God made my ears

Ok so I bought this game about five years ago from the Early Learning Centre, for prob about £6-8, since then I have seriously not getting a couple more (just in case) because they no longer sell them and as far as I have seen nor does everywhere else in the UK (if you know otherwise let me know- please). I is however avaialable at Toys R Us USA

It is a simple sound lotto game with various leveled functions, and a variety of abilities can play. I personally don't like the pictures, so I created photos for each of the sounds. It worked brilliantly as a "God made my ears" activity, the electronice sound machine is highly motivating for children to engage with, although they need support. Of course any sound lotto activity would work.

God made my hands

For God made my hands I made these sensory matching tiles, sticking matching textures in discarded "Lush" lids but any lids would work (even fizzy drink bottle I think). One set could be put in a bag and found simply by feeling.

God made my nose

This is my "loose" link to God made my nose, I have made the playdough scented adding cocoa to one batch and ginger to the other. Well actually they both have cocoa I added it with the flour, just a couple of desert spoons full, to give colour and a light scent. I then added more cocoa upon kneading to half the batch and ginger powder to the other, adding both until the scent was noticeable.

God made me!

Well actually we are looking at "God made me special" Original inspiration came from Toddleriffic, and their session title is "God made me precious" and whilst this is true, it is rather a difficult word for little people and a little pretentious. We will be thinking about how God made each one of us in the context of the creation story. But I'm supplementing it with this book I simply love the above book and am using this as a basis for the session.

We will be saying and actioning this lovely rhyme from Toddlerific

I plan to set out a "station" for each sense/ body part, or a discreet activity to consider God creating us.

• God made me
• God made my eyes
• God made my ears
• God made my nose
• God made my mouth
• God made my hands
• God made my feet
• God made everybody

For each of the stations/ activity I will have these cards and will then use them to introduce the story of our creation.

Playdough people 2

And so the play continues, cutting out people with gingerbread men cutters and adding features, with buttons or using the limbs and facial features from the people set. I intend on using these at church on Sunday with 3-4 year olds, I think I will also add Mr Potato head features for a larger group and those who may want to make larger people. We are going to be thinking about God made me special and making people from playdough seems like an entirely appropriate activity. I have planned a play activity for each of the senses and also for feet, I'll keep you posted.

And then we extend further to...

Hammering golf tees, embossing patterns...

A fabulous pattern, a work of art.

Playdough people

Wanting to make playdough that resembled skin skin colour, I decided to add cocoa to the playdough. I haven't ever done this previously but seems to have worked well except the original response of "What is that brown stuff?"

I separated the body pieces into limbs, facial features, hats. This allowed for easier, quicker and thus more thoughtful and imaginative creations.

Oh, on creativity! Did you know kings have four eyes? "Well they do now!"

A rethink on the four eyes creation, the king changed his mind!
And some people even have hands for noses "That is funny isn't it?" Don't you just love little people!!!

More another day on how this developed...

Counting Ducks

Often the best learning is selected independently and as I have said previously, you can have the most creative ideas in the world but it's often the child who extends the activity, theme or learning in the most imaginative way. And then we get to use their ideas at some later stage in planning for other children, whilst never forgetting that again it may go off in another direction totally or fall flat as a pancake with other children.

Continuing on the same theme as the last post on 5 little ducks, we have a large box of bath ducks of various sizes, colours and designs, one set has numbers written on the bottoms (ones pictured) others light up, change colour or quack in water. Note to self "We don't need any more ducks, no matter what the price!"

The child in the picture selected all the ducks with numbers on the bottom and placed in this tray (original purpose: dip tray £1 Tesco), added water from the water butt and found a net from the fish box (net designed for getting the fish from your tank to clean out the fish very cheap and perfect size for play).

He then played with this various ways talking as he did so. "I'm finding the 2" fishing out the ducks and checking whether it is the correct duck, sometimes remembering where it was from previous fishes. Or making up sums and fishing out the answer, or on occasion fishing out two or three ducks and adding up the total.

When planning consider posing challenges such as the ones set by this child. Or perhaps draw shapes on the bottoms.

Five Little Ducks Basket

Song/ poem baskets/ boxes go down most wonderfully, perhaps their size appeals to little hands and inquisitiveness. The basket contained, the felt pond, funky foam duck stickers and song card (below printed to 1/4 A4 size)These baskets seem to encourage independent singing and song play like no other resource.

final (felt) fish for friday, I "fink"

Inspired by this wonderfully cute little tin of wooden fish by haba, I set to work making my own set instead made of felt. These also had their own cute little tine, made from a covered empty mint tin (M&S)

Hopefully you agree these, are pretty cute too. I was going to add something metal so we could fish for them with a magnetic rod. Instead I made them simply with felt, however I made the "nose" stitch very strong so a paper clip could be hooked round if ever needed, to play magnetic fishing.

Breakfast with Jesus

Using the little bible people seen previously, in a set up used to tell the story of Jesus appearing on the beach to his friends.

Initially used as a prop to tell the story. "Put your net on the other side"

And then allowed to play with the story. The only thing is, not too happy that the sand does not come off of felt very easily!

Float your boat

Well I've been MIA for well over a month, seriously busy and seems once I let something slip I let it slip further!!! Anyways got a nice store of pics and ideas in my photo collection from the last little while.

Starting with a much better one than the last "HMS Disaster". I think you will see a continued interest of boaty fishy ideas, 1 because we have been doing those themes in Sunday School, 2 boats and fish continue to be super popular themes!

The boat was made with hot cross bun display stand from the co-op, seen in the bin area after easter! I know it would make a brilliant boat, getting it in the car with car seats in caused a bit of a stir in the car park, but results were worth it.

It is seriously strong, rather indestructible considering it's made of card.