This month School-age 1 at RisingOak Early Learning | John Sweeney have been busy making crafts! We set out a number of mixed craft materials and observed the different ways the children manipulated them creating intricate designs. Each child was given their own piece of white blank paper, and then we put bits of tissue paper, stickers, feathers, popsicle sticks and much more out for them to access and explore.
For some, this was the first time using these materials, for others, it was another chance to explore them in a different way. Sabrina grabbed the stickers right away, while Iliana picked out specific colors of confetti and glued them to her paper one by one to make a background for her picture. At one point, I heard Noah ask, “I want to stick these shells to my paper but I don’t know how”. I then heard Nyella respond with, “If the glue is not working, ask for tape and we can tape them on”. It was great to hear the children problem solving and working together to ensure their vision come to life. My favorite part was seeing how different everyone's creation turned out. Some were bright and colorful with lots of rainbow popsicle sticks and feathers, while others chose to go the sticker and stamp route; but each creation was special in its own way, just like each of us!When the children finished, the table was covered in an ocean of colorful craft materials. They felt so proud of what they had created! The children couldn't wait to take them home and show their families how their innovative thinking was transferred onto a page. Our friends worked with all their resources to create unique and original designs, which enhanced the development of their inventiveness and imagination. Creativity teaches them to express their emotions and inspires them to make all their visions come true through art!
The children have shown us that having their very own project to work on is important to them. Creating and displaying their artwork adds to their sense of belonging in our environment. It also allows each child to reflect on the experience they had making it. This activity also builds self-esteem and confidence as the children become more comfortable asking for help from their peers and Educators.
