Learning & Development: Creativity - In 3D
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Daily access to woodwork and a nearby allotment inspire children to create and construct
An allotment and ready access to a woodwork bench have provided children at Buttons and Bows Nursery, in Ipswich, with the inspiration and the means to explore 3D work.
The 72-place voluntary setting is divided in to two rooms, a Scientists Room (for children aged three and over) and an Explorers Room (for the under-twos), and its allotment nearby offers the children more opportunity for exploration.
On one visit to the nearby allotment, the children became fascinated by the various cane structures that they saw. Back at the nursery they decided to make their own creation using small bamboo sticks.
As a stimulus, the nursery practitioners joined three or four or four sticks together and suspended these from the ceiling. They then invited the children to add their own sticks, using tape to fix them together.
Nursery director Anne Denny says, ‘I observed lots of learning in this activity, but in terms of creativity the children were able to reflect upon their visit to the allotment and use this knowledge as inspiration to create a 3D structure of their own.’
The children positioned the small bamboo canes as they wished, so challenging their thinking. The activity required communication, concentration and the children also learned about balance, discovering if they pushed it hard enough the whole structure would start to rock from side to side.
Working on a large scale also helped the children learn about depth, height, perimeter and positioning. While creating the structure, the children moved around it, under it and inside it too. At various points during the construction the children stood back and commented upon what they were making: "it’s a helicopter!", "it’s a giant hat!", "it’s a house!"
‘In the end,’ adds Ms Denny, ‘the structure was quite large in size and this satisfied the children as "big things" appear impressive and worthy of lots of discussion.’
WOODWORK
Woodwork is available to the children every day, and while offering an outlet for their creativity, it also has a usefulness that the children enjoy. Among their 3D creations to date have been bug hotels, candlestick holders, toy cars and even a shed.
‘Woodwork satisfies the children’s need to build, bang, fix, twist, make and deconstruct in a physically active way,’ says Ms Denny. ‘Whilst block play is great for building too, it tends to lack the permanence and usefulness of woodwork.’
On offer to the children daily are a workbench, real tools and a variety of wood. ‘Plastic tools and plastic work benches often don’t really work because they are made for role play and not real play,’ adds Ms Dennry. ‘Real woodwork tools such as screwdrivers and hammers have a function and if the children are taught how to use them safely and correctly, then they are very capable of using them.’
Children are taught how to use each piece of equipment ahead of using it and helped to develop all all the skills and techniques they might need to make their construction – a list that includes how to put on protective goggles, tell the difference between nails and screws and get a nail out of a piece of wood. Importantly, however, the children are able to create independently and have become powerful inventors.
Children new to this activity prefer to experiment with the tools and materials, mainly hammering and sometimes creating structures. The more experienced children discuss and draw their plans beforehand and have clear ideas about what they want to make.
The children usually complete their work on a piece over one or two nursery sessions, though sometimes this extends to one or two weeks. The Scientists Room has a dedicated display unit for work in progress or completed 3D pieces. On occasion, they take their piece home and add to it with their family, then bring it back to the nursery to share with their key person.
The children’s work is photographed as it develops and the photographs displayed for all to see. ‘These photos tell the story of the children’s work and make their learning visible,’ explains Ms Denny. ‘The photos are added to as the story unfolds and at the end of the project the photos are updated again. The children are always looking at the photos to remember what they have done and to stimulate their work further.’
The children also enjoy the practical aspects of the woodwork. ‘When our birdfeeder table became broken the children offered to fix it,’ says Ms Denny. ‘They discussed how to mend it and then went ahead and removed the broken bits and added a brace to the roof. Of course, this took some time and they made a few mistakes and there were a couple of disagreements but they succeeded - with support - in their aim and they were able to share their work with the rest of the group.’
She admits being initially ‘quite worried’ about the safety of introducing woodwork to such young children, but she adds, ‘The risks are minimal if managed effectively. The rewards are seeing the children faces light up as you give them the real tools to use and watch them get started on the wood.’
Parents too have been supportive. ‘Some like to be reassured about the safety procedures, but most want to know how their child managed with the tools and what they made.’
The 72-place voluntary setting is divided in to two rooms, a Scientists Room (for children aged three and over) and an Explorers Room (for the under-twos), and its allotment nearby offers the children more opportunity for exploration.
On one visit to the nearby allotment, the children became fascinated by the various cane structures that they saw. Back at the nursery they decided to make their own creation using small bamboo sticks.
As a stimulus, the nursery practitioners joined three or four or four sticks together and suspended these from the ceiling. They then invited the children to add their own sticks, using tape to fix them together.Nursery director Anne Denny says, ‘I observed lots of learning in this activity, but in terms of creativity the children were able to reflect upon their visit to the allotment and use this knowledge as inspiration to create a 3D structure of their own.’
The children positioned the small bamboo canes as they wished, so challenging their thinking. The activity required communication, concentration and the children also learned about balance, discovering if they pushed it hard enough the whole structure would start to rock from side to side.
Working on a large scale also helped the children learn about depth, height, perimeter and positioning. While creating the structure, the children moved around it, under it and inside it too. At various points during the construction the children stood back and commented upon what they were making: "it’s a helicopter!", "it’s a giant hat!", "it’s a house!"‘In the end,’ adds Ms Denny, ‘the structure was quite large in size and this satisfied the children as "big things" appear impressive and worthy of lots of discussion.’
WOODWORK
Woodwork is available to the children every day, and while offering an outlet for their creativity, it also has a usefulness that the children enjoy. Among their 3D creations to date have been bug hotels, candlestick holders, toy cars and even a shed.
‘Woodwork satisfies the children’s need to build, bang, fix, twist, make and deconstruct in a physically active way,’ says Ms Denny. ‘Whilst block play is great for building too, it tends to lack the permanence and usefulness of woodwork.’
On offer to the children daily are a workbench, real tools and a variety of wood. ‘Plastic tools and plastic work benches often don’t really work because they are made for role play and not real play,’ adds Ms Dennry. ‘Real woodwork tools such as screwdrivers and hammers have a function and if the children are taught how to use them safely and correctly, then they are very capable of using them.’
Children are taught how to use each piece of equipment ahead of using it and helped to develop all all the skills and techniques they might need to make their construction – a list that includes how to put on protective goggles, tell the difference between nails and screws and get a nail out of a piece of wood. Importantly, however, the children are able to create independently and have become powerful inventors.
Children new to this activity prefer to experiment with the tools and materials, mainly hammering and sometimes creating structures. The more experienced children discuss and draw their plans beforehand and have clear ideas about what they want to make.
The children usually complete their work on a piece over one or two nursery sessions, though sometimes this extends to one or two weeks. The Scientists Room has a dedicated display unit for work in progress or completed 3D pieces. On occasion, they take their piece home and add to it with their family, then bring it back to the nursery to share with their key person.
The children’s work is photographed as it develops and the photographs displayed for all to see. ‘These photos tell the story of the children’s work and make their learning visible,’ explains Ms Denny. ‘The photos are added to as the story unfolds and at the end of the project the photos are updated again. The children are always looking at the photos to remember what they have done and to stimulate their work further.’
The children also enjoy the practical aspects of the woodwork. ‘When our birdfeeder table became broken the children offered to fix it,’ says Ms Denny. ‘They discussed how to mend it and then went ahead and removed the broken bits and added a brace to the roof. Of course, this took some time and they made a few mistakes and there were a couple of disagreements but they succeeded - with support - in their aim and they were able to share their work with the rest of the group.’
She admits being initially ‘quite worried’ about the safety of introducing woodwork to such young children, but she adds, ‘The risks are minimal if managed effectively. The rewards are seeing the children faces light up as you give them the real tools to use and watch them get started on the wood.’
Parents too have been supportive. ‘Some like to be reassured about the safety procedures, but most want to know how their child managed with the tools and what they made.’
