Stress Balloons

1. Approaches to Childhood learning – Class activity Record Sheet
After every class Activity write into the record sheet. Add photos throughout the record. 15 records min required for portfolio. Add lots of images to illustrate your understanding.
Name__K H_______________________________________
Date:
11th November 2014
Week number:
8
Attended:
Yes
Name and image of the Activity
Play dough Emotion Balloons.
Materials used:
Balloons, Black markers, play dough
Time plan:
15-25 minutes
Room and/or equipment requirements:

2. Desk in room
General Aim of activity – What will the final outcome be? ie. ‘To make an aeroplane with cardboard’ box.
Create balloons filled with play dough with faces on them.
Specific Learning outcomes of the activity – What will be learned by doing the activity? Ie. ‘To use fine motor skills using the scissors’
Learning of different colours
Fine motor skills for drawing the faces
Knowledge of emotions
Pincer skills to tie the balloon and help put the play dough in to it
Steps for making or doing activity:
Use images with short captions
Gather materials needed
Place play dough in to the balloons with caution

3. You may need someone else to help with this by opening the balloon top while you place the play dough in to it
Tie the balloon at the top
Using the markers provided draw faces with various emotions on them
How will the child/ren benefit from the activity?
Using their fine motor skills for placing the play dough into the balloons, tying them and drawing the faces on them.
The learning of different colours.
Taking turns and sharing.
Careful of control so the marker doesn’t smudge.
Observing skills.
Their sensory skills by squeezing the finished product.
Learning of different emotions.
Age group/s: (development level)
Pre-school room (3-5 year olds)
By the adult assisting drawing the faces and putting the play dough into the balloon, toddlers (1 ½ -3 year olds)
How would you make the activity more inclusive? Principles of universal design
The use of more materials and teachers
How would you adapt the activity to suit outside/inside?
Bring the equipment outside and use larger resources

4. Simplify this activity:
Instead of using balloons and play dough a teacher could focus solely on the building of emotional awareness. They can do this by using paper plates cut in half, sticking a straw/stick to the back and drawing faces on them.
Variations for the activity: How could you vary the activity? ‘Marbling using foam or egg whites instead’
Use of paper plates instead of balloons and play dough.
The Learning outcomes linked to Aistear
Exploring and thinking Identity and Belonging Well-being Communicating
Aim 1: 1, 2,6
Aim 1: 3, 5, 6
Aim 1: 1, 2, 5
Aim 1: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Aim 2: 1, 2,3,4
Aim 2: 1, 3, 5, 6
Aim 2: 1, 3, 5
Aim 2: 1, 3, 6
Aim 3: 2, 3,4,5
Aim 3: 3, 4, 5, 6
Aim 3: 1, 2, 4, 6
Aim 3: 1, 4, 5, 6
Aim 4: 1,3,5
Aim 4: 2, 3, 5, 6
Aim 4: 1, 4, 5, 6
Aim 4: 1, 2, 4, 6
Other curriculums: Montessori, HiScope..

Safety concerns? If any
Safety of chocking on the balloons for younger children.
Safe to use play dough.
Safe to use markers
Could the activity link to an external activity/group/ outing? ‘Visit to a farm/forest to see/do….’
N/A

5. Extensions for the activity: Could science, geography, history, culture, literacy, maths etc, be incorporated into to the activity? How? What changes would you make?
Science could be used in relation to making your own play dough.
Numeracy and maths could be brought in by counting each materials they use.
Culture could be brought in by the use of different coloured balloons e.g. pink, brown etc.
Interactions with children: talk about…. Talk with your child about what they are doing. This will help them understand the physical and mental processes they are going through as well as giving them the vocabulary to describe it. "Look at how the paint splatters like that"
Introduce possibility thinking
e.g. What will this feel like?
How will this look?
If I put my hand on the wet ink what will happen
Problem solving element? Make your child aware of the problem solving involved and ask them questions as needed to help them work out problems themselves, eg. "Why isn't the paint coming out now?", "Is the straw reaching the paint when the bottle is tipped like that?", "How could you fix that?"
Why won’t the marker come out on the balloon?
How can we fix it?
Why is the marker smudged? How can we prevent that?
How can we stop the play dough from coming out?
What can we do if there’s a hole in the balloon?
Evaluation of activity: What did think of the activity?
I think the activity was useful in developing many of the child’s skills, such as awareness of emotions, their fine motor skills, their development in numeracy and language as they could talk about what they were doing and making them aware of their senses.
Additional information: (images, books, articles, video links, websites etc.)
Showing the children the outcomes

6. Bringing in a story book to introduce different feelings
Having posters/ pictures around of feelings and emotions
Summary of your personal learning in points (at least 4) from doing the activity;
 . Play dough making
 . Introducing language and numeracy to the children
 . Introducing emotions in a fun way to children
 . All Aistear themes and learning goals can be incorporated into a simple activity.