Kia ora e hoa,
It has been a bit rainy lately, so playdough has been the perfect activity to keep us busy and creative in the atelier. Since we have recently begun to learn all about citrus fruit, I thought it would be fun to make green playdough limes together. You were so excited about this idea.
We began by looking at pictures of limes so we could visualise what we wanted to create. You jumped straight into the activity with so much enthusiasm. You rolled both little and big balls of playdough and proudly told me these were your limes. Then you experimented with making long lines of limes, carefully placing each one in a row.
Some of you then explored a different technique, rolling the playdough flat with a rolling pin, cutting out circle shapes, and adding tiny seeds and segments. Your creations looked incredibly realistic. You watched this with interest, noticing the details and comparing them to the pictures we had looked at. Even though we haven’t been talking about citrus fruit for very long, you already remembered what limes look like and used that knowledge in your own way as you created. Mahi whakamiharo! Wonderful work!
Playdough experiences like this are so valuable. As you roll, pinch, cut, and shape the dough, you are strengthening your fine motor skills, building hand‑eye coordination, and developing the muscles in your hands that you use for writing. You are also practising creativity, planning, and problem‑solving, especially when you decide how you want your limes to look and how to make them.
This learning links beautifully to Te Whāriki, particularly the strand “Making connections between people, places, and things.” You connected your knowledge of limes to the materials in front of you, to the pictures we explored, and to the ideas happening around you in the group. These connections help deepen your understanding of the world.
Ka rawe tō mahi today, I loved watching your ideas come to life.
