Jellyfish are inspiring this week of Letter of the Week and for an excellent purpose. Beyond the mysterious world they inhabit and mesmerizing translucent bodies is a perfect opportunity to explore why some skills should be learned early. 

Hidden in the fascinating jellyfish and their world is a fine motor skills activity I have found to be very beneficial for my children to learn. By setting the expectation early and done correctly I have avoided difficult situations. Read on to find out how it can help you too.

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A sample schedule for Jj is for Jellyfish.

Monday highlight: train wall display and jellyfish sorting printable

Many families find morning basket to be the best way to start their homeschooling day. We definitely fit in that mold. Morning basket for preschool in our house consists of books and poetry. Thus, Mick, 3 years old, enjoyed selections about jellyfish this week. From The Pout, Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen to Bloom by Julia Seal he loved seeing jellyfish on the pages and interacting with other sea creatures. The poetry was lovely, chosen from The Beauty of the Beast selected by Jack Prelutsky, Sandra Hockman’s poem, Love Song for a Jellyfish. You can find the entire list at Jj is for Jellyfish.

After the morning basket it is time to introduce the new letter of the week. I use the Train Wall Display to kickstart this because I love that it is straightforward and interactive. The printable provides uppercase and lowercase letters for coloring without causing distraction. Also, available are a caterpillar or acorn printable. Then, Mick loves hanging it with the rest of the letters on the wall. 

Lastly, we will complete our sorting activity that features jellyfish of different sizes and colors. To find the free printable go to Jj is for Jellyfish. 

Tuesday highlight: Watercolor jellyfish 

The typical start to our day with a review using the wooden alphabet puzzle. I only provide letters A-J since those are all he has learned so far.

Most preschoolers have not used watercolors before. If your child has never touched watercolor paints, like my Mick, I highly recommend stepping them through the process with a practice paper. If your child has used watercolor paints, then allowing them to refresh their memory before tackling the Jellyfish printable is recommended. The boys enjoyed water coloring and after finishing the jellyfish page they colored several more. Tomorrow’s activity will use the jellyfish printable.

Wednesday highlight: Tentacle cutting

I require morning basket and review time before the activity to use scissors even though Mick was very eager to begin. For review, we used the Alphabet Train Wall Display. The only difference is that this time I asked where a letter was and he pointed it out. 

When it comes to teaching preschoolers, there are a couple polar philosophies. The first is that children will learn everything in their own time and the second is that parents still provide structure to help them learn. Providing structure can benefit a child and assist a parent. 

I fall in the provide structure for certain skills categories and here is why. My child will not encounter scissors in our home unless I give him a specific task. That could be in the kitchen but this is not an ideal time to take 15-20 minutes to assist him in holding scissors so he can cut a hard plastic bag. Instead I prefer to provide an opportune, at least 20 minutes, time to sit with him and simply practice holding scissors correctly for the first time. No pressure for speed or challenge in the object he is attempting to cut.

Thus Mick learned to hold child scissors and use with his jellyfish printable he colored yesterday. He practiced holding scissors and cutting straight lines and was successful. After he continued practicing and cut scraps of paper. To read more about helping your child learn to hold scissors check out this post here, Teach your child scissor skills.

Thursday highlight: Visit an aquarium 

Today we canceled lessons! Well, our normal daily lessons were canceled. Instead after breakfast I gave all three boys the second coloring page to color at the table  while I packed our lunches. It was time to visit the aquarium and see jellyfish live. 

I understand not everyone has an aquarium to visit. The first time I did Letter of the Week with my eldest we lived nowhere near an aquarium so I improvised. We watched a few videos online about jellyfish for kids. These videos and the aquarium visit led my boys to asking more questions about jellyfish and seeking answers.

Friday nature group. 

I usually do not have much to say for Friday because we attend our local nature group. However today I do because the group offered a cutting and pasting activity. They frequently provide cutting and pasting activities after the main lesson for the kids. This group is mainly for my 5 year old, but of course my 3 year old wishes to participate in everything, including using scissors.

Mick was set up for success, with safety and skill, having completed the jellyfish tentacle cutting practice. Even when I had to chase my 2 year old, I knew my 3 year old would be safe and he would not become frustrated because he would have the confidence to do it himself. 

Structured learning for some skills.

Planning time to learn certain skills is beneficial. By pairing water coloring and jellyfish with an essential skill a child will simply find it fun and interesting. Also, he has seen his big brother use scissors and of course his parents so he readily wants to learn this new skill. However, if I did not plan this time I would find it difficult to sit, teach, and motivate my child to use scissors. Since I planned this time out though Mick was able to participate in the nature group’s activity. Additionally, he is now equipped for helping in the kitchen or doing a more difficult scissor cutting activity.

If you wish to find more jellyfish activities, coloring pages, the complete book list suggestion, and more check out Jj is for Jellyfish. Jj is for Jellyfish is a part of a larger curriculum, Letter of the Week. Check it out at the button below, entirely free.