A useful website
Hungry Little minds
https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/
Activity Ideas
1. Sand Painting (Sand and Paint Mixed together)… Discuss the texture of this
2. Get Messy with your children- Try activities such as Shaving foam play, Custard Play, Baked Bean Play, Jelly Play-Anything which is messy and fun!
Glitter can be added to create a sparkly effect, or add other resources to add variety
3. Car Painting…Do your children like cars? Well pop some paint in a tray and let them run cars through it…Great for Mark-Making
4. Dressing up, creating role-play experiences where children can act out different scenarios, using their language and building their confidence
5. Dancing- Dance to music and use ribbons to create patterns in the air…Can you see if you can form the first letter in your name with the ribbons?
Gloop: Cornflour and Water
1. Gradually pour water and mix together with the cornflour to form Gloop
2. Once mixed, the Gloop consistency should be hard, and when picked up turn to a liquid consistency…Add food colouring for a variety of colours….Fascinating!!!
Playdough
1 cup salt, 2 cups flour, Add water as required. Food Colouring/Essences if desired to create colour and scent
1. Mix the salt, flour and water together and stir until you get a thicker consistency
2. Add more flour and water to the mixture to determine quantity and texture of the playdough- Use your hands to knead it together (like bread)
3. Once you have the desired mixture, feel free to add food colouring or essences for colour or scent (or both!!)
Let your children have the choice of colour or scent, and talk to them about their choices- Let the children explore their senses, and encourage their speech and language, and most of all, have some fun!
Here’s a quick and simple recipe for playdough you can make with your child!
Ingredients
- A large bowl
- One Cup
- A Teaspoon and a tablespoon
- Some plain flour
- Some salt
- Three packets of cream of tartar
- A dash of cooking oil
- A smidge of food colouring (whichever colour you like!)
- and some water
Let’s Get Started!
- Encourage and support your child to have a go at pouring salt into a cup, once the cup is full pour the salt into your mixing bowl.
- Next Fill your cup with flour supporting your child as they use their hand eye co-ordination to pour, once the cup is full add the flour to the bowl, repeat this step, (2 cups of flour will be placed in the bowl).
- Sprinkle three packets of cream of tartar into the bowl or add two tea spoons of the cream of tartar into the bowl encouraging your child to count each packet or spoonful.
- Next support your child as they have a go at pouring cooking oil onto a table spoon, don’t worry if they pour too much you can always add more flour to thicken the mixture, add two table spoons of cooking oil into the bowl.
- Mix the ingredients together, this promotes and develops your child’s gross motor (Large movement) skills.
- Add a few drops of your chosen colour of food colouring into a cup, encourage your child to try and pour slowly counting the drops.
- Fill a cup with boiling water for your child (don’t let your child handle boiling water!) and add to the bowl. Repeat this step until 2 cups of water have been added to the bowl. While doing this step explain or ask your child why you are adding the boiling water away from them, this promotes safety and awareness of hot water and risks.
- As you stir the mixture, the water will cook the ingredients creating play dough!
- Let the mixture cool until it’s safe to handle, then knead it on a floured surface. Once it’s cool, it’s ready to play with!
Additional Ideas from Ofsted Document
- Going for a ride on the top of a double decker bus
- Eating an ice cream cone on the beach
- Growing a plant/vegetable from seed
- Feeding the ducks
- Petting a small animal
- Blowing bubbles and bursting them before they reach the floor