How we offer play dough at a Curiosity Approach® setting.

 Have you noticed at Curiosity Approach® settings we have done away with the plastic pre-determined cutters?

Our playdough tables are not about being Instagram ready,  but about bringing nature back into children’s lives and stepping forward into multi-sensory experiences and beyond the pre-determined shape cutters.

Freedom to use loose parts & natural materials.

Top Tip:

Make friends with the local florist and ask them to save you a bag of off cuts, broken stems and foliage that would normally go into the bin

When florists makes floral tributes and bouquets they discard lots of stems, leaves and petals. Just ask them to fill a bag ready for children to use within children’s playdough, potion & sensory kitchen.

Use authentic resources and loose parts, natural place mats or large wooden tree cookies. Here we have used some pallets to create a playdough station. This can be sanded down and allows children to stand and play independently. At Curiosity Approach® setting's we also remove the chairs, helping children to develop core strength, balance and crossing their midline.

Items to add:

Pestle and mortar, forks, safety knives, stones, feathers, fresh herbs, scissors, garlic press or clay resources.

Ten play dough invitations 

1. Autumnal Play dough

2.  Lavender Play dough

3. Play dough at various levels. Look at this play dough on  a pallet table 

4.  Allowing children to mark their own play dough 

5. Using Loose part for the Play dough station. 

6. Add a cookery book to the play dough station 

7. Add authentic resources 

8. Create a sensory delight with natural items, dried orange slices and spices 

9. Easy access flour, water , salt for own mixing

9. Allow babies and toddlers freedom to access, move away from confinement in high chairs or packed at tables 

Are you curious to see how well you are implementing The Curiosity Approach?

This was written by Stephanie Bennett. 

Take the quiz here