Playing in the slimey gooey gloop

Children from Toddler Room exploring the slimey gloop

Outside in the garden at Daisykins Nursery in Rugby, a tray was filled up with slimey gooey gloop for the children to explore. At first, the children were a little reluctant to touch the mixture, with guidance and offering of tools the children got stuck in. As the children touched the gloop they pulled some funny faces, some liking the texture and some demanding to wash their hands. Several children spent a considerable amount of time mixing and filing up their little pots. As the tray was resting on a tyre, the activity was at the right level for children, giving them the choice to bend down or even kneel upon their knees. As the children played alongside their peers they used their senses to explore the world around them.[ngg src="galleries" ids="246" display="basic_slideshow"]Not only did the children show satisfaction in playing in the gloop but the practitioners were very engaged in exploring what it felt like. Throughout the activity words like gooey slimey, stretching, soapy, soft, lumpy were used to help describe the texture of the mixture.This simple but effective activity enabled children to meet several learning intentions, playing alongside others, turn taking, learning new worlds and filling and emptying containers. On observing the children playing in the gloop they were able to see them demonstrating a strong exploratory impulse as well as concentrating on an activity  of their choice for a short period of time.Providing children  with a vast range of learning opportunities is something Daisykins Nursery in Rugby prides its self on. Activities planned both indoors and outdoors are fun but also offer children a challenge or two.