# data[].attributes.body
Paper has a rich history, which influences how we think about it now. Before paper, Ancient Egyptians manufactured papyrus by squeezing plant fibres into sheets. Later, in China, paper was made from mulberry bark, bamboo, and nets used for fishing, and the technology spread throughout Asia. By the 14th century, papermaking had spread throughout Europe, and it is now mass-produced from wood pulp. Despite its unassuming appearance, paper is one of the most adaptable and cost-effective educational tools.

# data[].attributes.body
I tried folding, shredding, weaving, and layering ordinary A4 paper. At first, I ripped the paper into small strips to observe how fragile it would become. I then folded a sheet into an accordion booklet, recognising that the wrinkles made it stronger. Crumpling and smoothing paper left textured traces, reminding me that materials have memory.

# data[].attributes.headline
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.subject
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.body
-Properties and functions include folding, layering, absorption, and resistance.

-Paper moves in various ways, including curls, pleats, rips, and buckles.

-Paper moves me in several ways, including making me more attentive, patient, and contemplative.

-Verbs include fold, crease, crumple, weave, and pleat.

-Nouns include strip, page, crease, and spine.

-Adjectives include crisp, brittle, fibrous, and transparent.

# data[].attributes.body
Questions:

.How may recycled paper be utilised to promote sustainability?

# data[].attributes.body
Theory Connections

According to Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016), materials encourage negotiations and talks, which shape children's learning. Ingold outlines how materials have "lines of flight," which means they influence our actions in unanticipated ways. My attempts to construct a standing paper tower kept falling, but the experience taught me about balance and vulnerability.

Reflection and ECE Links
As a child, I enjoyed making origami boats and aeroplanes. Exploring paper reminded me that these activities promote both creativity and problem solving. Paper can help with fine motor development, sequencing (step-by-step folding), and storytelling in early childhood settings by forming booklets or collages. Using recycled paper also demonstrates ecological practices to children.

# data[].attributes.body
Artists frequently utilise paper for purposes other than writing, such as folding screens in galleries and enormous paper sculptures. Murals and collages made from recycled paper are common components of community art projects. This motivates me to develop collaborative paper projects with youngsters that connect art to their daily lives.

# data[].attributes.body
In education, "junk" refers to loose parts rather than waste. According to Simon Nicholson's loose parts hypothesis, children are most creative when given flexible, open-ended resources. Daly and Beloglovsky (2015) define loose parts as "materials that children can move, manipulate, control, and change," which fosters exploration and imagination.

# data[].attributes.body
I collected bottle caps, cardboard rolls, pegs, and lids from home. I began by stacking the items trialing out the different ideas and things i can make using the items .At first, I limited myself to organising without using tape or glue. Later, I linked pieces together with string and realised how little connectors could improve structural stability.

# data[].attributes.headline
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.subject
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.body
-Properties and Functions: reusable, open-ended, durable, or fragile.

-Loose parts can be moved in several ways, including roll, stack, hinge, and balance.

-Loose portions encourage me to be creative, inventive, and caring.

-Verbs: stack, lash, connect, and sort.

-Nouns include lid, peg, cups, and roll.

-Adjectives include modular, rough, smooth, and recycled.

# data[].attributes.body
Which loose pieces are appropriate for 3-5-year-old hands?

Do natural pieces (leaves, sticks) encourage different types of play than plastics?

# data[].attributes.body
Pacini-Ketchabaw et al. (2016) remind us that materials can inspire narrative and collaboration. Nicholson's (1971) loose parts theory contends that open-ended materials promote imagination. By stacking and tying garbage, I discovered how these materials indicated systems and structures.

# data[].attributes.body
At first, I dismissed these objects as junk. But arranging them artfully reminded me of how they may encourage play. In an early childhood classroom, I would place trays of loose components and let the children decide how to use them. They may construct towers, sort by colour, or use lids as "coins" in pretend play. This promotes problem solving, teamwork, and sustainability.

# data[].attributes.body
Lauren Berkowitz, an artist who utilises recycled plastics to create works that highlight environmental challenges, served as an inspiration to me. Her art reminded me that repurposing materials can foster creativity while also teaching about environmental responsibility.

# data[].attributes.body
Clay is one of the earliest materials used by humans, dating back to ancient pottery and the construction of bricks and tiles. Children's experiences with clay vary depending on the environment—studio, river, or forest—with each affecting the experience (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., 2016). Clay retains touch, cracks, and imprints, making it distinct.

# data[].attributes.body
I used a little piece of air-dry clay. It felt solid in my hands at first, then softer as I worked with it. I placed my finger into the centre and gently squeezed the edges to create a little pot. The clay left traces on my palms, and I noticed small fractures forming as I sculpted it. I smoothed these out using slip (clay combined with water), which strengthened the pot. The process was untidy yet relaxing, and I felt a sense of focus and centring as the form gradually took shape.

# data[].attributes.headline
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.subject
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.body
-Properties and Functions: Plastic when wet, hard when dry; records touch.

-Clay can be moved in several ways, including rolling, pinching, collapsing, cracking, and glueing with slip.

-Clay moves me in several ways, including patience, reflection, and a connection to the ground.

-Verbs include pinching, scoring, slipping, coiling, and burnishing.

-Nouns include pot, lip, seam, and shard.

-Adjectives: rough, sticky, silky, and earthy.

# data[].attributes.body
Why does clay split during drying?

How can I make clay sessions more inclusive for children with sensory sensitivities?

# data[].attributes.headline
Theory Connections,Reflection and ECE Links

# data[].attributes.subject
Theory Connections,Reflection and ECE Links

# data[].attributes.body
Pelo (2016) describes clay as an open-ended, full-bodied medium that captivates children. Clay demands time; it resists and collapses, instilling resilience. These "failures" become valuable learning opportunities.

Reflection and ECE Links
As a child, I adored Play-Doh. Clay brought back those memories, but it required more time. In early childhood education, clay promotes sensory exploration, motor skills, and storytelling. A collapsed pot offers an opportunity to discuss repair, resilience, and persistence.

# data[].attributes.body
Many artists, including Picasso, experimented with clay to communicate their ideas. In the classroom, I envision clay workshops in which children make collaborative sculptures, linking art-making to story-telling.

# data[].attributes.body
Light is the energy that enables us to see. It could be natural (sunlight, fire, stars) or man-made (lamps, torches). Unlike other elements, light cannot be touched; instead, it is seen by its interactions—reflection, shadow, and colour (Stark, 2024). To encourage children's discovery, Reggio Emilia-inspired settings frequently use light, projectors, and shadow screens.

# data[].attributes.body
I used my phone torch and a colourful water bottle. I put light through the plastic and watched the size of the bottle project onto a wall. I built shadows with my hand moving the bottle and discovered that stepping closer made the shadows sharper. I was intrigued by how something invisible, like as light, could affect space. The way I held it, the shine of the light and the shadows combined to create the illusion of something alive, moving and changing. This simple move transformed an everyday object into a tool for study, piquing interest in light, shadow, and reflection.

# data[].attributes.headline
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.subject
Wonderings, verbs, nouns, and adjectives

# data[].attributes.body
-Properties and Functions: reflect, refract, and disclose textures.

-Light flows in several ways, including shining, scattering, dimming, and glowing.

-Light moves me in several ways, including noticing details, wondering, and seeing things from new viewpoints.

-Verbs: shine, reflect, project, and dim.

-Nouns include beam, shadow, shape, and halo.

-Adjectives include luminous, golden, diffuse, and stark.

# data[].attributes.body
How does light change colour as it passes through different materials?

How may shadow play aid with storytelling?

# data[].attributes.body
Reggio educators embrace light as a language of investigation, with shadows and reflections creating meaning (Edwards et al., 1998). Light provides children with new methods of "seeing" and comprehending the world.

# data[].attributes.body
Light astounded me—it altered how I perceived the room. Light provides youngsters with opportunities to play with science (shadows, reflections) and creativity (puppet storytelling). Torches, coloured cups, and shadow screens would be used in early childhood education to allow children to explore light in inclusive ways.

# data[].attributes.body
I was inspired by Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors, in which light and reflection form infinite space (Tate, 2022). This demonstrates how light can be utilised in teaching to promote awe and perspective.

# data[].attributes.body
Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Art and Architecture. (n.d.). Routledge & CRC Press. https://www.routledge.com/Making-Anthropology-Archaeology-Art-and-Architecture/Ingold/p/book/9780415567237

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. M. (2016). Encounters with Materials in Early Childhood Education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315743257

Siraj, I. (n.d.). An Emergent and Inquiry-based Curriculum Approach in Early Childhood. https://ncca.ie/media/kcugefoz/an-emergent-and-inquiry-based-curriculum-approach-in-early-childhood.pdf

‌

‌‌‌Malaguzzi, L. (2022). 100 languages . Reggio Children. https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/100-linguaggi-en/

‌

Egan, E. (2020). Inquiry-Based Emergent Curriculum using a TransdisciplinaryApproach to the Visual Arts in Early Childhood Education and Care:Implications for Policy, Education and Practice. Theses. [online] Available at: https://sword.cit.ie/allthe/35/.

‌

Artists | The National. (n.d.). Www.the-National.com.au. https://www.the-national.com.au/artists/lauren-berkowitz/fragile-ecologies-plastic-topographies/

‌

The Theory Of Loose Parts was developed by Simon Nicholson. (n.d.). The WIDE School. https://thewideschool.com/the-theory-of-loose-parts/

‌

# data[].attributes.body
I Acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I learn and create, and I pay my respects to Elders past and present. I realise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have traditionally used the arts, materials, and storytelling to gain knowledge, share culture, and connect with their land. This reminds me that materials are more than simply resources; they are living and relational, and should be treated with respect and care. As an educator, I hope to include these viewpoints into my lessons, encouraging inclusivity, respect, and an understanding for First Nations knowledge in early childhood education.