Salt Dough Medals - Activity Instructions

Tune In

Revisit the page in ‘Charlie’s Tales: Cassia and the Fire Dragons’ where Grandma is explaining how our bodies are similar/different.

Use the following prompts to discuss differences with your children:

Just like the dragons, our bodies may be similar in some ways and different in others, but all bodies are special and can do amazing things.
How were the dragons similar or the same? (they all liked sliding down the ice, they all had claws to dig a riverbed)
How were they different? (some could breathe fire, some could breathe ice)
How did their differences help each other? (using Cassia’s ice breath to freeze the water)

Find Out

Ask children to turn to a partner and think of

one thing that they can do that is similar to their partner
one thing that they can each do that makes them different.

This will encourage children to practice their speaking and listening skills by discussing with their peer the things they can do that set them apart and skills they have in common.

Provide the children with an example to assist the language they use to consolidate their ideas.

“I can drive a car, and Samual can ride a scooter, but we can both ride bikes”

“I can write my name, and Jenny can draw turtles, but we can both do really good colouring”

Reiterate ‘Cassia and the Fire Dragon’s key message: “Our bodies are all unique, and we need to value the ways we are different to everyone else. Our special talents are like our superpowers, and we can use them to help our friends and family.”

Take Action

Ask children to identify something their unique body can do that they think is really special and makes them really proud.

As a group, work together to create a salt dough medal for everyone in the group, which they will be awarded for the skill/talent/ability that their unique body can do. Involve the children in each part of the salt dough making process, as just like cooking, it is extremely beneficial to children in a number of ways:

early literacy skills: following a written recipe
early numeracy skills: explore measurement and numbers
motor skills: pour, tip, mix and cut
social skills: wait their turn, work together as a team.

Use the following recipe or another preferred salt dough recipe to create the dough.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
½ cup table salt
125ml water

Method:

Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the water and stir until the dough comes together into a ball (once it forms a dough, you can invite children to use their hands to kneed the mixture for an added sensory experience)
Provide each child with a small ball of dough that they can use to create their medal shape.
You can provide the children with tools such as rolling pins, biscuit cutters, and plastic knives to roll out and shape their dough into the desired shape.
Ensure you put a hole through the dough, which will have the ribbon threaded through it once baked.
Place the finished dough medals on a tray lined with baking paper
Bake in the oven on its lowest setting (approx 50 degrees celsius) for three hours or until solid.
Leave to cool, allow children to paint their medals gold and apply glitter if preferred, then leave to dry.
Once dry, thread the ribbon through the hole to hang the medal around the children’s neck.

Once all of the medals are complete, present each child with their medals for the things their unique bodies can do. Create a gallery of photos of the children with their medals and their unique abilities for the children and their families to enjoy.

Salt Dough Medals

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