Play dough or clay
Tools (scissors, pencils, wooden knives, etc.)
Art materials (pipe cleaner, sequins, foam shapes, tissue paper, etc.)
Bowls
Squares of card
Marker pens
MAIN
• Place the play dough or clay in a bowl in the middle of the table. In cups or bowls around it place the tools, sequins, googly eyes, tissue paper, foam shapes, etc.
• Place pictures of animals and aliens around the bowls for inspiration.
• Sitting or working as a group, adults and children all take a piece of play dough or clay and begin making a creature.
• Adults hand the children items or offer the bowl if they are not taking too much interest.
PLENARY
Everyone should place their creature on a card and mark make or write their name on it and leave it out to dry. All help tidy the activity.
CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITIES
Look at each others’ models and think about what they could be called or where they might live. Offer the activity again with different resources and see if the children can make a creature friend.
12. Dip Dip
Learning Objective
Emerging
Pupils show they can create and apply familiar techniques to a task.
Additional Skills
Fine motor: using one finger.
Social communication: working alongside others, sharing resources.
Attention: working for 7–10 minutes.
Resources
Aprons
Large paper
Paint in small containers
MAIN
• Create an outline of a character from a book that you are currently studying on a large piece of paper. Place this on a large table along with a picture of the character so that the children can identify the colours.
• Provide each child with an apron.
• Place small containers of paint in appropriate colours around the character.
• Model looking at the picture and naming a colour. Find the correct paint and dip first finger into the paint. Find the part of the character that matches the picture and begin dabbing finger in that area.
• Support the children to do the same.
Teaching note: if a child does not like to get messy, allow them to use a small paintbrush.
PLENARY
Once everyone has spent time completing the character, ask the children to go and wash their hands and count down the activity to finish.
CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITIES
On the playground on a sunny day, draw around the outline of one of the children in chalk. Provide small containers of water and encourage the children to ‘finger paint’ with the water.
13. Please Can I Have
Learning Objective
Emerging
Pupils choose tools or materials that are appropriate to the activity.
Additional Skills
Fine motor: using a range of tools.
Social communication: working alongside others, sharing resources.
Kinaesthetic: moving between activities.
Communication: using a sentence to request an item.
Resources
Large white paper
Tape
Aprons
Three pots of different coloured paint
Tools, e.g. paintbrushes, plastic cutlery, hairbrushes, paint rollers
Visual symbols of each of the pieces of equipment
MAIN
• Place tables together to form a shared workspace. Cover this with large sheets of paper and tape to the table. Do not place any of the art materials on the table; this activity is going to encourage the children to communicate for what they need.
• When the children join the activity, support them to put on an apron. One adult sits to the left of the table and shows the children the paints; another adult (if available) sits to the right of the table with a range of tools. Make it clear to the children that the adults have these items.
• Hand the children the set of visuals and support them to make the sentence ‘adult x I want item x’; this could read ‘Kate I want paintbrush’ or ‘Claire I want red paint’.
• Children take their visual sentence to the appropriate adult and request the items that they need to paint with.
• Children then have time to paint with the items that they have requested.
PLENARY
At the end of the session, write the name of the child on the work and leave it to dry. Encourage the children to begin to help tidy up.
CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITIES
The visual sentence supports can be used for a range of classroom activities, such as snacks or PE. Change the items to the items available for the session and the same visuals can be re-used.
14. Spray It!
Learning Objective
Emerging
Pupils handle or use tools and materials purposefully.
Additional Skills
Visual: noticing colours mixing.
Fine motor: squeezing the handle of the spray bottle.
Social communication: working alongside others, sharing resources.
Resources
Spray bottles
Different coloured paints
White paper
Newspaper
Aprons
MAIN
• Fill the spray bottles with slightly watered-down paint and label the bottles so that the children can see what colour is inside. Stick large white paper along a wall or cupboard side. Place newspaper along the floor to catch the drips.
• Invite the children to the space; ask them to put on an apron. Model to the children choosing a colour, pointing the spray bottle at the paper and squeezing the handle. Watch the paint run down the paper.
• Hand each child a spray bottle and direct them to spray at the paper.
• Encourage the children to change colours and see what happens when they get mixed.
PLENARY
All spray bottles should be placed on the side; count down ‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1, finished’. Leave the paper to dry and then help to wash the children’s hands.
CONSOLIDATION ACTIVITIES
Carry out this activity again. On the paper place shapes and templates that relate to your topic. When the paint is dry, move the shapes with the children so that you can reveal the shapes underneath.
15. The One I Choose
Learning Objective
Emerging