# data[].attributes.body
The idea here of exploring various languages through different materials reminds me of the idea of Hundered languages of children that was proposed by Lousi Mallaguzzi. Manera (2022) states that, "In the Reggio Emilia Approach learning environments children develop their understanding of the world by exploring multiple expressive modalities which Malaguzzi called ‘the one hundred languages of children."

Every element in this world, be it paper, or carboard or a simple rock on the side of the road is a potential language a child can use to express themselves. Within every child lies an artist, who are capable of holding a creative lens towards any element in this world and raising them to the realm of art.

This creative ideology proposed by Encounter with materials offers us an opportunity to view the world and its elements in a different light and comprehend the connection that an individual shares with them. It helps us understand that the intertwined life of human and non-human elements hold the capacity for transformations and ultimately opens doors for possibilities. It provides us with the independence to construct our own environment and our own world where the actual focus should be the journey instead of the final product. It inspires us to take a pause from our fast-moving, ignorant lives, to savor the connection we hold with this world and enjoy every twist and turn that affects and transforms us.

# data[].attributes.body
Youtube link - https://youtu.be/zTgGEAvNBtk

So, when I decided to use paper for the assemblage, my first thought was using newspaper, but then I settled for something even simpler. I wanted to see how a simple white paper can wow and amaze me.

Once I had cut out a base upon which I was going to place my assemblage, I began tearing the paper into strips, rolling it, folding it and stuck them on the base in a random, unthoughtful manner.

As Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., (2017) mentions in Encounter with materials in order to work with paper, a person has to go with the flow of it. I could feel it while creating my assemblage. The paper was hard to stick, and it kept weighing down and moving while I tried to create my final piece.

But when I was done, even random sticking of white paper was enough to surprise me. Upon close examination of the assemblage, it looked like a children's playground with different paper assembles as different playing rides for the children. It also looked like a miniature obstacle course.

# data[].attributes.body
Youtube  link - https://youtu.be/HocODt12OGs

For this assemblage I used the stones that I had collected on my walk. I had found all kinds of different stones, big, small and of different colors.

Once I arrived back with the stones and poured them on the floor to begin documenting my assemblage, the first thing I noticed was that the stones lying on the floor like that was an assemblage in itself. It intrigued me to see how random things can become creative art just by changing perspectives.

I then began placing the stones in random order, placing them against one another, stacking them on top of each other or hoisting them up using other stones.

It was very hard to place the stones in positions since they kept toppling over but once I had finished the assemblage, it looked like a village scene to me. The final product looked like a village bonfire with a fire pit in between with food roasting on it. The other stones looked like people some sitting on top of the mountain, some sitting against a log, and one of the structures also looked like a well for water.

# data[].attributes.body
According to Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., (2017), "Paper becomes known as receptive, reactive, pliant, absorbent, responsive to touch, to bending, folding, and crumpling. Working with paper means one moves with the material in continuous motion, joining forces with it."

Paper is one of the most readily available materials for children to use for their creative purposes. As mentioned in the above phrase, paper offers children all kinds of experimentation and manipulation. Paper can be folded, cut, ripped bent in anyway and each outcome can become something artistic.

"For Deleuze and Guattari, assemblage is closely linked with desire. ‘Assemblages are passional, they are compositions of desire" (Stratigos, 2015). This phrase explains that one of the pillars of assemblages is desire and assemblages are created out of desire for something. Paper perfectly encompasses this pillar. It offers a solution for every desire. The desire of any kind of creation can be fulfilled with paper.

# data[].attributes.body
I would like to organize retrospective activity using the paper assemblage. The children will work individually for the activity.

The children will be provided materials like -

1. Paper of different colors and textures.

2. Decorative materials

3. Scissors

4. Sketchers

5. Markers

6. Fabric

7. Glue

8. Tape

The children will then be asked to make human figurines that represent themselves. The children will have to use paper to create figurines of themselves. After the figures have been created, the children will then sit in a group and explain their figurines to the group.

This activity will allow children to introspect and look within themselves. It will allow children to think about their thoughts, ideas and emotions and learn a healthy way to express them. It will allow children to speak about their inner thoughts and create a stronger bond with their peers as they listen to them explain their figurines. This activity would also help children with behavior and emotional regulation. The children will be able to create a deeper understanding of their own thoughts and feelings as well. Apart from that, the children will be able to engage their creativity to portray how they perceive themselves and will be able to understand how their friends and peers perceive them.

# data[].attributes.body
Natural materials like stones and rocks provide children with an opportunity for nature exploration and free experimentation. It allows for unstructured and child-led play which offers children agency and power. As mentioned by GULL et al., (2019) " Loose parts are intended to encourage children to be open-minded while interacting with the surrounding environment. This type of play assists children in creating associations between learning and fun". This association between learning and fun would motivate children to try and learn something out of all of their experiences. Learning would then become a natural process for children instead of an adult forced compulsion.

Stones also offer children an opportunity to develop their sensory skills since stones come in different shapes, colors, patterns, textures and sizes. Additionally, since rock is a weighty material, lifting them and playing with them can help foster physical development in the children.

# data[].attributes.body
I want to organize a loose parts "Create your own" scene activity using the stones. I would like to organize a nature walk for the children at a nearby lakeside or park for the children. During the walk children will be asked to collect different types of stones, twigs, sticks, flowers, barks, hay etc. Once the materials have been gathered and brough back to the centre the children will be asked to work in pairs.

The children will be provided with paint and tape and the children will have to use them to create figurines with their stones. They can attach twigs as arms and noses to create different animals, human, bugs figurines and can also use paint to paint the stones as a different type of creatures and things – like cars, boats, rainbows, fruits etc.

The children with then be each provided with a paper with a basic drawing of a river, mountain, tree and grass and the children will be asked to place their stones around the paper, like boats on the river, the human figurines, eventually creating their personal drawing scenes.

The activity can also be extended by making use of the stone figurines to create a dramatic role-play scenario.

Throughout the activtiy I would like to ask questions like -

"How does the rock feel? Is it smooth or jagged?"
"How much do you think it would weigh? Is it light of heavy?"
"Which animals would you prefer to make?"
"Do you think you can place the boat elsewhere than water?"

The activity will allow children to express their personal perspectives of the world around them. The activity will allow them to assemble the way they see nature or they would like to see their environment. It would allow them to use their creativity and imagination to bring their thought figurines to life with the various materials and paints. The activity will also allow them to develop communication and social skills as children will engage and communicate with one another.

# data[].attributes.body
Youtube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLQ7k2QVC9c

For this assemblage, I had decided to use a sand box to put my flowers. But since I don't live around a beach, I went around looking for sand at a construction site near me. Instead of sand, I found a pile of material that looked like sand. Upon examining it turned out to be a pile of shaved wood that had softened by the rain fall last night.

It intrigued me and I decided to use that to put my flower in. While collecting leaves I also looked around for flowers and I was excited to collect it from the one neighborhood I knew that planted a lot of flowers. It was when I reached there and saw no flowers that it actually hit me, it was a time during winter when flowers didn't grow. I then resorted to buying a bouquet of roses and collecting the one or two flowers that I saw on my walk for this activity.

# data[].attributes.body
"It is from assemblages’ creative potential that form emerges, that bodies become momentarily stable, that something territorializes itself to quickly become undone again, and that the actual is actualized in some form." (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al, 2017)

While flower arrangement is a well known activity, the best part of arranging flowers is despite the availability of similar materials, the output can be variantly different. Flowers are the first choice children choose as a gift for others since they are readily available,  and can be made from just about anything like paper, or tissue and can be easily drawn. Flowers provide a way for children to learn about fragrance and apart from leaves flowers also help children learn about seasons.
Flowers offer a great creative potential due to their different, color, textures, sizes, shapes etc. They can offer fragrance and beauty to just about any form of visual art and are a great mood booster. For children flowers also becomes a way to express their emotions. Children are often seen plucking flowers and giving it to their parents or loved ones as a an expression of their love.
Assemblage of flowers in a box or paper can work as beautiful gifts children can give to their parents. It also helps children learn about scientific facts about nature, like how different plants have different need to grow. Exploring plants can help children build respect for their environment and learn botanical facts like how plants grow, eat or get nutrients. Flowers also offer children a way to see how different living organisms are connected to and dependent on one another like butterflies and honey-bees requires flowers for nectar.

# data[].attributes.body
I would like to organize a nature walk for the children to a nearby park or a greenhouse. The children will be asked to explore their environment and pick their favorite flowers they would like to use. Once the children have gathered all the flowers and they have been brought back to the center, all the children will be provided with cardboard boxes.

The children will be shown an example of the flower box and asked to create their own by using their flowers. The children will be explained how the box is made. The educator would suggest children to use their preferred ways to place the flowers in the box, like they could use sand or stones or even glue or tape.

The children who decide to use sand or stones would be allowed to collect them from the outdoor area of the center and the educator will provide the tape and glue for others. The children will then begin placing their choice of flowers in the box; however they choose.

They can also choose to pluck the flowers and put petals inside or can collect leaves to put in the box as well. The boxes would then be placed on a shelf in the classroom until the flowers have withered.

I would ask questions like -

"What colour is the flower?"
"Do you know the name of the flower?"
"What does the flower smell like, is it sweet, or does it not smell like anything?"
"Can you see the seeds in the floors?"
"What else can use see except for the petals?"

# data[].attributes.body
Youtube link - https://youtu.be/i4guL7UA5SU

I used a huge cardboard box that I got from my aunt and some glue for this assemblage.

I began by cutting the cardboard box to create a base on which I was going to put my assemblage on.

After that I begin cutting the cardboard into various shapes. I had no particular shape in mind, I let my hand work on its own cutting weird and unpredictable shapes.

I then pasted those shapes on the base. I pasted the shapes in a random form and order. I used some toothpick sticks to connect some of the cardboard pieces to the base and each other.

Once I was done, I hadn't expected to see some coherent result, but upon careful examination, the assemblage looked like an old raft with a fan at the end to push it forward.

# data[].attributes.body
Rymanowicz (2015) mentions "Technology, books and toys can all be effective ways of helping your child learn and explore the world, but sometimes all they really need is a cardboard box.”

The cardboard box offers children the kind of flexibility and freedom which cannot be provided by any other material. The cardboard box is the most open-ended material in early childhood and can be coupled with just about any other resource. The cardboard box can not only be used for carft but can also be used for dramatic role-play. The open-ended nature of the cardboard box offers children freedom to engage their creativity and curiosities in a free-flowing, uninterrupted way. The harmless nature of the cardboard allows children to approach the material without having to worry about injury as well. Experimentation is the core of Assemble theory and cardboard manages to be the best element encompassing it.

# data[].attributes.body
I would like to organize a role-playing activity with the children using the cardboard. The children will work in a group of 3-4. The children will be asked to build anything of their choice – a house, boat, car, rocket, costume – anything using the cardboard.

I will provide children with materials like

1. Cardboard boxes

2. Tape

3. Scissors

4. Glue

5. Toothpicks

6. Decorative materials

7. Markers

8. Paints

Once the children have built their artistic pieces, then the children will collectively use all the products to create a dramatic role-play scenario.

Throughout the activity the teacher will take a passive role and I will ask questions like -

"How will you be using the cardboard to make the prop?"
"What shapes would they cut for their props?"
"How are they going to stick the cardboard?"
"What do they feel while making their props?"

The activity will foster physical growth like developing fine and gross motor skills. It will allow children to use their creativity and imagination to make their props. Apart from that children will be able to develop their literacy skills as they communicate to make the props and eventually create a dramatic scenario based on the props. The group activity will also foster social skills and communication skills among children.

# data[].attributes.body
Youtube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAAieW2N91c

For this assemblage, I used leaves that I collected from a walk around my neighborhood. I drove as far as 30 minutes to my aunt's house where I used to live before. The neighborhood there has beautiful and different trees, which I always loved when I lived there.

I collected all the leaves, and decided to make a collage art with the different leaves by sticking them to the a paper in a random and inconsistent format.

When the end product was revealed to me, I didn't expect it to look so beautiful. To me it looked like, I was standing in the middle of a forest staring at the ground and paths of the forest during autumn time.

# data[].attributes.body
Leaves are the natural materials that are as alive as humans. They eat, they breathe, they live and they die. "Through natural playthings children come to learn about the world of which they are part, rather than forever be at a rehearsal of it" (Howe, 2006). Engaging with such a humanely, non-human others allow children to develop a deep connection to nature and inspires them to respect their surrounding.

As mentioned by Wilson (2018) mentions, Nature play allows children a sensory-rich experience, that promotes physical, emotional, social and cognitive functions of the children and helps develop a more sustainable and peaceful world.

This activity would allow children to develop a connection to nature as they would walk around their neighborhood looking for leaves. It would allow them to connect to place and take a moment to appreciate the land they live on. Moreover, it would help them get in touch with and savor their surroundings.

Engaging with leaves can also provide the children with a way to learn about seasons. The different color of leaves can help children understand the process of seasons and how they affect plants. It can develop a sense of interconnection between seasons and life among children.

# data[].attributes.body
I would like to organize a field trip for children to a local park nearby. During this time, the children will be asked to explore their environment and collect all the different kinds of leaves they would like.

Once the children come back to the center, they will be provided with the papers and glue and asked to stick the leaves on the paper in the manner of their choice.

The activity will have no guidance and the only end goal would be for children to feel the leaves, their textures, colors, sizes and savor every little detail about them.

I would ask questions like -

"What is the texture of the leaves? Are they soft, or rought or brittle?"
"What do the leaves make you feel?"
"Why does a particular leaf attract them?"
"What do they see and feel while looking at their collages? What does it remind them of?

# data[].attributes.body
Youtube link - https://youtu.be/xa8SYop_xXs

For this assemblage I just used a canvas, lots of paint and water.

I am not a painter, so when I did get the paint, I had no idea what I was going to do or how I was going to paint anything. So instead of deciding how I will dictate the paint or how I will move it across the board to create a good art piece, I let the paint work for itself.
I decided to mix many paints together and drop them on the canvas to see how it would surprise me. The outcome was nothing short of beautiful and mesmerizing.

# data[].attributes.body
According to Pacini-Ketchabaw et al (2017) "Paint assemblages garner momentum. They are uncontained.  Paint assemblages act as affirmative creations, and is about creating more life. Paint assemblages are alive." This phrase defines my encounter with paint. As mentioned earlier, instead of moving the paint according to me, I let the paint think for itself. The paint in my assemblage was uncontained, it moved at its own pace, with its own way, mixed into other colors in its own style and offered an awe-inspiring ending which hadn't been previously thought of. This activity offers us a place to contemplate life as it is happening. It symbolizes that the pleasure of life is in the journey; the wavy uncertain ups and downs. The art encourages us to keep going, it motivates us to embrace the hardships, and it inspire the hope that despite everything the end is always beautiful

# data[].attributes.body
1 - Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., Kind, S., & Kocher, L. L. M. (2017). Paint: Assemblage. In Encounters with materials in early childhood education (pp. 52–61). essay, Routledge
2 - Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Assemblage. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 21, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assemblage
3 - Roelvink, G. (2018). Learning to be affected through care. Journal of Cultural Economy, 11(3), 271–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/17530350.2018.1427128
4 - Howe, A. (2006). Play using natural materials. David Fulton Publishers.
5 - Wilson, R. A. (2018). Nature and young children : encouraging creative play and learning in natural environments / Ruth Wilson. Routledge.
6 - Gull, C., Bogunovich, J., Goldstein, S.L., & Rosengarten, T. (2019). Definitions of Loose Parts in Early Childhood Outdoor Classrooms: A Scoping Review.
7 - Stratigos, T. (2015). Assemblages of desire: Infants, Bear Caves and belonging in Early Childhood Education and care. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 16(1), 42–54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1463949114566757
8 - Manera, L. (2022). Art and Aesthetic Education in the Reggio Emilia Approach. Education 3-13, 50(4), 483–493. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2022.2052230

# data[].attributes.body
"An assemblage is like a “human-nonhuman working group” where each element is in relationship with the others." (Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., (2017)

This phrase describes the interconnectedness that is forged in the process of assemblage. Merriam-webster dictionary offers several definitions of Assemblage, in one of which it states - that an assemblage is " an artistic composition made from scraps, junk, and odds and ends". Meaning an assemblage is an artistic piece formed out of experimentation with materials that an individual finds in their daily lives. Since assemblage requires individuals to take a pause and reflect on the materials around them, it offers them an opportunity to connect to the world and the materials in a deeper level. Instead of just considering something as a waste the idea of assemblage motivates a person to provide the materials with a new meaning and purpose and bring them into an artistic realm. Moreover,  Assemblages encourage children to explore and comprehend the relation that exists amongst various materials instead of the properties and capabilities of one sole material.

Pacini-Ketchabaw et al., (2017) mention, "Material Encounters reassembles early education spaces as vibrant social-ecological environments where humans and nonhumans are always in relation. Materials and young children live entangled lives, transforming each other through various encounters." When children connect with the materials and begin to comprehend the relationship that exists between human and non-human elements or between two non-human elements, it opens an individual up to the idea of mutual transformation. The agency that a human hold over a material is divided. The non-human elements are provided agency too, that works in collaboration with the human elements to create something artistic. This co-agency offers a chance of fostering better associations and kinship between human and non-human others.

According to Latour's idea of learning to be affected, "one’s interaction with the diversity of the more than human world, one learns to differentiate and ultimately becomes connected to a more com-plex world" (Roelvink, 2018). This suggests that co-agency with materials offers a chance at introspection and transformation which inspires us to comprehend and recognize ourselves and the things at affect us on a deeper level.

In summary, Assemblage offers children a chance to see themselves in a complex connection to the world around them and its elements, to comprehend the significance of these materials and recognize the mutual relationship of transformation between humans and these elements.

# data[].attributes.body
I would love to set up this activity for the children where they will work as a whole complete group. The children will be first asked to choose their favorite colors and the teachers will provide children with one empty cup each and help the children mix the colors into the water in the right consistency.

Then the teacher will walk around the room to each child with an empty cup, allowing them to pour their cups of color one by one into the empty cup. Once all the children have poured their colors, the teacher will pour the mixture onto a canvas. Once the colors are splashed onto the white canvas, the teacher will allow all the children a chance to move the canvas as they like in whatever direction.

Once all the children have had their turn, the end- product created would be collaborative work. A paint scruture created by the collaboration between all the children,