Playdough Creation: Moon Craters

Claire grabbed a big chunk of playdough, then she pressed it with her hand until it was flat. Later on, she used her fingers to poke on the flat playdough. She looked at me and said, "Look, Mrs. V!"

I said, "Wow! That's interesting, what did you make, Claire?"

Claire replied, "I made a moon."

"I see. Now what are those things on the moon?" I asked Claire as I pointed to the little prints on the playdough.

Claire said enthusiastically, "They're dots!!!"

I replied affirmatively, "Yes, you're right, Claire! They actually look like dots, but they are called 'craters'."

Claire said, "Yes, craters! I'm going to put flags." She grabbed a few popsicle sticks and glued a cupcake paper cup onto the sticks. She then stuck the popsicle sticks on top of her playdough. She counted, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6" and then said, "Six flags."

I praised her and said, "Well done! You correctly counted up to 6 flags. Do you think you can create something for people to use so that they could go to the moon?"

Claire answered, "Well, people already came. They put up the flags."

Reflection:

It was great to see Claire exploring and extending her imagination using playdough. She demonstrated good fine motor skills in kneading, moulding, and manipulating the playdough to her desired outcome, as well as in creating the flags that she used as additional props to her imaginative play. This learning experience led the other children to contribute to the imaginative play about outer space (e.g. moon and rocket ship).

It was also a delight to see Claire interacting well with the children at the table. She showed a willingness to share and to accept other children's idea in her play. She used verbal and nonverbal language to communicate well with the Educator and her peers.

Future Experiences:

Claire will be provided with opportunities to extend her interest in outer space. A short video clip of an astronaut landing on the moon can aid in her understanding of what the moon looks like and can also spark the interest of other children regarding outer space. Other experiences can include a space table to study the moon, stars and planets, and books that children can look at or read. For Claire and for other children who love painting, pictures of moon and planets can be posted on the wall near the easels as their guide or inspiration for their painting.

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The above narrative and reflection is an example of an observation in an early childhood setting. The observation highlights the child's current interests, and her use or demonstration of fine motor skills, numeracy, literacy and communication skills. As a Preschool Teacher/Educator, I make observations for the following specific reasons:

• Planning the programs or experiences
• Gauging and knowing if the child has achieved his or her goals
• Describing the child's interest, skills, and abilities
• Providing parents with information about their child's learning and experiences

Related Posts:

• A Child's Idea of a Tree House
• Developing Scissors Skills
• The Treasure Hunters
• Road Work
• House of Cars
• Letting the Children Decorate the Christmas Tree
• Playground Play

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