This month, the children in School-age 3 engaged in a festive and hands-on Christmas wreath-making activity that encouraged creativity, fine-motor development, and joyful exploration. I provided paper plates as the base along with green and light-green paper strips, colourful decorative pieces, and small jingle bells. The materials instantly sparked curiosity, and the children gathered around the table with excitement. As we began, one child picked up two different shades of green and asked, “Why do we need both greens?” I explained, “Real wreaths have lots of different leaves, so using two colours helps make it look more like nature.” Another child shook a bell softly and said with a big smile, “This bell sounds like Santa’s coming!” These little conversations showed how they were building connections, using language to express ideas, and sharing their thoughts with peers. Throughout the activity, I observed the children carefully gluing and arranging the strips around their plates. Many took their time deciding how they wanted their wreaths to look, showing independence and problem-solving as they chose patterns, colours, and decorations. Some children compared their jingle bells, laughing and saying whose was “the loudest” or “the shiniest,” demonstrating social engagement and cooperative play. This experience supported several areas of learning—fine-motor strength, creativity, sensory exploration, and confidence in self-expression. Most importantly, the children showed pride in their work. At the end, each child held up their finished wreath with a smile, excited to take it home and share a piece of their learning with their families, independence and connections with each other.
