Today I walked into Yellow Class and I loved what Dina had set out - pallettes with different things in each section of the palette, powder paint, foam, gel. She said the children were enjoying mixing and I thought it was lovely to have small quantities in each section - for experimentation etc. I know I have a tendency to go big on everything but small is excellent too. I thought it looked very inviting, and had to resist having a go before the children arrived!

In the studio, MC came in and drew, MH set about with drumming then “writing mummy” I offered them to stick their drawings and writings on the cupboard with some masking tape. There’s so much to get from this - I want to instantly stick the tape in a way I know that it will do what you want with it but to hold back so the children realise it doesn’t do that if it only sticks on the paper. Is it a thing that need to be learnt by demonstration or by trying to work it out themselves? I was surprised that MC didn’t know how to do it, as I saw him as a very practical boy - might just be he’s never done it.

Then SM and I thought it would be a good thing to get out the OHP . I called it a projector, MS thought I had said “Doctor”.

MS refers to size a lot. “My big hand” - he really was engrossed in it all, actually all the children were. 

We also later included a large sheet of paper so drawing could happen. MC drew a line, very carefully, as long as he could reach on the edge of the paper and then joined it back up from the ground. We also set up a bit later on drawing on the acetate and we played around with taking portraits with scribbles on us.

Somehow, either earlier or later, superman, super heroes and soup came into the mix. I think it was because MS was charging around with arm forward being superman and I said “MS you are full of beans” and he presented me with a stone or something as a bean. I found the wooden spoons (I know we could use sticks or something else but sometimes a bespoke thing like a wooden spoon especially is nice to have) so bean soup was on the stove.

“Mell it, mell it “ said MH. Z liked handling the spoons and I caught a lovely moment when I watched her “trace” the whole outline of the large basket that held the “beans” at the same time as singing.

Lou Sumray

Creativity February 2017