Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A Simple Mixture Leads to Serious Learning!




A simple mixture of flour and baby powder provided serious experiential learning. The children loved the texture of the bin and repeatedly said, “silky smooth”.  They had various descriptors for the powder scent, which was quite entertaining! Some acknowledged it smelled like a baby, while others were sure it “smelled” like smoke!

The bin offered a variety of complexity.  Some children enjoyed digging deep or simply sifting the mix between their fingers. Others were motivated to find the hidden objects. Small wooden cubes with two different letters on opposite sides were hidden within the mix. The children identified the letters, made the letter sound and came up with words that started with the letter.  For those children working on writing skills, we then drew the letter that was on the block in the silky smooth mixture.

For added fun and tool use, have them sprinkle with a flour sifter, stir with a whisk, or shake the mixture through a strainer. While the bin looked quite simple, the children found it to be interesting and remained engaged for quite some time!

Michelle Yoder, OTR/L