The Making of a Clay Fairy House

 One day, while a few children were exploring clay, the notion of building house emerged.  Several children pulled out some of the log blocks. 

 Pieces of clay were placed in the log "forest" as one child called it.  The piece with the hole in this photo was created for "lady bugs to crawl through."

 Another child created an umbrella to protect the creatures from rain.  He poked a wooden dowel on top of the clay "pancake" to make raindrop markings.  (It is the piece laid on top of the log in this photo.)  Pieces of clay became homes for bugs and butterflies.

One child decided to make a wee bird to sit on the tree.  Another made a place for spiders to walk.  

The next day,  two girls gathered at the clay table.  They chattered about the forest and the fairies.  "Fairies live in trees."  (I am so sad I do not have photos of the next phase.  But little clay fairies were formed and added to the landscape.)  

It was amazing to let the story unfold as each piece of clay revealed a new layer of the plot.   It was extraordinary to be a witness as simple organic shapes of clay became something so magic.

Black Bean Sensory Tub

Materials:

black beans and lentils

lavender

large glass discs (Dollar Store)

little felted wool balls (Hobby Lobby)

spoons and tongs

little baskets

tins

and other containers on hand

 Skills: Scooping beans with the spoons.

 Pouring beans into the basket.

 Filling the basket to the top and closing it.

Picking up felt balls with the tongs.

So much fun!

Patty's Room: Light Play

Thank you Patty and Jenni for the treat of your classrooms!

Stay tuned to a new e-workshop with Patty - happening SOON!  I am so excited about this collaboration.

Details will be released Monday morning!!

Patty's Room: Practical Life

Today I am bringing a series of photos of Patty Eaton's classroom - an amazing early childhood educator/expert in my area.  It is a blend of Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Constructivism.  It is wonderful!

Patty has agreed to co-teach an eWorkshop with me online - - -and it will happen next month!  Woot!  Stay tuned for the wonderful details!  It will be all about creating dynamic classroom environments.

Here are a few of the trays in Patty's Practical Life center.  I love the mix of basket, tin and silver trays for the work.

These trays provide the following benefits for children:

• it develops concentration
• it develops fine motor skills (to ready children for handwriting)
• it builds eye/hand coordination
• it builds dexterity
• develops control of movement
• and more.

 Wide tongs to pick up small wooden blocks from one basket to another.

 A wooden box of flour to spoon into the bowl.

 A flour sifter.  (Love this!)

 A bowl of rice to scoop with a little ladle into a silver bowl.

 Two containers with cotton balls to pick up with the tongs.

Two baskets of nuts and bolts.

 Colored water mixing tray.

Turkey baster to squeeze colored water from one container to another.

Tomorrow I will share Patty and Jenni's amazing art center.  So rich!!!

Valentine's Playdough!

Chocolate Playdough!

I first found this idea at Counting Coconuts and loved it!  

Instructions here:  Heidi's Recipes

Adding the empty chocolate candy box is key! 

Valentine's Bakery Playdough

This is such a fun idea!  I adore the sprinkles - such a creative idea!  

The kinders in my class would love that so much! 

For instructions: Learning4kids

Bread Dough Gingerbread

Sometimes I will adapt the traditional bread dough ornament recipe by adding brown food dye (Wilton brand makes it nice and dark.)  This gives the dough a "gingerbread look" for making gingerbread men and more.

I feel it is important to bring a direct experience from the fairy tales and stories we read.  Making cookies is an obvious choice for the story, "The Gingerbread Man."  These story based experiences provide a meaningful context for the story, an understanding of the story elements, and a way to extend to elements of the story in new ways.  I have noticed a deepen and more engaged relationship to our stories the more I bring story based experiences. 

A painted gingerbread man!  So cute!

  I made two batches for 23 children.  

Bread Dough Recipe

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup of hot tap water with brown food dye added

Mix all the ingredients together in bowl.  Knead until smooth.  Add more flour if dough sticks to your fingers.  It should be smooth not too sticky.  This recipe will be enough for 3 to 5 children depending on how many things you would like them to make!

Bake for one hour in a 300 degree oven.  Let cool.

TIP:  Sometimes the salt in the dough can cause a bit of a smoky white look to the dough after it bakes.  I have not figured out why it happens sometimes and sometimes not -- but if it does - I just brush a quick coat of brown tempera paint over the tops.  

Special Paint Frosting Recipe
Acrylic paint (cheap variety in squeeze bottles)
Glue

Mix one part paint to one part glue.  Stir.  Use cheap paintbrushes like those found in watercolor boxes.

Special Sprinkles
Small seed beads
Different kinds of glitter
 

I give each child a handful of dough to form as they wish.  After the dough is baked, then it is time to paint and decorate the "cookies."

After the bread dough cookies are painted and decorated, spray coat them in a sealant.  They are now ready for the housekeeping center and lots of fun play!  

Open a cookie store!  A bakery!  A Keebler Elf Shop!