Reciprocity in Reception

Here at Broadford Primary we feel it is important to promote the 4R's: We encourage all of the children to consider reflectiveness, Resilience, Reciprocity and Resourcefulness as their responsibilities.  Kyla and Charlie demonstrated many of these skills yesterday when they had to solve a problem.  They worked collaboratively to make the water reach the mud kitchen because every mud kitchen needs water and the hose was too short! They resourcefully borrowed guttering and stands from other areas to build a structure and when a leak occurred they reflected on how they could improve their structure. Charlie called to Layla "Let's try this" as he swapped a piece of guttering that was leaking.

The mud kitchen is always a popular space, it addresses many of the areas of learning.  The mud kitchen enables the children to partake in rich, engaging sensory play, while  mud investigation allows them to express their creativity while enhancing their fine motor skills. Children practice social skills such as cooperation, negotiation, communication, and sharing as they work together. Emergent math and science skills are practiced as children make before and after comparisons, solve problems, test theories, and measure and count ingredients for their mud pies. Mud is a wonderful art medium, it is in ample supply, can be easily molded to create endless sculptures, and responds differently than clay or play dough. The open-ended nature of mud encourages creative thinking and allows children to freely create without fear of making mistakes. This also contributes to a child’s sense of self, helping to build a strong inner sense of competency.