green hippo Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 Hi! Question number 2 of the evening! Just wondering how often others provide messy play activities and other messy activities e.g. creative activities that require a level of adult supervision? E.g. once a week/everyday/as and when as informed by interests and needs? Do you have a long-term CP plan that covers messy play where the possible learning is identified? I try to offer different messy play/sensory experiences regularly - usually to support a particular need or interest, but it doesn't happen every week. But I also know how much learning children can get out of it, so was wondering if I should do a long-term CP plan for it and ensure that it is offered at some point every week? Also, I read somewhere on here recently, sorry, can't remember who the person was that wrote it, that they offered a creative often messy activity each week that needed some extra adult supervision but gave the children the opportunity to have a go at a different type of painting/making e.g. marbling, bubble-painting, sewing etc. I like the sound of this - do others do anything similar? Or just as and when the interest or need arises? Don't want to be moving away from the children's interests and ideas but also want to provide them with opportunities to try something new out, that they might not know exists! Thanks, Green Hippo x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjayne Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 We have daily focussed//adult led activities working alongside our CP so we always offer at least one type of 'messy' play like shaving foam/gloop, playdough out daily and free access to the painting and collage type stuff, but a staff member may do more specialised stuff like bubble painting or marble painting as the adult led. It is the bit about giving the children different experiences and once they are confident with it they will often organise it themselves ( or a variation! ) :1b 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Hi we have a range of messy play activities as part of our CP everyday.This could include, paint, marbling inks, clay, gloop, jelly, water, sand, pebbles and water, gardening, glueing, playdough [the children make their own],collages, modelling and cooking. We have a cohort this time that love to explore paint on their hands, so lots of opportunities for that on the plans. Some maybe adult initiated/supported but many are very much free play. We often take a child's interest too say "cars" over to the paint for a particular child [ren] to possibly explore something new to them. Hope this helps Fx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 usual paint, collage, junk modelling, clay, plastercine etc available daily as cp plan, an adult oversees our messy play area to see that children wash hands, help with aprons etc (especially am session with all the littlies - more independent pm sessions) then support enhancement activities more as adult led...but that does't happen every day or even week ..usually if interest/need shown or an event/festival gives reason to do something more adult led. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 last term because we had so many children interested in art and craft, we had a focussed, adult led 'Art Club' activity which was planned in once a week on top of our normal messy/art actvities. This gave us the opportunity to introduce different messy and arty crafts and as it was a during a different session each week all the children had an opportunity to access it, children and parents loved the 'club' aspect of it. This term, with a different group of children, its 'Cookery Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green hippo Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Thanks, We have the usual creative area, including free-access to paint and a wide variety of resources, water, sand and play-dough areas, as well as the digging and bark area outdoors all out as part of CP. I was thinking more about the shaving-foam, gloop, cornflour type play which is usually in a tuff-spot on a different table but it often doesn't last all week when I plan to put it out due to the resources running out etc! Was wondering whether I should include this type of experience as part of my malleable materials/sensory play CP plan and ensure that it is offered at some point each week? Thanks for all your advice, Green Hippo x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 last term because we had so many children interested in art and craft, we had a focussed, adult led 'Art Club' activity which was planned in once a week on top of our normal messy/art actvities. This gave us the opportunity to introduce different messy and arty crafts and as it was a during a different session each week all the children had an opportunity to access it, children and parents loved the 'club' aspect of it. This term, with a different group of children, its 'Cookery Club. I love the idea of a 'cookery club' and 'art club' :1b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 of course at pre-school these are daily activities i woud not be able to run a session without them! what interested me in your 2 posts was that they were so linked. i would say most of my fine motor skill work is acheived through 'messy play' activities ...especially at this time of year and the age of your cohort, but maybe you need to think about it in terms of skills you are teaching with it first. So if your skill is drawing clockwise and anticlockwise circles and retrace vertical lines then this could be done in any of the mediums you suggest...so if you run out of shaving foam on wed then ublick can be used for the same skill.... would that fit into your plans better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Had to look up 'ublick' ....never heard it called that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 haha sorry mouse...have always called it that but i think it should really be oobleck (reference to Dr Suess) found this though if you have a few minutes to spare! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verona Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 WOW!!!! I would love to have a go, although i would be worried in case i didn't move around quick enough. I wish we could have seen how he actually got out in the end. Have used cornflour at Pre-school in small quantities and boy can it get messy!!!! Sue J 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froglet Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 How much fun?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green hippo Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 of course at pre-school these are daily activities i woud not be able to run a session without them! what interested me in your 2 posts was that they were so linked. i would say most of my fine motor skill work is acheived through 'messy play' activities ...especially at this time of year and the age of your cohort, but maybe you need to think about it in terms of skills you are teaching with it first. So if your skill is drawing clockwise and anticlockwise circles and retrace vertical lines then this could be done in any of the mediums you suggest...so if you run out of shaving foam on wed then ublick can be used for the same skill.... would that fit into your plans better? Thanks, finleysmaid, So...to clarify... you offer some sort of sensory, messy activity on a daily basis (in addition to play-dough, creative area etc)? I agree that the children can really develop their fine motor skills through this type of play and they can develop many of the fine motor skills through using a wide variety of mediums which is why i thought it would be a good idea to offer it more regularly and develop the children's skill at their own level as we would in the other areas as opposed to only having it out when we want to target a particular child or group of children? Thanks, Green Hippo x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 yes i do have a sensory/messy activity out every day (either inside or out) but i am really lucky to have loads of room. The reason for having it out may change though. At the moment i have 14 children needing to improve pse skills (from next steps/plods) so sensory activities may be geared towards sharing or taking turns/asking for things/saying please and thank you etc....this may well be adult led at the beginning of the week then left out in CP to provide opportunities for the children to keep developing their skills. I also have lots of children with sen and eal and activities like these are of huge benefit to them as they are calming/open ended and a great way of supporting friendships/cooperation etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 We do too, but then again it may be easier for us in pre-school because of our ratios. xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Ummmm wonder how many packets it would take to fill a tuff spot..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 one large catering pack is usually enough! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Does anyone use borax or know of a workable substitute (and where to buy it) for making putty ? Tried the pva and spray starch..ok to a point needed loads of spray and still quite sticky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 no i did lots of research and found it to be too dangerous. I did find an alternative but can't remember where...i'll go and have a search. I've tried to make Gack too but with no decent results....unless you cook the starch i'm not sure we have the right products in england....!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 so this is the link to gack but i still cant make it work...the starch just doesn't seem to be right...any ideas? http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/2010/05/gack/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 I can get it to the consistency as the pic with a lot of spray starch to pva glue(can't remember if I added water or not), but it gets to a point where it doesn't thicken anymore..I was aiming more for a putty type consistency, though they did have fun with it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 just found a new recipe....going to have a fiddle and i'll tell you if it works later! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Google 'mad jack, videojug' lots of of diff recipes for different gooey stuff using household products. Waiting with interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 alistair bryce clegg latest book '50 fantastic things to do with squdgy stuff' has some delicious messy play ideas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Can I offer one of my favourite and really cheap messy activity ideas that I used to love doing with my littlies.....get your parents to bring in any out of date bags of flour and mix with water and if you are feeling daring food colouring but not necessary. I used to put in in a builders tray and add say half a bag and then keep adding fluid until gloopy and then start adding remaining flour until we got it back to dough consistency and then play with it like playdough before chucking it in the bin. Really cheap, lots of good language as it changes texture, consistency etc Because it was just flour it washed out of clothes easily and I never had a child who had an allergic reaction to it as it was a natural product. As for did we plan messy activities lets just say the setting had 3 rooms, one carpeted room - 'The play room' one area with wooden floor 'The Sun room' and the the art area with lino floor 'The Messy room' and one end was dedicated to the days art activity and the other end had gloop, water, sand, cooked spaghetti mixed with fairy liquid (yuk), corn floor, cooked jelly (smelled nice) etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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