When we plan experiences at Choklits, we draw on a wide knowledge base. This comes from our own understanding of how children learn, research based evidence and early childhood theory, as well as observing and analysing the children’s interests, needs and individual development.
A tried and tested favourite, is classic playdough. If you want to know how to make playdough at home, here’s our Pre-Toddler Room Leader Amy to show you how we do it at Choklits…
We love our playdough at Choklits for lots of reasons.
- the potential of an open-ended material. Colours are only limited by imagination, making it suited to many themes and ideas. Materials ranging from buttons to rolling pins and cutting implements enhance the flexibility of playdough experiences. Senses are heightened by the addition of natural ingredients like herbs, spices and flowers, catering to many the aspects and ways of learning (visual, olfactory (smelling), touch…and yes, occasionally a sneaky taste!)
- fine motor skills. Rolling, pinching, squeezing and smooshing (technical play dough term!) all help to build the little muscles in fingers and hands that lead to the skills needed to held a pencil in later years.
- the creativity unleashed by the invitation of a ball of playdough. The children are given the opportunity to decide whether it’ll be a cake, a pile of mud for a toy dinosaur, or their favourite person. By attributing and projecting their visions as they create, the children can extend on their own ideas and make their learning all the more meaningful to each individual child.
- as they are invited to join in the process of making playdough, the children are learning real-life skills and maths concepts, like pouring, measuring, stirring and quantities of ingredients.
You can see why it’s an activity we just keep coming back to for more!
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Choklits blog post authored by Dee Wasserfall, Choklits Child Care Kindergarten Educator.
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Choklits Child Care Centre is located at 319 Canterbury Road, Ringwood (opposite the Ringwood Golf Course near the Canterbury Road Eastlink offramp).
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(03) 9879 5888