Christmas Salt Dough Ornaments - 6th December 2021
Planned: The Joey's were busy making salt dough ornaments to hang on their Christmas trees today!
We started by mixing the ingredients together. We did this by sharing the bowl and taking turns to mix the ingredients up. I decided to sprinkle some of the flour mixture over the top of the table and we called it snow, the children enjoyed moving their hands all over it on the table, some children licking it and tasting it.
We then we took turns to roll out some dough, select a cutter and press it into the mixture. We popped them onto a tray with baking paper. This afternoon they will cook and we can decorate them tomorrow!
Recipe for salt dough
Ingredients:
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
1 cup cold water
Mix dry ingredients together, then slowely add the cold water.
Bake in the preheated at 120 degrees in oven until dry and hard, about 2 hours. Allow to cool completely.
Link to Pedagogical Documentation
EYLF Outcomes
Outcomes: 4: Children are confident and involved learners Elements: 4.1 Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity. The children were showing curiosity when touching the flour mixture as I sprinkled it over the top of the table. They did this by experimenting through touch and taste.
Theorists
John Dewey believed that children learn through hands on experiences. He suggested that knowledge is gained through active engagement rather than passive learning.
Interpretation
Critical reflection: During this experience the children were given the opporunity to work independently while some of the younger children required assitance. This meant they might have needed to watch me roll the dough or press the cutter into the dough first for them to copy, or it meant that I needed to guide them a little closer and help manipulate their hands to help cut the shapes. It is important that Educators assist children through role modelling and guiding but equally important to allow children to facilitate their own learning by trial and error and giving things a go on their own (hands on learning). Follow up: Paint and decorate the salt dough ornaments
