Pop and Floss
What You Need
•Microwave, popcorn maker or frying pan •Popcorn kernels •A small white paper bag •Red & white paint/tissue paper & glue •Toffee/melted butter •Salt •Sugar •Shaving foam •PVA glue •Food colouring (pink or red and blue) •A4 piece of card •Straw/wooden stick
What to Do
Popcorn Make the popcorn using chosen method, optimising every opportunity for the learners to activate their senses: •Taste (where appropriate) such as salt, sugar, toffee and the finished popcorn •Touch and texture such as sugar, uncooked and cooked popcorn •Smell such as toffee/melted butter and popcorn •Sound such as popping popcorn, which could be recorded on a switch device
This rhyme could be used to enhance the experience: I’m a little popcorn in a pot (sitting on the floor, support learner to cuddle knees to chest) Heat me up and watch me pop (release cuddle and help learner to extend legs and arms in a quick movement) When I am all white I am done Popping corn is lots of fun (Using hands, make quick bouncing movements over the learner’s body to mimic ‘popping’)
Give each learner a paper bag (you can use an envelope if you don’t have paper bags) and support them to decorate it with red and white stripes. You can use paint and fingers/dabbers, tissue paper and glue, and then help them to fill it with popcorn.
Candyfloss
If you happen to have a candyfloss machine, then you can make you can make your own candyfloss but otherwise you can get a bag from the shop to explore. Encourage the learners to touch the completed candyfloss and pull bits off for themselves if appropriate.
Make candyfloss art! Draw a basic candyfloss shape on the piece of card and cut it out. Get two bowls and put a mix of 50/50 PVA glue and shaving foam into each. Add a couple of drops of pink/red food colouring to one bowl and a couple of drops of blue to the other and give them a mix. Support the learner to paint the candyfloss shape using swirling motions. Encourage the learner to explore the feeling of the foam (not in the mouth!). Glue a straw/wooden stick to finish the candyfloss. This will need to be left overnight to dry.