Scooping, Spooning and Dry Pouring

Create your own scooping, spooning and pouring activities at home by using found objects in your kitchen drawers.

Home Lesson One: Scooping

  1. Locate a container, one or more scoops, and a few cups of non-perishable items such as pasta, chickpeas, lentils or beads
  2. Fill the container to roughly half way
  3. Take your scoop or scoops and transfer from left to right and back again
  4. Invite your child to take a turn
  5. Extend on this activity by asking your child “how many scoops do you think I will need to fill this container” to develop visual discrimination of quantity

Home Lesson Two: Dry Pouring

  1. Locate two jugs or pouring containers and place on a tray or in a container
  2. Fill the jug on the left with a dry material such as pom poms, lentils, or pasta
  3. Demonstrate how to pour from left to right
  4. Invite your child to take a turn
  5. Extend on this activity by using jugs with a narrower spout and transfer smaller dry items such as lentils
  6. Pour the dry items back into the bowl on the left side to restore the activity to its original state

Home Lesson Four: Spooning

  1. Locate two bowls and a spoon that easily fits in your child’s hand
  2. Place them on a tray and fill the bowl to the left with a dry material
  3. Spoon from left to right
  4. Invite your child to take a turn
  5. Spoon the dry items back into the bowl on the left side to restore the activity to its original state

Curriculum Area

Practical Life

Age Group

2 – 6 years

Aims

  • Refine fine motor skills
  • Develop a sense of order
  • Establish left to right movement in preparation for writing and reading
  • Exercise judgement over size and capacity
  • Develop coordination for more complex transfer activities

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