Anyway it Doughs!

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On a particular day, this is what lil guy wanted to create. He was given the freedom to pile, to move, to mold and to stack playdough, cookie cutters and curly bubble blowers.   Maybe, it was tombs in a grave yard.  I mean, the timing was near Halloween. Maybe it was ducks on the pond, something we like to go and see.

What it ended up being actually isn't nearly as important as what he was doing: creating and bringing a thought to reality.  When we allow kids to bring their imaginations to life we allow their lil brains to grow and develop these awesome problem solving skills that ALL kids need to get through life.  Another very factual point...it's just down right FUN!!!

Dinos + Truck = Safety

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 Lil guy and I were in the dough today playing with his favorite thing of the morning - dinosaurs. I began to think about some of the skills we are working on for him, like crossing the street safely, when I thought ... if I bring a truck into the mix, literally, I can have the dinos wait to cross the street until the truck passes by!"

I have a great friend named Lory who has helped me tremendously since my son was very young with his languages delays and many behavioral challenges. She taught me to use a child's strength to teach their weakness. At that moment of play, lil guy was really into his dinos. I used his love of dinos to bring his focus to a skill that he needed to build upon. I also extended his play to incorporate something that I wanted him to build upon. That is how you strike a balance between being child-directed and being able to set goals, make lesson plans for your students and plan activities for your little ones. Go and try it ... it's fun!

"Painting" with Dough

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For me, there are a few people that I think I want to be just like when I grow up! One of those people is MaryAnn Kohl. I was lucky enough to meet her a few years ago during a conference I was a part of for our local NAEYC affiliate, LordFairfax AEYC. She is such a neat lady and I found such inspiration in her as a teacher and a creative person. If you don't know who she is or know much about process art, I encourage you to take a look at my links to find out more. During this conference, she shared with us an idea of using play dough to "paint'. As with all process art, the concept is EASY. You provide an environment for creativity, to allow the children to develop an idea of their own creation.

Provide the children with a variety of colors.

Use poster board or some other sturdy canvas.

Allow the children to smear the dough.

They can use their fingers or tools.

Children can draw in details.