Guest Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Can I have some advice please? Our SIP visited on friday and was horrified that during a planned cooking activity we were 'allowing' a child who has additional needs and was not interested in the activity to play with a small bowl of dry flour. She said the dust was dangerous. is she right. its so frustrating when you find something at last that you can engage a child with, only to be told, no. Really value everyones thoughts and expertise. Thanks.
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 no not unless that child has severe asthma or an allergy!!! goodness me we would never have cooking or any messy play, the dust after milling would be dangerous to someone with those ailments but otherwise I think this is a complete over reaction .
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 It has been known that inhaling flour dust over a period of time can cause asthma and it can be harmful in small amounts if coeliac but this does happen after long term repeated exposure to dust flying around say from tipping the flour out of the bag and dust flying into the air.. the risk in small amounts occasionally is very minimal but maybe something to be aware of. flour dust risk
Guest Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Thanks for these speedy replies - and taking the trouble to post a link. so relieved that as long as we arent rolling around in the stuff we should be ok Thanks again
Guest Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 as the parent of a severe asthmatic I would ask you to also consider the rest of the children and check their allergies and asthma status not just the child involved.
Guest Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Of course. we have health care plans for relevent children and are fortunate not to have any asthmatics. However, will raise this with staff. Thanks
AnonyMouse_15046 Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 Flour dust can be explosive but I'm not sure how much you would need to make it happen. http://sky1.sky.com/brainiac-flour-explosion-slow-motion
Guest Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 upsey daisy - crumbs! getting me thinking cross curricular, science experiments...
Guest Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 This was my son's favourite activity when he went to Pre-school. Sometimes he would come home looking like a flour grader! He's 15 now and all seems fine! We don't use flour except for cooking activities/playdough making but the amount that gets around when the children are mixing.....well
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 one of my friends children attended a montessorri and the leader brought in a huge bag of flour. The children tipped it onto the table and had a great time exploring it, creating roads for cars and little environments, they then decided to add some water to make it more fun! They all came out at the end of the day covered in flour glue which had started to dry on clothes and in hair! they looked terrible and took a while to tidy up but they had learnt a lot in a day!
AnonyMouse_6008 Posted February 13, 2012 Posted February 13, 2012 One of our little girls has additional needs and loves to handle and eat sand and glitter - I'd be over-joyed if we got her to handle and eat an actual food stuff! And yes, I say that knowing that eating dry flour isn't ideal - I'm asthmatic myself as are both my children - but getting her to use flour would be a big step for her. Just as a matter of interest, what would your child have been doing had you not engaged him and met his needs to expereince the cooking activity at his own level?
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