Extreme temperatures outside meant a morning inside for the toddler program. This provided the perfect opportunity to do an activity with the class that is a little more time consuming; making play dough! We started out with all the children washing their hands and pushing together our tables to make room for everyone. Then, we began to work through the recipe together. The children worked on patience, turn taking and focus as they sat in their spot around the table waiting for a turn to add an ingredient. We started with flour, we needed 6 cups. Taking turns going around the table, the first 6 toddlers each added one cup. We continued this with each following ingredient, allowing the opportunity for every child to practice measuring the ingredient and dumping it into our bowl. We built on early math skills while using the measuring cups and counting out loud together to keep track of our measurements. Once all of the ingredients were added (aside from boiling water) we went around the table again, giving each child a turn to help mix everything together. (For safety reasons an educator did the final mix with boiling water out of the children’s reach.)
Once the play dough was all mixed and cooled, it was time to let the toddlers explore! Portions of the play dough and play dough toys were spread out around the table. The children used their hands to squish and squeeze the dough strengthening their fine motor skills and grasp while engaging in sensory exploration. The addition of cookie cutters, rolling pins and stamps promoted cognitive development as they explored shapes and patterns while improving hand eye coordination. By having the tables pushed together, it allowed us to all play alongside each other, creating an environment that encourages social interaction, communication and cooperation as they share tools and collaborate in their imaginative play. We look forward to keeping this play dough for the week as we revisit this activity. I wonder what other items could be added to the play dough to keep the children curious and engaged? Perhaps adding glitter, or providing popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners instead of typical play dough toys, maybe we will add toy cars or animals to create tracks. The possibilities are endless as we continue to encourage creativity and exploration!
