Enabling Environments: Around the Nursery - Malleable Materials

Malleable materials is an area that can offer a wide range of experiences and learning opportunities for children across the curriculum areas and developmental stages. Even very young children will become deeply involved in their play and spend long periods of time investigating and exploring possibilities.

RESOURCES

Settings should aim to provide:
- open shelved storage units
- storage baskets pots
- table (round or rectangular) with washable surface, and chairs
- washable aprons
- dustpan and brush
- modelling tools
- cutters, moulds
- clay boards
- flour sifter
- natural objects - for example, shells, tree bark, fir cones, pebbles
- found objects for imprinting, for example, beads, buttons, coins,
textured rolling pins, keys
- kitchen utensils - for example, potato masher, fish slice, rolling
pins, garlic press (always check utensils for safety)
- pans, baking tins, bun cases, cake board, cake decorations
- cups, plates, bowls, cutlery
- number lines, number cards
- dough recipe, photographs showing the preparation process at every
stage
- other recipe cards (real and made up by children)
- photographs that may stimulate ideas - for example, cakes, vegetables,
animals, sculptures
- number rhymes displayed in area.