Today the tamariki enjoyed taking some time to relax as they coloured in a variety of pictures. There were many different patterns on the pages and were a great challenge as our tamariki concentrated heavily in order to ensure they stayed within the lines.
Whaihanga/construction using the coloured blocks and wooden peg dolls was enjoyed by the tamariki this morning.
The tamariki were excited to engross themselves in freshly made warm playdough/paraoa poke today. They used the small muscles in their hands to knead it and manipulate it into different shapes and objects.
Recognise
Colouring in is a fantastic way for the tamariki to develop their fine-motor skills and practice the action of gripping as they hold their pencil. They demonstrated large amounts of patience throughout, and it was clear that this tranquil activity had supported the tamariki to relax. Furthermore, colouring in is a great way for the tamariki to identify the colours they are using and make connections to the colours that surround them in their environment. Communication/Mana Reo – Children develop skills with media that can be used for expressing a mood or a feeling or for representing information, such as crayons, pencils, paint, blocks, wood, musical instruments, and movement skills.
The tamariki employed and further developed their logical/mathematical skills as they balanced, added and subtracted blocks in order to create stable structures. It was great to observe their perseverance, as they persisted even when their structures toppled. Working with blocks promotes opportunities for the tamariki to develop maths, science, art, language and social skills, as well as providing plenty of opportunities for developing problem solving and creating 3D structures.
Paraoa poke is a safe, soothing material that can provide for hours of learning and skill development in many areas, such as literacy, numeracy, and scientific understanding. It allows them to be creative and expressive in a non verbal way, as well as verbally sharing what they are doing, and/or making. It captured our tamariki’s attention for a long period of time. This area of play is supported in the exploration Strand of Te Whariki, where the tamariki experience an environment where they actively explore with all senses, using materials and equipment to extend their skills.
Respond
Maybe we could create our own colouring in pictures?
Let’s add some other loose parts to our construction materials!
What can we add to the playdough to extend learning further.
