The Creative Juices Are Flowing
At the beginning of this week, we set up a mini provocation in the classroom. As the children entered, they were greeted by white lanterns hanging from the ceiling, accompanied by some paint and brushes placed nearby. Instead of saying anything, I chose to remain silent and observe, patiently waiting for them to express their curiosity and ask questions. This approach allowed their natural inquisitiveness to emerge, creating an opportunity for exploration and discussion.....it wasn't long before they were getting fully involved.
Painting the lanterns sparked the children's creativity, enabling them to experiment with various colours and designs to create something unique. This activity also helped develop their hand-eye coordination and dexterity. They learnt how to hold the lantern steady while painting, which was a new skill for them. Additionally, there was plenty of laughter as they discovered it was fun to let the painted lanterns bounce off their faces! 😂
Painting with new materials or in unique situations encourages children to take risks and be brave. I found it interesting to see who eagerly jumped into the activity and who chose to sit it out. Throughout the week, it became a very social experience, allowing kids to work together and share their ideas and techniques, especially when they realised they could paint the inside of the lanterns too..or lying down! This not only helped develop their communication and collaboration skills but also fostered a sense of community and teamwork
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The increase in the level of mark-making has been on an upward spiral lately. I have been impressed by the images being created, as well as their strength, grip, and coordination. Much more mark-making with purpose as you can see below.
To maintain this momentum, I introduced the book Lines That Wriggle to the class. I encouraged the students to explore and recreate some of the various lines they observed within its pages. This activity aimed to inspire their creativity and further develop their mark-making skill
Next week, we will focus more on drawing skills. I want the students to think carefully about what they are drawing and how they express their ideas. As they create their artwork, I will encourage them to talk about the marks they make and why they choose to make them. This will help them understand their choices better and improve their creativity. By paying attention to their process, we hope to strengthen their drawing abilities, as well as their thinking and communication skills, making their work more personal and meaningful.
If you’re doing this type of activity at home together, it’s important not to focus on how realistic their drawings are. If they draw a tree that doesn’t look like a tree, that’s perfectly fine. The main goal is to encourage them to think about what they want to draw, express it in their own way, and then explain their work. This process is what really matters
We also enjoyed some fun "playdough disco" sessions! Manipulating playdough involves squeezing, rolling, and pinching, which helps strengthen the small muscles in their hands and fingers. As children create various shapes and figures, they improve their finger coordination and control—important skills for tasks like writing and buttoning clothes. Working with playdough also allows them to practice different grips, enhancing their ability to hold pencils, crayons, and other tools. As they mold and shape the dough, they learn to coordinate their hand movements with what they see, boosting their overall coordination skills
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TThe children enhanced their language and communication skills through their own storytelling. I initially thought that given how much they talk in the classroom, this would come easily to them; however, I was surprised to see that many found it quite challenging. This is a great opportunity for us to focus on improving this area. Each story created was proudly displayed, and we will be spotlighting them in the coming weeks
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Emotional Expression
The children made their own 'Monster Art' to reinforce 'The Colour Monster' book we have been working with, and also to explore some new art techniques.
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Lastly, since returning from the Easter holidays, I've noticed an increase in "toilet talk." As soon as one child starts, it tends to become quite contagious! It is developmentally appropriate for children to start using such language around the time they begin toilet training. Interestingly, this behaviour is often linked to the development of a sense of humour.
In the classroom, I do tell them that they can use those words in the toilet but not in the classroom unless they are asking to go to the toilet.
I came across this simple article that you may want to read if this is also happening at home too.
Dawn
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