We have added a new sensory and manipulative material outside – sand dough. (Where did the recipe come from? I can’t remember – thanks to the people out there in the blogosphere who invented and shared the recipe, if you are reading this, please let me know who you are so I can acknowledge you properly.)
It was very popular – “squishy’ said Oscar, but also a little bit gritty. Like clay because when it dried out, we could mix a little water back in and reconstitute it – and the children can do this.
The children found different ways to use it:
– shaping it with fingers;
scratching a picture into it with a stick or stem;
decorating it with gumnuts and other treasures;
and then discovering that the decorations leave a mark. (The pine cone leaves a mark like a rose.)
HOW TO MAKE SAND DOUGH
4 CUPS OF SAND
2 CUPS OF CORNFLOUR
1 CUP OF WATER.
I used very fine sand and needed to add some plain old sandpit sand to give it more texture – and I also found I needed to adjust the water a bit, then the flour…but it lasted well in the fridge in between uses.
Mine didn’t turn out like that, I must have used a different sand! I will still use it for play as a different texture!
Hi Marie, yes sand does vary of course – maybe your childrenm could do an experiment to make their own sand dough by just adding sand to playdough until they think it is right? Just a thought.