Early Excellence Podcast
Rethinking Dough Play
Oct 6, 2023
This podcast explores the benefits and uses of dough play in early childhood education, emphasizing the creativity and adaptability it offers. It discusses the advantages of having a dedicated dough area, the use of extruders as a resource, and the benefits of using dough as a learning tool. It also mentions incorporating baking and cakes into the dough area and a new online resource for supporting early years practice.
29:21
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Quick takeaways
- A dough area in the classroom offers opportunities for fine motor skill development, creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, expressive art, and language development.
- A constantly available dough area promotes a sense of security, continuity, and growing confidence, supporting emotional development, independence, and meaningful learning experiences.
Deep dives
The Benefits of Having a Dough Area
A dough area in the classroom offers numerous learning opportunities for children. Apart from developing fine motor skills, it encourages creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. Children engage in expressive art and design, experimenting with dough and using it in different ways. Dough play also fosters communication and language skills as children interact, discuss materials and properties, and create narratives. Furthermore, it provides opportunities for science, math, and understanding the world as children explore scale, shape, texture, patterns, and even make miniature versions of things they've seen. Overall, a dough area supports holistic development, autonomy, and a soothing environment for children to relax and settle in.
