This week we’ve been busy exploring playdough with kitchen utensils.
I added the resources to our playdough equipment and supported the children whilst they explored. (Note the children are all sat down! This was their choice, I don’t normally get the chairs out for the little ones as I like them to be able to come and go from the table as they wish and also think that sitting down restricts them in what they are able to do.
Initially they were quite happy to explore the dough with their fingers, discovering that they could make marks.
They gradually progressed to incorporating the utensils into their play.
Some were easier to work out how to use than others. I had thought that this meat mallet would be a favourite and was quite surprised that it wasn’t!
Potato masher triangles!
And some squares!
Using one hand….
…and then the other!
The pizza cutter was a favourite. I did test this thoroughly (on myself!!) before giving it to the children to make sure it wasn’t sharp enough to cut!
The garlic press really caught L’s attention once I had shown her how to work it.
We had to repeatedly fill it up so that she could squeeze!
Great activity for strengthening finger muscles!
Of course once one child has it, it suddenly becomes more appealing to the other children, so we also got to practise taking turns and sharing! (which they were very good at).
The children loved the way the dough squeezed through the holes and were ready with a pair of scissors to snip it off!
The used their whole bodies to imprint in the dough (notice she is standing up now!)
The children also came up with their own ways of making marks. J discovered that if she took the middle section out of the garlic
press, this too could be used to make marks.
press, this too could be used to make marks.
The utensil holder also made interesting marks in the dough….
The little ones used a pincer grip to try to pick up the raised spots of dough.
And then they took the activity in their own direction. At the weekend I had had a bit of a sort out of our playdough equipment. I’d decided that I wanted to incorporate more open-ended resources so had removed the majority of playdough cutters, replacing them with pots of various resources such as matchsticks, buttons, flowers, acorn shells, wiggly eyes, pasta, silicone cake cases etc.
These had all just been discovered and needed investigating!
These had all just been discovered and needed investigating!
Cake making became the chosen activity.
I showed J how to roll the dough into balls as she was struggling to do this and then she decorated her cakes.
Every cake needed a candle.
And then every cake was counted!
.JPG)
Yep, cake making was in full production!
Then aeroplane making took over!
Not quite sure how that change occurred!
Rocket boosters were carefully added to the back of the plane and then windows.
Links to EYFS:
PSED: Dispositions and Attitudes – being highly involved in the activity
PSED: Behaviour and Self-control – taking turns and sharing the resources
CLL: Language for Communication – describing the parts that were being added to the aeroplane and what they were for.
CLL: Handwriting – showing control in the use of tools and equipment
PSRN: Numbers as Labels and for Counting – counting the cakes.
PSRN: Calculating – working out if she had enough cakes for each member of her family by assigning each person a cake.
PD: Using Equipment and Materials – engaging in activities requiring hand / eye coordination, exploring malleable materials, manipulating the dough to achieve a planned effect (making it into an aeroplane).
CD: Being Creative – talking about her aeroplane creation and what she is trying to do.
