Pumpkin Scented Cloud Dough - 3 & 4 Year Old Classes

In anticipation of Thanksgiving and a visit to the Pumpkin Patch, the children in our Three and Four-Year-Old Classes recently enjoyed some sensory fun with Pumpkin Scented Cloud Dough. It was a popular activity that had children anxiously awaiting their turn to explore. It's a very simple recipe consisting of flour, vegetable oil and pumpkin pie spice. The last ingredient gave this activity a delicious scent that the children immediately noticed and commented on.

The children enjoyed scooping and pouring, and the best... squishing!

Sensory exploration is a child's way of making sense of the world. It's not all about touch, but about the other senses as well.

Sensory exploration also helps to develop language skills. For example, giving children the chance to play with a variety of textures and tastes helps them to build new ways of talking about the world. Water isn't just wet, it can be slippery with bubbles, or cold when frozen. The bark of a tree can be smooth, rough or sharp. Food can be salty, sour, bitter or sweet.

Some of the comments from our children:

“It smells like pie.”

“It's soft on my fingers.”

“This stuff is sticking and smelling.”

“I'm making cookie pies for my friends.”

“It smells. I want to eat it.”

Here's the recipe should you want to try this calming activity at home:

7 cups flour

1 cup vegetable oil
Pumpkin Pie spice (found in the spice aisle)

Combine the dry ingredients in a container or bin and mix well.

Add the vegetable oil to the bin and slowly mix it into the dry ingredients. Continue mixing until you have a slightly damp, mold-able material also known as cloud dough.

Enjoy!

Until next time.

Barbi

Comments

4 Year Old M/W/F Class – I Hear…I See…I Wonder…

We began one of our circle discussions with a question for the children, “What would you like to learn, wonder or hear about?” Here is what they said: “Skateboarding, Soccer, Perches” (Connor) “Bikes” (Taylor) “Going outside to see if I left my toy” (Jun) “The Sun” (Jack) “Rollerskating and Swimming” (Daniella)"Skating” (Noel) “Ball” (Sofie) “Scooter and Tricycle” (Masaki) “Shoes” (Ashlan) “When you put something under a pillow you can find it” (Tia) “Soccer” (Kyle) From my list I noticed quite a few of the children were interested in wheels, so at our next circle discussion we looked closely at a scooter and a pair of roller skates – as well as the wheels on a long board. The conversation brought up more questions and answers, which the children confidently discussed amongst themselves. One of the questions was “What makes this a scooter?” The conversation followed with “The scooter has a handle and a brake” and “I know how to ride a long board.” ...

Social Responsibility: Down to the Core

Social responsibility- a term that has now become quite common in the field of education and has the potential to lose its meaning if we are not careful. As an early childhood educator, I have always placed great importance on the need to develop this way of thinking in young children. It is for this reason that we engage in activities that benefit others, such as volunteering at our local food bank, adopting an owl, or raising money for Variety Club. With the recent catastrophe in the Philippines, my mind was suddenly thrown into its own typhoon. I found myself asking questions around social responsibility and what it really means. What does it mean to me? What does it mean to my preschoolers? How far does it extend into the world around us? Can four year old children grasp these deep and complex concepts? What can they understand about their world? How can we teach them about being socially responsible to: ones self; ones family; ones community; ones province; ones country; ones worl...

And We Begin

This week marks a new beginning for all of us. And, with all new beginnings, it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the past and think about what is to come. I have been going to yoga a lot this past while and one of the things the instructors mention at the onset of each class is to create an intention for your practice. I thought a lot about this concept and decided that it would be interesting and important to apply it to my teaching on a deeper level than in the past. So, as I move into the year, I am hoping to set intentions, which I believe are different than goals. For me personally, goals are more structured and outcome driven. Intentions imply more of a journey. Balancing intentions with flexibility and openness will be the challenge. I also want to explore the idea of children setting their own intentions. Can this work? Will they understand? Can we help support this idea without creating comparisons or pressure? I am really not sure. And so we begin...

West Richmond Preschool

Search This Blog