Greener than Green
During a discussion with the Kindy children, we discussed on how we can make the green canvas even greener. The children decided that we should attached flowers and leaves on it and make it look like a jungle. The giant green canvas has been displayed in our studio for quite a while now and it keeps evolving based on the children’s interests and knowledge. We explore and find out different ways to attach leaves onto the canvas together which has become an amazing learning experience for us. The children from all age groups collaborated in the experience and the biodegradable packing peanuts were a huge hit. The packing peanuts made from corn starch turns sticky when in contact with water, which was a great sensory experience for the younger children. The older children were more interested in exploring different kinds of sticky tape and find out different ways to attach leaves onto the canvas.
Once the artwork was completed, the Kindy children suggested to make animals and put them in to make it look more like a jungle. After a long discussion, we have decided to use clay as our medium to create the animals. Animal photos that the children took from the zoo and realistic toy animals were set up around the creation area as provocation and inspiration for our little artists. The children enjoyed experimenting with clay and displayed lots of amazing hand building techniques like pinching, pressing, stamping, and rolling without any guidance. The children also enjoyed creating slurry mixtures after watching the demonstration and found out that it was used to smoothen up rough or cracked surfaces of clay.
The children are currently busy discussing about what they want to create on an even bigger canvas for the upcoming art exhibition and it is so precious to see how amazing their interactions are.