Tag Archives: creativity

Expressive Arts, Outdoor Learning

Splat!!!

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Today we have enjoyed using our gross motor skills to explore how far we can make paint travel. We filled bowls with paint and whisked it up with a little bit of water. Then we had a brilliant, if a little messy, time bouncing balls into the paint and watching how far it spread.

We needed to step back when we made a huge splash!


“It went off the paper!”

We discovered that the heavier the ball and the harder you throw it, the bigger the splash. This lead to some of the boys taking a run up before throwing to get more force. Great thinking!

All this splashing created some beautiful pictures, well done boys and girls!

One of the children even decided to experiment with using the whisk to splat the paint rather than the balls. It made a lovely pattern on the paper, “like rain.”

Next week we will continue to experiment with more ways to combine using our gross motor skills with our creative skills.

 

Expressive Arts

Introducing woodwork safety 🛠🪵 & creating sculptures

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Today over at our woodwork area the children have been learning about the safety rules of our tinker table and how to properly handle basic tools, learning to make judgements, avoid hazards and managing risks.


“You must wear goggles.” “Always have an adult with you.”

We came together as a group and had a look at the tools we’d be using, one by one the children selected each tool and placed it in the middle for all children to hold and have a look at. We discussed which each tool was used for and how to safely handle them.


“I have a hammer at home, I use with dad.” “You use the screwdriver to unscrew the nails.”

The children had lots of fun engaging in discussions with one another about the safety rules and looking at the tools, now we are able to use the tools to create our own designs, how exciting! Stay tuned to see what the children create.


“Thumbs up if you know the safety rules and are ready to use the tools.”

Some of our younger children have been busy gluing different shapes of wood and loose parts together, creating three dimensional objects for our wooden 3D sculpture.


“I build it high.” “I make a tower.”

Here is the children’s fabulous work, great job! 👍

Expressive Arts

Let’s get sewing 🧵 🪡

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Welcome to our sewing area in the noisy quiet room, let’s have a look and see what the children have been up to today.

Some of the children spent time at the threading station, here we have been focusing on developing our fine motor and hand eye co-ordination.

“ I made a knot”
“I did it.”
“I’m using pink, my favourite colour.”

Over at our sewing table the children have loved being able to self select the different colours and types of wool they’d like and independently cutting it.

”I’m going to use a very long bit of wool.”
”I can do it all by myself.”

The children have been practicing super hard at threading the wool through the needle, the children demonstrated brilliant concentration and hand eye co-ordination, great job! We have been learning to assess and manage risk when using sewing needles.

Now it’s time to get creative! The children had lots of fun working as a pair and independently, creating their own patterns on our sewing table.


“I made a cross.”
”It goes up and down.”
“It looks like a rainbow.”

Sewing is such a valuable skill for children, it is a key way that they can express their creativity, as well developing their concentration, fine manipulative skills and building their self-confidence.

Expressive Arts

Creative painting 🎨🖌

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This week in the studio we have been exploring different  paint techniques. We have been using the wire racks to create our pictures. As we explored painting thought the wire racks we noticed the strips and squares in our paintings and some of the children begin to explore some simple pattern in their painting


“I’m using yellow”

“I’m doing long strips”

”There is lots of squares”

“A face”

“My pattern is red blue red blue”

While painting their master pieces the children have been developing their fine motor skill, specially awareness, mathematical language and exploring the different process and outcome as they explore the paint.

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Brilliant Building

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Today in the block area, we have been using our curiosity, problem solving skills and imagination to create different models and explore our small world toys within the block area.

”Lets build a rollercoaster”

”it can be a house too”

”we have to build it big”

The children used their imaginations to work out design criteria and take turns to work together to construct their model. The children decided they were building a ”rollercoaster house” which had lots of different features such as lights and speakers! So cool!!

Some of the other children decided to explore our new small world loose part toys in the block area.

We explored role play with the dinosaurs and people figures creating our own small world stories. There was volcanos, mountains and lava!! Block play helps children to take turns and share different materials, develop new friendships and socialisation skills and co-operate with others.

 

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I climbed aboard the Pirate Ship!

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In the block area today, the children used their problem solving skills throughout imaginative play to build a model pirate ship. The children showed that they were able to think creatively whilst working together to build their ship.

The children discussed possible design criteria and shared ideas about where they think the different parts should go and what they could be.

”These big bits can be the floaty bit to stop the boat from sinking in the water”

”Everyone climb aboard! The ship is setting sail”

The children were able to work together as a team and cooperate within a small group to complete the pirate ship.

And we couldn’t forget the most important thing… our treasure map!

 

Article 31 – I have the right to play

Article 15- I have the right to meet with friends

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The Cart Mill Sewing Bee 🧵 🪡

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We have been super busy today at the sewing area making a variety of fabulous creations. A group of children have now mastered using a needle after lots of practice, they are now able to join materials together and begin making their own creations. The children have been using technology for inspiration, drawing out their design, cutting and sewing together, further developing their fine motor and hand eye co ordination skills.

“I want to make a cuddly elephant.”

“I did it, can you take a picture to show my mum.”


“I’m making a love heart pillow for my mum.”

“I’m very good at drawing love hearts.”

A few of the children have been creating models at the tinker table and continuing on with their design at the sewing area, using their imagination and creativity.

“I’m going to measure it on the bed.”

“One pillow is a rectangle and the other is a square.”


“My toys at home now have a bunk bed.”

We have also been having lots of fun practicing our sewing techniques at the sewing table, Great job boys 👍

“I’m going to cut a big bit of wool.”

Our sewing area is a calming place for the children to sit and relax, plan, get creative and have discussions with each other, developing their communication skills.

Expressive Arts, Outdoor Learning

Tremendous Truck🚍 painting 😁

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Today in the gross motor painting area the children self selected the trucks to paint  on the shower curtain  .“ I think we need some yellow paint “ “ I chose green paint, it’s a lovely colour. I don’t have any green cars at home just two grey ones “


“I’m mixing green and yellow, it’s turning blue” “ My car is painting fast” “ My cars tyres are painting yellow” “ look I’m making a circle shape with my truck”” My truck is going forwards and backwards , it’s making tracks”

The children are developing their gross motor skills, hand eye coordination as well as learning about colour mixing.
The children were happy with the end result of their art work. Well done everyone your art work looks amazing 🤩

Snack, Social Studies

Burns day at Cart Mill

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Happy Burns Day!

Today at Cart Mill we have been celebrating all things Scottish…

We have been making Scotland flags in the playdough area with Emma using blue and white playdough…

We have had so much fun helping Fiona to make Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, we helped to peel the potatoes 🥔 and then we got to taste it at snack time!

We also had a try at some Scottish dancing today in the discovery room… We listened to Scottish ceilidh music and practiced some traditional dance moves with the help of Gails expertise!

In the studio, we have used different coloured ribbons to create our own tartan pictures. The children were able to select their own colours and create their own patterns inspired by pictures of various tartan…

As you can see the children have had so much fun exploring a variety of experiences throughout the day at nursery! We have had a fabulous burns day  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

 

Expressive Arts, Outdoor Learning

Today we had fun painting in the style of Kandinsky😁

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Kandinsky was a pioneer of abstract art he is known for his inventive use of of colour and one of his most well-known images was a colour study with concentric circles. The children decided to recreate this famous piece of art work putting their own unique spin on it. First
We went on a circle hunt around the nursery to find objects we could use for our outdoor Kandinsky painting. “There’s lots of different shapes in here look here are two circles we can use” “ Look this would make a good circle shape it could also be for a robots eye” “I have shapes we could use to paint circles on my tower” “ cardboard tubes would make good circles”

We had great fun using the objects we found to make our circle designs developing our gross motor skills. The children were very creative making their painting. “ I want to use the plunger” “ I think the cardboard tube makes the best circles” “


“Im using the blue paint and the tube to make a big circle then I’m putting a smaller one inside it” “Circles, everywhere big ones small ones and tiny ones too”


The children were excited about their finished art work and we all think it looks amazing. Well done everyone great team work 🤩