Brooms and Brushes Day
Hello, I am Becky. My long name is Rebecca Fisk. I have been a teacher for many years and now I teach grown ups how to be teachers too. I love exploring things and having a go, especially things that everyone can join in. Today we are going to explore brushes and brooms.
9.30am Activity:
Sweeping Up
Using brooms outside is a great way to develop your child’s upper body gross motor skills. It helps to pivot the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints which support the development of writing skills in the future. It also supports children’s balance skills. Why not use a dustpan and brush too, and see what you can sweep up today? A garden rake uses a similar action, so raking leaves in the Autumn is a great activity to try too.
Grown Ups:
10.30am Activity:
Scrubbing Vegetables
This is a great way for children to learn where their food comes from and to discuss hygiene with them. Washing and scrubbing vegetables can encourage your child to develop good kitchen practice as well as involve them in food preparation. Children are often more likely to try foods that they have helped to prepare.
Grown Ups:
1:30pm Activity:
Brush Art
Using a variety of old brushes for children to paint with and explore the different marks they can make with them is a wonderful way of encouraging their creative skills and imagination.
You are also re-purposing things that you might have thrown away.
Larger brushes can be easier for children to grip than fine ones and can be used at an easel (on an upright surface like a fence) on a table or on the floor. This encourages children to explore creating art at different heights, using different muscles with vertical or horizontal planes.
Brush art is a ‘quick-win’ visually and can look quite dramatic. Why not design wrapping paper or a framed image and send a picture into the gallery?
Grown Ups:
2:30pm Activity:
Brushing Toys and Pets
This is an activity which encourages children to think about hygiene. You may want to expand this to them brushing their own hair and teeth and nails. A discussion about hygienic use of different brushes and why it is important to keep ourselves clean for our health will support children to ask questions and learn about their own self-care.
They will also learn that it is important to take care of their pets and toys too.
Grown Ups:
If you've finished these and still have time for fun...
Have a go at scrubbing the kitchen floor or a piece of tarpaulin outside.
Visit the greengrocers or a local farm shop to choose some food to scrub and prepare before cooking. Maybe you can make some potato wedges?
Have you ever used a shoe brush and learnt to polish your shoes?
