) provides fascinating, scientific information in a highly accessible format, including details about the types of coral, their anatomy and life cycle, where they live, how reefs develop, & the incredible diversity of marine animals that live among them, including aquarium favorites like clownfish, royal blue tangs, & sea turtles. 

After reading the story in our Discount School Supply Tuff Trays we placed sea shells, aquarium seaweed + coral, & seal life figurines. We also placed colanders, @openplaytoys cones, & Colorations pipe cleaners galore. We invited the children to create their own coral reefs by twisting, turning, shaping, and placing pipe cleaners into the colanders & cones. 

We like to call these "finger gyms." They are excellent resources for developing and enhancing fine motor skills in children. This activity provides an ideal challenge for a child to grasp objects using either their whole hand or their thumb and index finger. Guiding pipe cleaners through the holes of a colander or cones encourages precise hand movements and demands a higher level of hand-eye coordination compared to simpler play skills like stacking blocks or placing pegs in a board. It effectively teaches a child how to guide and use their hands and fingers to grasp the pipe cleaners efficiently. This activity also offers a natural progression of challenges as children develop a variety of skill sets. Furthermore, finger gyms help children learn patience and strategies for successfully maneuvering and shaping the pipe cleaners. While this activity may appear simple, it requires significant planning, problem-solving, and consistent thought from the child to achieve success.

Here is another way to explore coral reefs.