This week in the Bear Class, we dove into a sensory-rich, hands-on activity that was fun and educational- making our own clay dough.

We began by pouring flour into a small plastic basin. Laughter and excitement filled the room as we started touching the flour and our hands turned white. We then added a pinch of salt, some of us pinching and sparkling it like chefs. To add a splash of color, orange, pink, and light blue paint where added to the mixture and mixed them in. Watching the plain white flour turned into a colorful dough brought joy to our eyes.

Then came the water- just a little at a time. Carefully, we poured it in, learning patience as we watched the mixture slowly turn into a dough. We then kneaded with our hands, pressing, folding, and squishing the dough. We even took the activity one step further by kneading the dough with our own two feet. The giggles were non-stop as we stomped, danced, and mashed our way to the perfect consistency.

After all our hard work, we were informed that in order to get the desired consistency our clay needs to be placed in the fridge. “It needs to sleep” our teacher said thoughtfully.

The next day, the rested dough was cool and smooth, and perfect for play. This simple and joyful activity not only taught them about hard work and patience but also the magic of making something wonderful with their own two hands (and feet).

-Dom-