Machines!!
 

Need some ideas for introducing this as a theme!!
:cheerful: ...any suggestions will be appreciated...:D

:hissyfit: ..knew this was a difficult suggestion as a theme...someone must have an idea...or two....:idea: ..please...:thumbsup:

LOL ... not an easy theme to get your head around but here goes

:pencil: Printing Press Machines

1. Make your own junk modelling printing press.
2. Role play area - The Editors Room !!
Have ink stampers, huge sheets of paper, white aprons,rules, paper hole punches, pots of pencils laid out on tables. (get history involved and have parchment and quills !! :D lol)
3. Make your own mini children's newsletter!
4. Lots of old newpapers/magazines to cut and paste

:pencil: Loom/ weaving machines
Fabrics -
See if you have any obliging dads/brothers/woodworking enthusiasts keen to help... and ask if they can hammer some nails into a large plank of wood - have the nails raised by about 1 cm so that the children can weave wool, thread, pipecleaners, cotton, ribbon lace etc around them!
(of course ... check health & safety / risk assessment docs for this :sarcastic )
You could also use large 'fish net' type netting for a similar loom type 'machine'

:pencil: Chicken egg run inventions !! (Wallace and gromit - eat your hearts out !!)
Machines to ‘transport’ items from one place to another using, ramps, claps, grips, swivels, tunnels etc!!
Imitate the ‘grab games’ that you'd find in the amusement arcade !!
No personal preference but the sort of constructional toys for building these ‘contraptions’ could be…
Lego, Mobilo, stickle bricks...
Use large marbles, ping pong balls, etc as the test subjects!

:pencil: X rays !!
Use junk boxes to build the X ray machine!
1.Cut a hole in the front of the box
2. Decorate - silver foil, buttons etc - talk about what each knob or dial might do !!
2.Use a heavy duty plastic document sleeve as the 'window' put a piece of black card inside it ... so that it looks empty when not in use.
3. To take Xrays... pretend your switiching on the machine (make all the relevant noises :D :wide-eyed ) then use some pre made skeleton pictures and slowly slide them down into the 'window'
once in ... examine the pictures with the children and see if they can point out - bones, joints or whatever else they think things are !!!

Skeleton pictures could also be made with pasta or staws cut into varying lengths.


:pencil: Not sure on policies for watching TV/Videos but 'Come Outside' with Pippin is a great resource for showing processes of materials and loads more !

:pencil: Lots of pictorial resources to show the children real life machines and their purposes...Books, leaflets, posters..

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Air... let us know how things go :D :rotfl: lol ......