‘Play Dough Dancing’ is a FUN activity which combines the use of play dough with a series of finger movements designed to improve fine muscle control, hand-eye coordination and sense of timing and great fun. Overall aim is to ultimately support children’s handwriting skills. Why not make your own dough and add your favourite scent to it? (always check for allergies, play dough can contain wheat)
Try ‘Play Dough Dancing’ as part of a regular routine, warming up those important areas in our hands and fingers in preparation for mark making and writing. Each child has their own ball of play dough then pop on some music with a steady beat. Demonstrate various ways to manipulate the play dough and have the children copy you and come up with their own ideas. Give your children as many opportunities as you can to exercise those important muscles. Bring in some directional and positional language by combining hand movements with leg movements: passing the dough under, over, round and through. Make if more challenging by crossing midlines and moving the dough using a figure of 8 through the legs
To see dough dancing in action, Check out Funky feet music channel on youtube https://youtu.be/3WHqSBgAM_4. Or https://youtu.be/zJQ2CaA7E50
Play Dough Dancing Exercises
Splat it:- Using the palm of your hands, flatten the dough like a pancake, whilst the children learn to apply pressure Splatting allows the children to practice bilateral coordination and independent movement (one hand stays still, the other moves, these skills are needed to control a pencil too).
Pinch it:- Holding the dough still in one hand, pinch it between fingers and thumb. Try different combinations to build strength in the ends of the fingers. (Also stimulating the senses with fingertips being a very sensory part of the body)
Squeeze it:- With the dough in one hand squeeze hard. See if children and squeeze so hard the dough comes through their knuckles building strength in the hands.
Roll it:- Rolling round and round to make a football (Soccer) or using flat palms roll the dough between both hands forming a sausage shape. Then apply pressure to turn it into a wriggly worm. Use positional language and ask the children to move their hand forwards and backwards.
Plunge in:-Plunge each individual finger into a ball of dough. Use terminology, Tommy Thumb, Peter Pointer, Toby Tall, Ruby Ring, Baby Small, Fingers All.
Pass from hand to hand, around their backs, figure of 8 through their legs and swap dough with a partner. It all helps with hand-eye coordination and social skills.
Squeeze it:- With the dough in one hand squeeze hard. See if children and squeeze so hard the dough comes through their knuckles building strength in the hands.
Roll it:- Rolling round and round to make a football (Soccer) or using flat palms roll the dough between both hands forming a sausage shape. Then apply pressure to turn it into a wriggly worm. Use positional language and ask the children to move their hand forwards and backwards.
Plunge in:-Plunge each individual finger into a ball of dough. Use terminology, Tommy Thumb, Peter Pointer, Toby Tall, Ruby Ring, Baby Small, Fingers All.
Pass from hand to hand, around their backs, figure of 8 through their legs and swap dough with a partner. It all helps with hand-eye coordination and social skills.
Contact Kim Post at info@funkyfeetmusic.co.uk for more information.