Creative activities

[AnonyMouse_4562]

Hi,

I know that setting up 'cut and stick' activities is not a great learning experiences and tend to avoid them e.g. have pre-cut pieces that the children just have to stick together.

However, I'm always a bit confused about how much to provide and demonstrate to children when they have asked to make something. E.g. next week the children have asked to make spiders, so I've planned to provide black paper, googly eyes, black pipe cleaners, pictures of spiders, sparkly paint to spiders webs etc. Would you demonstrate how they might make a spider or just let them know that the resources are available?

I don't want to stiffle their creativity but want to give them enough support and guidance to do things that they may not know how to do?

Thanks,

Green Hippo x

[Guest]

maybe provide pictures/photos of spiders so they can see what their aiming to make. so they can count the legs, what shape the body is etc??

[AnonyMouse_7120]

The black apple trays from supermarkets are great for spider bodies

[AnonyMouse_3307]

Exploring the properties of spiders first and discussing the available materials to see what would give those textures, shapes, propeties, then being able to problem solve to create their spider after the shared thinking is a more creative approach I think...and enables creating and thinking critically skills to be supported as well.

 

From enabling environments (creating and thinking critically):

• In planning activities, ask yourself: Is this an opportunity for children to find their own ways to represent and develop their own ideas? Avoid children just reproducing someone else’s ideas.

• Build in opportunities for children to play with materials before using them in planned tasks.

 

You can then concentrate on teaching skills they may need to succeed, ie process skills or techniques

EA+D Exploring media etc (30 -50)

Support children in thinking about what they want to make,the processes that may be involved and the materials and resources they might need, such as a photograph to remind them what the climbing frame is like.

Demonstrate and teach skills and techniques associated with the things children are doing, for example, show them how to stop the paint from dripping or how to balance bricks so that they will not fall down.

 

Cx

[AnonyMouse_4562]

Thanks Catma,

always on hand with your wise words!

So...would it be best to put the different resources out tomorrow to allow children time to explore them, then when appropriate have a photo and play-spider to stimulate some discussion about spiders and their properties and let that lead into how could we make a spider, what could we use?

Thanks for all the replies,

Green Hippo x

[AnonyMouse_64]

I would also not limit the resources on offer to those things you feel would make a good spider. Any junk boxes, black paint and different paper, material and wool can be made into a spider. Just lots of different black resources and then let their imaginations run wild.

[AnonyMouse_4562]

Thanks Beau! Any 'spider' resources would be additional to the wide range of resources already available for free choice in the creative area.

x

[AnonyMouse_3307]

What Beau said!!!