Daily, the children inspire us to exercise creativity. During 'loose parts' one morning, a gigantic bag of fabric scraps was spread out over the carpet. Fabric is a wonderful medium in the classroom - the pattern, the texture, the nature in which it can be rolled, smoothed and folded, adds to the whole sensory experience.
We wondered what would happen if we added dolls to the mix. We rummaged through the cupboards for extra dolls, and borrowed from neighbouring classes. We sat back and watched the magic happen, as the children were free ...
To play.
To explore.
To observe.
To create.
Fine motor skills were utilized as the children wrapped and tied the fabric to create diapers and wardrobes for the dolls.
The dolls were dressed, and nurtured.
The children shared stories about taking care of their baby brothers, sisters, cousins.
They shared resources, and collaborated on plans.
When the curriculum expectations begin to unfold, and there is a buzz of excitement in the room, it is a tremendous experience. As this activity picked up in enthusiasm, we were inspired to print up some paper dolls, and prepare for another activity.
A talented, scrapbooking parent generously donated some terrific art materials last year. We still had some beautiful paper leftover, so we set the stage for the children to engage in creativity, exercise spatial sense, and practice cutting & fine motor skills.
Creativity was abound, and the morning passed by so quickly! Recently, I have been reading more journal articles related to the development of creativity in children. There is increasingly more value given to creativity, and research into the different subcomponents of creative development, which are closely related to general cognitive development. I feel very strongly, that when the children are provided open ended opportunities, deep learning is taking place. We feel very lucky to work with these little people, as they taking their learning to the next level.
Thank you for visiting the atelier!
