# data[].attributes.body
Ts'ai Lun, a Chinese court official, invented paper that involved mashing mulberry bark, hemp, and rags with water into pulp, pressing out the liquid, and then hanging the thin mat to dry in the sun. Before paper, people used various materials to write on, including clay tablets, tree bark, papyrus, and parchment. The practice of paper-making eventually spread through the Islamic world to Syria, Egypt, and Europe. Ingold (2013) reminds us that we are participants in a world of active materials. Today, paper is typically produced from trees grown in sustainably managed forests, and recycled paper is also widely used.

Paper poem:

Paper, dear paper, blank and white,

Sometimes in brown or coloured,

From the pages of a storybook to a love letter,

Or a piece of art inspired from above.

You are light as a feather,

Yet you hold the weight of hopes, happiness, words and prayers,

From the smallest notes to a beautiful writing,

Paper, dear paper, you have been part of our lives.

# data[].attributes.body
Inspired from the visit to National Gallery Victoria (NGV) in session 5 & 6, I created this artwork with paint and paper. Work with paper in an active, agentic, and dynamic manner is always the spirit when I work with children in exploring paper. We learn that materials are always and already on their way to becoming something else (Ingold, 2013; relying on Barad, 2013, p. 31).

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Inspired from Assessment 1 Stop motion- Create puppet with rough thick texture paper, texta, colour slick, colour pencil, scissors

# data[].attributes.body
"What will it let me do?"

" What does it want to do?"

"What is it that I want to do?" (Donal O'Donoghue, 2015)

I delight in the experience and desire to move with my colourful puppet. I am surprised by how this paper exploration takes shape as a slow dance.

Vocabulary: Fly, tear, rip, sway, paste, roll, gather, crumple, fold, bend, tape, wrap, tie, twist, flap, drape, flip, crinkle, bunch, cover up (derived from week 1, session 1 Material Encounters Exhibition Catalogue).

# data[].attributes.body
Children love to build their creations using ‘junk’ or open-ended or loose-part materials. Junk resources are cheap and easy to find from the recycled, natural and man-made materials around us. Junk play does not come with how-to instruction; it offers opportunities for children to use their own imagination to experiment with the physical properties of an object (Te Whāriki- New Zealand’s Early Years curriculum). Junk parts can range from household items like egg cartons, bottle caps, beads, and buttons to recycling units like paper tubes, cardboard boxes or wooden blocks. Whether alone or combined with other materials, providing children with loose parts encourages them to explore and discover in Rudolf Steiner's Approach (1861-1925), and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) believed that loose parts allow children to scaffold their learning and skills.

Poem (inspiration from unit ECE2004):

Loose part, dear loose part play,

Imagination, creativity and sustainability,

From carton boxes to fabrics, to sticks and stones,

Nothing but excitement.

Open-ended and free, let the fun begin,

Building, cutting, sticking, pulling apart,

For children or adults,

With loose part play, it’s the way we play.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Video- Build a building with junk and loose parts

# data[].attributes.body
Vocabulary: Stack, knock, collect, gather, construct, watch, transport, build up, tear down, extend, assemble, measure, improvise, plan, balance, dismantle (derived from week 1, session 1 Material Encounters Exhibition Catalogue)

When using junk to explore, children learn to communicate expressively, experiment with the items to learn actively and develop their learning strategies to help them grow and succeed (Te Whariki curriculum).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building with loose parts - Recycled materials - Children's activities - Exploring loose parts

# data[].attributes.body
Clay has been used by humans for thousands of years, with prehistoric people using it to make pottery. The earliest examples of pottery date back to 14,000 BC, and clay tablets were even used as the first medium for writing. The material is soft and earthy, made up of a mixture of decomposed igneous rock minerals and organic matter. Children can benefit from working with clay, as it allows them to explore and express their thoughts, ideas, and observations about the world through pounding, pushing, rolling, squeezing, poking, pinching, and twisting. The Ministry of Education in New Zealand (1996) recognises the value of using clay for children's learning and development.

Poem:

My dear clay is fun and squishy,

Sometimes it’s a muddy thing,

But sometimes the magic clay makes its wonder,

With hands and imagination,

We can create anything.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Video- feel a piece of clay in your hand with some pinch of water

# data[].attributes.body
Vocabulary: Pinch, poke, press, stick, slice, join, carve, shape, break, mend, soak, decorate (derived from week 1, session 1 Material Encounters Exhibition Catalogue).

During sessions 5 & 6 class, I found using clay a bit daunting the first few times. However, after my initial explorations with the medium, I got very excited by what they create and, through the process, started to see lots of possibilities for using clay with young children. Whilst my coursemates and I were experimenting and exploring work for our assignment, there was a lot of chatter and sharing of ideas as we proceeded.

# data[].attributes.body
Through these hand-building techniques, children will be able to develop their skills to manage the forming of clay into items. Children need lots of experience before forming something. Skills don’t just grow in one session. To become skilled at anything, you must have repeated exposure to it. Therefore, as a teacher, I should have clay available regularly so children learn to master the skills and techniques over time (Kolbe, 2007); one-off experiences are not enough.

# data[].attributes.body
When the first humans walked the planet millions of years ago, they relied on the Sun as their sole source of energy. Around 70,000 BCE, early humans created the first lamps by filling hollow rocks, shells and other natural objects with moss, soaking the moss in animal fat and igniting it. Exploring light and darkness can be a fascinating and intriguing experience for young children (Linda Thornton & Pat Brunton, 2009). The right lighting welcomes children into the childcare environment and supports the different activities. When light is intentionally prepared for the environment, it is believed to help attract and hold attention, provide interest and learning, and influence behaviour or feelings.

Poem:

Light, oh light, how bright you shine,

You make the world a better place,

With you, we see clearly,

With you, we play in the dark and bright.

You light the room with your glow,

Make shadows dance and groove,

With you, we feel safe,

We know that everything’s all right.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Video- how the children in my family day care used to explore the light table (video derived from YouTube)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How The Children In My Home Daycare Play At The Light Table - Exploring Colors #earlyyears

# data[].attributes.body
Shadow tracing: The child starts to notice how light can change, create shadows, and have direct sources like the sun. It is beautiful to witness how they explore and discover the world around them and how their understanding of light shapes their perception of it (EYLF Practices: learning environments).

# data[].attributes.body
Bellbird Early Educational Resources. (2020). Curious about Play Exploring the Concepts of Light through Play. Bellbird. https://www.bellbirdkidz.com.au/blog/curious-about-play/exploring-the-concepts-of-light-through-play/

Cantavalle, S. (2019, April 5). The history of paper: from its origins to the present day. The Pixartprinting Blog. https://www.pixartprinting.co.uk/blog/history-paper/

Casey, T., & Robertson, J. (2017). Resources for playing -providing loose parts to support children’s play A toolkit 2 | Resources for playing -providing loose parts to support children’s play. https://www.playaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/LibraryDownloads/loose-parts-toolkit.pdf

Ministry of Education Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga. (2014, May 26). Play idea: Adventure and junk play – Aotūroa. Education in New Zealand. https://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/learning-ideas/adventure-and-junk-play/

Mohammed, R. (2016, April 22). Creative Diaries: Clay Work in the Early Years. The Foundation Stage Forum Ltd. https://eyfs.info/articles.html/teaching-and-learning/creative-diaries-clay-work-in-the-early-years-r203/

University of Northern Iowa. (2020). Exploring Light & Shadow with Infants and Toddlers PURPOSE OF EXPLORING LIGHT AND SHADOW WITH INFANTS AND. https://regentsctr.uni.edu/sites/default/files/activity_sheets/LightandShadowInfantsToddlers_ExperienceSheet.pdf