Dr. Maria Montessori established through her observations and research that before a child can begin to learn about the world around them, they must first develop the tools to do so by educating the senses. In our Under 2 classroom, play dough is a beloved sensorial activity and a powerful tool for development with many possible points of interest. In this photograph, the child is using play dough to create a ‘snake’. When we explore playdough and focus on manipulating the dough into specific simple shapes, we open an opportunity to develop proprioception: the sense that enables us to know where our body parts are, and what they are doing, without visually observing them. This sense takes input, such as weight and pressure, from muscles and joints and uses it to coordinate movements and apply appropriate pressure. Manipulating the dough and aiming towards specific shapes is a fun way to experiment with pressure control while reinforcing this vital sensory system!
