Playdough Snails

Children in reception will be learning to:

As you play with the playdough, make a snail and say ssssssnail as you show the snail to your child. Can they think of other words that have a ssss sound? e.g. sssssnake, snake, bussssss, bus.

Show your child the letter s. This is the letter s (use the letter name) and it makes a ssss sound. Snail begins with sss, ssssnail. Run your finger down the letter as you say ssss. Encourage your child to join in as you make the sound.

Model how to make a snail out of playdough. Make a ball of playdough and then roll it into a sausage shape. Talk about how sausage also starts with s. Discuss what is happening to the playdough. As we roll it, we are squashing it and making it stretch. Emphasise the sssss in the words as you roll the playdough e.g. ssssquash, sssstretch.

When the playdough is long enough show them how to turn the sausage (ssssausage) into a spiral (sssssspiral) then squeeze the end to create the snail's head.

You can use the playdough snails to explore letter formation in this snail trail letter activity.

Hand and Finger Strength – Squeezing and rolling playdough strengthens the hands, fingers and wrist which helps to develop the endurance needed to write a full page.

 Pincer Grip – Squeezing the end of the playdough to make the snail's head using their thumb and forefinger practises the action that is necessary for holding and manipulating a pencil.

If you have a go at this activity and share any photos on social media I would love to see them. Please tag @miniwritersclub and let me know how you get on.

Anna