Last week we got a delivery of 11 eggs to Rachel Keeling.
The children were intrigued and shared ideas about what they thought might hatch: would it be dinosaurs, chicks or snakes? Some children thought they might be to eat!!!! The children were encouraged to share their ideas and predict what might happen next by talking and listening to each other. We waited patiently and 2 days later some beaks tapped their way out and a chick appeared. Once they dried off and were strong enough to stand, we moved them into a bigger container with a light to heat them, water to drink and seeds to eat. We continued to watch as all 11 hatched. During this time, children used books and posters to find out what chicks needed to help them grow and what they might look like as they got bigger. Children excitedly showed their friends and families each day. Children were able to closely observe and talk about the changes they could see. Once the chicks were strong enough, we took them out to clean and for some exercise. Children had the opportunity to gently handle them too. They felt so soft and fluffy - some of them were very lively too. Tomorrow they go back to the farm but it has been a wonderful experience of awe and wonder for the children. Children at Rachel Keeling are encouraged to be creative and their creativity is supported in many ways. This term staff noticed that many children were creating paintings, models and drawings repeatedly and the 'going home' basket was full to the brim each day with creations to take away.
We considered the impact of this on the environment and attitudes towards consuming. Staff decided to offer more creative experiences which children can engage in that are sustainable: with no end product to take home. Our collection of natural resources and transient art objects lends itself beautifully to this. Children engage for sustained periods, alone, in pairs and alongside each other to lay out their designs and talk about them, enjoy them, maybe photograph them and then pack them away. Everything can be reused again. Today one governor observed a child deeply engaged in creating a completely symmetrical design. When we look in her Special Book we noticed she had done something similar two terms ago using natural and transient art materials. The earlier design was laid out in piles, quite haphazardly and to see this development of pattern, colour and symmetry was wonderful. See if you and your child can create transient art in the park: using sticks, stones, feathers and leaves? |