Playthings don’t have to be expensive and manufactured to grab a child’s attention, and to learn from. Nature provides many objects to observe and tinker with, and kiddos are drawn to them. Sticks, leaves, rocks ... and don’t forget seashells! (If you already have a few around, from trips to the beach, then you’re all set! If you don’t, craft stores and discount stores often have baskets or bags of them for decor projects.)
Whether your child has never been to the seashore or has visited there lots of times, seashells seem to spark curiosity and can lead to all sorts of learning. There are many shapes, sizes, and colors of shells to be explored :)
Their first inclination may be just to look closely to see the nooks and crannies of each shell. You can help by providing tools, such as magnifying glasses and simple sorting mats. Sketching tools are great for encouraging in-depth observations, also.
They may observe fossils, shells inside other shells, or even find that two half shells that fit together. This may lead to questioning what might have lived in the shell previously. Many children might not realize that an animal had lived in the shell, and would likely be interested to find out about it.
Discussions of animal habitats and different types/shapes of shells can be supplemented by finding pictures in books or on the internet. Having books or pictures on hand is always a good idea and teaches children how to explore a topic.
Kiddos may make connections to other things they know about the sea. We had a shell with some green dried strands of what they imagined could be seaweed, knowing that seaweed sometimes was found by the ocean’s edge. Let your child question and explore ... maybe even get a pan of water to build a habitat for pretend play!
Have fun!