Collaborative Scultping

Over the past two weeks, children have been exploring clay in with their whole bodies. Initially they discovered a bag of hard clay which they talked about: deciding to knock it down and moisten it. Children talked about how it felt and they described the sounds it made from "splat" to "thud".  They used atomisers to add water - using the vocabulary such as "nozzle" "atomiser" and "tube". They then used their hands and arms to explore sculpting and change the shape and form of the clay. Some children used tools to make marks. Children returned day after day and began to create a sculpture together. There was talk of "monster feet" but a volcano is where they ended up. 
Next the group were supported in thinking about what they could add to the sculpture: they independently set about gathering sticks from the garden to add to their volcano.
Whilst the sculpture was drying, children embarked on some collaborative painting for a backdrop. They thought about colours they may use for this and to paint the volcano once dry. They selected warm colours such as red, orange and yellow and applied the paint and worked as a team, sharing talk, negotiating and showing real joy. 
The volcano is currently drying before the children will add their words next to it and decide on a location to display it. 

At  home, do some collaborative baking. Let you child take the lead and have some fun!