This month the School-age 1 children were participating in a body tracing activity. The activity was a way to get to know each other and to build new friendships in our program. The children were working in pairs; each of them had a separate, large piece of paper, markers, and scissors. Hudson and Sacarra were working together. Hudson started by tracing Sacarra's body using a marker. During this process he realized that he had to be very careful and precise to get the exact picture of his partner and not draw on her body. Sacarra traced Hudson's body and she learned that it is difficult to do that while the person is moving his body. When they finished their tracing they started working on applying the components of their bodies. They added facial features, such as an expression, and designed the clothes with chosen patterns. Hudson decided to cut out his body so he could compare it to the size of his "real" body; he found that his body was the same size as the paper one. While Grayson was tracing Bela's body, he made the comment that Bela is taller than him and she barely fit on the sheet of paper. Bela practiced her fine motor skills by cutting out the shape of Grayson's body and ultimately mastered her hand-eye coordination. Grayson also decorated his body, including the outline of clothing and hair, using markers; he drew his blond hair, blue eyes, and added a big smile. This activity was a great social interaction that enhanced children's self-esteem and confidence. Through peer to peer conversation, they had an opportunity to work on new vocabulary and improve communication skills. They learned about each other's silhouettes, sizes of their feet, and different facial features. It was a fun, silly way to explore shapes, creativity, and imagination.
