Flipping Pancake Game

I just love this simple Flipping Pancake Game. Not only will it develop your child's physical skills but possibly their competitive side too :-)

Who can play?

Children aged 2 years and above, however as with all activities it depends on their age and stage of development.

What you need:

Playdough

Rolling pin

Small pan

Open space

How to play:

Make some pancake shapes out of playdough by asking your child to roll a ball and then by using a rolling pin, flatten it out into a circular shape.

Next you have to place your pancake in a small pan. We used our pans from Bee's kitchen play set.

Once you have your pancake and pan, practice tossing it up in the air and catching it back in the pan.

When your child feels ready, have a race with you or a friend to a certain focal point and ask them to flip their pancake whilst running. If they drop their pancake they have to stop and pick it up.

We had so much fun with this game and  had a little bit of cheating along the way.

Potential learning outcomes:

Physical:  Throwing and catching the pancake in the pan. running and hand eye coordination. Fine manipulative skills when rolling the playdough out and making it flat.

Mathematical: Counting how many times you can flip a pancake without dropping it onto the floor. Developing concepts of the shape of a circle.

Communication and Language: Listening to and following instructions. Talking about what is happening.

Literacy: developing those fine manipulative skills that are needed for holding a pencil whilst rolling the dough. Look at books about pancake day.

Art and Design: Using their imagination and creativity when making the pancake and role play.

Social and Emotional: Joining in with a game and cooperating. Following the rules of the game. Fun and enjoyment.

Knowledge of the World: Learning about the festival that is Pancake Day/shrove Tuesday. Being in their local environment.

Possible next steps:

Why not open a pretend pancake cafe to develop role play. Mathematic concepts could be introduced such as counting out the pancakes and using money.