Rescuing baby dinosaurs from molten lava. We used a variety of tools to return the babies to their dinosaur nests.

Resources

  • Dinosaurs set in jelly
  • Variety of tools

Method

As always, the boys found the preparation as fun as actually doing the activity. First they helped to make jelly, pour it in to their moulds and add some dinosaurs. Once the first layer of jelly had set, they each made a different colour to put on top with some more dinosaurs.

Ioan read the instructions to Finn.

Then they got to work. Unprompted they started singing ’10 little dinosaurs’. Finn sound some of the tools trickier than others, but he found some that worked for him.

Ioan worked quietly, concentrating hard. Once he’d rescued all his dinosaurs, he started transferring the excess jelly back to the first plate. Finn talked his way through the whole activity, he never stops chattering this boy!

Afterwards, they ate the jelly on their second plate and kept the first plate of jelly to use in their edible dinosaur worlds.

DfES Early Learning Goals (2017)

Communication and language

ELG 02 – Understanding:

Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events.

ELG 03 – Speaking:

Children express themselves effectively, showing awareness of listeners’ needs. They use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events.

Physical development

ELG 04 – Moving and handling:

Children show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements. They move confidently in a range of ways, safely negotiating space. They handle equipment and tools effectively, including pencils for writing.

Literacy

ELG 09 – Reading:

Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.