1. Program Focus  The main idea of this project is to brighten up children’s creativity.  Provide a safe environment to make them ready psychologically.  According to Fox and Schirrmacher teachers can facilitate the process by providing time, space, and resources.  Open –ended items can be used in different ways. Materials like sand, water, play dough are good examples.  Be a creative partner, available to be a playmate who follows the lead of children based on Fox Schirrmache.  All activities are child centered not teacher-directed projects due to make them productive not reproductive.

2. Developmental Appropriateness Working with play dough encourages children to use their hands to manipulate a new material, helps them develop their imagination and facilitates their social skills.

3. Play Dough and Physical Development According to Fox & Schirrmacher (2009) “The muscles of the hand are developed while working with clay” (Fox Schirrmacher, 2009,p. 76). When working with clay/play dough, children have the opportunity to use their arms, hands and fingers, putting into motion lots of muscles and developing their motor skills. The most common actions while working with clay/play dough are: flattening, pounding,punching,rolling, cutting, squeezing and poking.

4. Play Dough and Social Development Types of social interaction among children while working with play dough: Exchanging ideas Offering comments Asking questions Cooperation Social development: ongoing possibilities Play dough provides an opportunity for endless interactions. Children can undo/redo their creations many times. A fish can become a snake which in turn becomes a baby fish, then mommy and so on.

5. Cognitive Development Play dough requires much more than pure manipulation of the material. Children are often challenged into coming up with their own creative solutions, like when they combine other materials and have to find a way to successfully integrate them. They practice problem-solving skills by actively exploring materials and comparing/contrasting objects e.g. “I made a big fish!”, “Mine is a baby fish!”

6. How Art Experience is Open ended, Focusing on Process vs. Product Art experience should be open ended, allowing children to be creative by giving them a chance to think about: What they want to make?(content). How they are going to make it?(process). What the result will be?(product). Fox & Schirrmacher 2012 (p. 191 & 192)

7. Content Content can be any of the following and more.  Play dough  Silly putty  Pasta  Seashells  Straws  Pipe cleaner  Beans

8. Process Art experience is an open ended process in that kids are best given freedom to reach the stated end result (product) by doing what they think is best and how they want to achieve that end. Children should be allowed to:  work on play dough or silly putty by squeezing, punching, flattening, poking it as they see fit.  have the opportunity to show their creativity by using artistic tools in different ways. During this art experience, children may not know what the steps are and may have no idea what the end result will be, but their creative minds are best explored when they are allowed to play than work. Fox & Schirrmacher 2012 (p. 191 & 192)

9. Product  Children usually go through the process by enjoying what they are doing without regards to the end product.  During the process, children may come up with ideas to try something they have recently learned.  The open ended nature of art experience may provide children with incentive to try to have an end product that can bring them recognition and admiration. Fox & Schirrmacher 2012 (p, 191 & 192)

10. Art has Artistic Merit Inherent in the Art Experience The creative potential in the art of play dough is endless. Who would have thought that from a little, flour, a pinch salt, a little water and some cool aid one can provide children with an excellent tool to enhance and strengthen many skills. It is a creative art material that is very attractive to children. Play dough creates endless hours of creative play.

11. What is the Creative Potential Presented According to the Creativity Institute, “encouraging the development of creativity in a toddler helps develop the child's mind, including his skills decision making, problem solving and imaginative thought in general. This can help them in future learning institutions, as well as far into the future career path." The joy of playing with play dough is a creative art that is open-ended play. We provided the children with diversity of choice and time was endless. Children created absolutely anything they wanted. The only thing that this creative play dough art did not allow children to create is what children did not think of. This is the only limitation of the art of play dough. Therefore, play dough makes one of the best entertainment art activities and furthermore, it is also an important tool for children's development. http://www.livestrong.com/article/67570-play-dough-enhance-infants-development

12. Diversity of choices Demonstrated  Play dough and silly putty  Play dough and silly putty come in same category as clay.  By manipulating it, they learn it can be pulled, torn, cut, rolled and much more.  Children make direct physical contact with the medium.  Being natural, changeable, and multisensory activity make it pleasurable.  Making play dough with children is an opportunity to read, learn about the process.  Playing with dough should be optional.  Play dough or clay give them a chance to release their feelings in a socially acceptable way.  There some types of play of clay which are followed: Real clay, plasticine, play dough, and white mud.

13. WHAT IS PLAY DOUGH? Is a modelling compound used by young children for art and craft projects at home and in school. Play dough is composed of flour, hot water, salt, cooking oil, and natural colour ( for example colors from cooked spinach and beet)

14. HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR PLAY DOUGH Because of health and safety reasons, play dough should be made each day and dispose the left over to stop the spread of germs. (Schirrmacher & Fox p, 250)  Follow the food and health safety standards and be careful with cross contamination.  Children should wash hands before and after playing with playing dough.  children be supervised at all times to prevent them eating the play dough.  It’s important to always check the labels of the ingredients before using them.  Check the expiration dates  Make sure none contains any toxic ingredients.  Check for any allergy issues in your class.  Always have the activity supervised by an adult.

15. Tips and Ideas for Class Plan ahead (make sure you have all the necessary ingredients ready). Prepare the play dough itself with the children. That can open the possibility to a whole new set of learning opportunities. Gather accessories & materials to combine with play dough but don’t overwhelm the children with too many. Set it up so all the materials are available to all children. Work with small groups (max. 4 per table) Be available to interact with them as their “creative partner”. Reserve a good period of time for the activity. Add some background music. Take advantage of the opportunity to observe how they interact. Have fun!

16. Ideas for Expansion After the children have had enough time manipulating and exploring the play dough itself, you could expand by: Offering different materials for the children to create with: Craft sticks, straws, buttons, bottle caps, seashells, feathers, etc. Add coffee, cinnamon, Kool-Aid to the dough. Offering water-based paints or food colouring for them to paint their creations. Offering sand (plain or coloured) to incorporate different textures.

17. References Fox, J. E., & Shirrmacher, R. (2012). Art and creative development for young children (7 th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.