Here at Belmont Bayswater Kindergarten, being in the Red setting has meant no playdough. Playdough has been a part of our curriculum forever! We all value playdough for the peaceful play it offers, the  comfort given when settling new children, older and younger children enjoy getting to know one another through their open ended exploration and kaiako appreciate the many ‘cups of coffee and cupcakes’ tamariki make them each day.

We sure have missed it! It’s been a normal part of what we do at kindergarten. Some tamariki who have memories of playdough initially asked for it. But not now. We don’t miss it like we did. Resilience and flexibility in action!

From change has come opportunities not to be missed. Our ‘blue round playdough table’ now has a different provocation each day; ephemeral art, measuring and weighing, patterning and sorting to name a few. We have enhanced our maths curriculum while maintaining peaceful, creative play with friends and have continued opportunities for the development of fine motor skills.

Fine motor skills (or in some case the concerning lack of) becomes part two of this story. With scissors and assorted materials for cutting available, our observations indicate many children have missed the opportunity to master scissor skills. We now have a ‘cutting station’, where children can stop and cut. They may take a single snip or take more complex steps. We have ordered new scissors which have a small hole for a thumb and a larger hole for two fingers, recommended by our always supportive LLS OT.

We are excited for the planning, teaching and learning opportunities the silver lining of change brings. Accepting that “the only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance”. We are no longer planning the usual because it’s the unusual that excites us!