Nursery have had a fantastic time exploring with jelly! We have been focusing on how jelly can change from a solid to a liquid, and then back again. Each child was given three different pieces of jelly to explore, allowing them to observe, touch, and explore its textures.
Using their senses, the children smelled the fruity jelly, felt its sticky and slippery textures, and noticed how it wobbled and changed when handled. We held an experiment to teach and understand how jelly can change from a solid to a liquid very easily. Nursery placed jelly in hot and cold water to see how it softened, melted, and even dissolved. In the warm water the jelly turned back into a liquid and we could not see it, but it stayed firmer in cold water and Nursery could still see and feel the jelly squares.
Nursery explored cutting the jelly with a knife and noticed how it behaved differently from harder solids—it wobbled, bent, and sometimes stuck to the knife. Another exciting discovery was that jelly isn’t completely see-through but translucent—allowing some light to pass through but not completely clear like glass.
When everyone had a turn to explore and learn in their groups, Nursery enjoyed having messy play with the jelly! It made our classroom smell like strawberries and everyone had a great time.
Through these fun experiments, the children learned how materials can change state and explored different textures, shapes, and consistencies. This activity encouraged curiosity, problem-solving, and sensory exploration, making science a fun and interactive experience in our nursery!
