The playdough table has been a popular place to explore in the afternoon for the past two weeks. The children have explored using various tools such as rollers with various textures, shape squeezers, printing objects and seashells. We have seen the children pound, squeeze, roll, push, bang and even use their elbows and chest to shape the playdough. They have also made some wonderful social connections with each other as they observe, imitate and interact with one another.
On Tuesday, Ruthie, shapes her playdough and adds an assortment of shells. “This is a unicorn. See the horn?” The following day, Ruthie makes a different design. ” Just for me! A T-Rex!” Then, on Friday, Ruthie went back to unicorn making! “This is my unicorn. Her name is Zoey!”
Charlie uses a shell as a tool to make eyes on his animal. Wesley curiously watches Charlie and then starts to make tiny eyes on his worm.
Wesley is fascinated with the playdough squeezers. “I’m making pasta, lots and lots of pasta” Wesley concentrates on lining up rolls of pasta for a long period of time.
On another day, Wesley puts playdough between two shells and announces,
“It’s peanutbutter and jelly!”
Miles and Sam, just recently getting to know one another, make up a game of their own called “steal the playdough”. Laughing as they pinch each other’s playdough, Miles says, “It’s a fun and silly game!”
On another day, Sam and Miles engage in another cooperative activity.
Sam “We’re building a road for our cars to go on.”
MIles “Whoops, I missed a bump. I’m making a road. In 24 minutes, it will be ready.”
Ruthie flattens her playdough until it connects with the big road. “This is a sidewalk for people to walk on, not for cars, no cars can go on the sidewalk!”
