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We were drawing things when Ben dipped his hand into the paint and started making handprints.

Me: Ooo I love that.
Ben let out a giggle doing more of the hand prints

Me: Do you want me to paint your hand?

Ben: Hmm.. yes
(I dipped the paintbrush on to the paint and started colouring his hand)
:I actually dipped it in there though.

He starts laughing

Me: Is it ticklish (I ask laughing along with him)

Ben: (Laughs some more)
Yes actually, very much.

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Rinaldi, C. (2001). Pedagogy of Listening: the Listening Perspective from Reggio Emilia. Innovations in Early Education: the International Reggio Exchange, [online] 8(4). Available at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/526fe9aee4b0c53fa3c845e0/t/540fce31e4b00c94d884e002/1410321969279/Pedagody+of+Listening+-+Rinaldi+-+Fall+2001.pdf [Accessed 21 Oct. 2020].

‌Department for Education, South Australia (2019). What’s Pedagogy Anyway? Introduction to Reggio Emilia.YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shdMJMwyAj8&feature=youtu.be [Accessed 21 Oct. 2020].

Nolan, A. and Bridie Raban-Bisby (2015). Theories into Practice: Understanding and Rethinking Our Work with Young Children and the EYLF. Blairgowrie VIC: Teaching Solutions, pp.5–14.

Victorian Early Years Learning and Developmental Framework. (2009). [online] Melbourne: Department of Education and Training. Available at: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/veyldframework.pdf [Accessed 21 Oct. 2020].

Yazbeck, S.-L. (2013). Movement and Clay. Journal of Childhood Studies, [online] 38(1), pp.47–49. Available at: https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/15438 [Accessed 21 Oct. 2020].

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Ben: Let's make a tent like last time

Me: (Being unsure if his mom would be okay about it as the house was very clean when I arrived)
Yes, of course do you want to do it on the couch or on the floor?

Ben: Floor! (Moves to drag a big chair from the dining table, I help him with it)

Ben: We can use the two small chairs for Tilly's bed.

Me: Perfect, I will tuck the corners of the sheet in.

Ben: You are very good at making this.

Me: Hahah thank you, but it was your idea. Wan to help me with the cushions?

Ben:  Yes! Come inside and we can draw dinosaurs together.
(Smiles at me and grabs paper and texters)

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'...presenting materials in our space that are open-ended, rather than fixed or prescribed in meaning, and that allows for a change.' (Yazbeck 2013) Mess is a material that allows changes.

What I have come to realise is that: art, paints, free play like in the Denmark bush kindergartens, natural resources through Reggio-Emilia, clay, and a million other materials encourage mess. In all of these instances, there aren't any negatives because the learning is child-led with assistance from educators.

I would like to explore child based messes and create positives for this word. In activities where we would use paint with children, I imagine a really big bare open space, with huge rolls of paper laid out on the floor. Paintbrushes would be available of course but it is up to the children to decide if they want to use them, or the colours that they choose. It could be plant-based stains or tearing the paper up but it will be child-led. By giving them a space to express themselves and taking out the standard apron and old newspaper for precaution we allow children to reach past their boundaries, without the word 'no'.

Wanting to minimise mess as adults are instinctive and expected and it does clash with a child's form of mess and expression but as educators that is how we quiet down that voice inside our heads because children are capable and with all the listening and being in the moment I have done these past years made me realise that children know exactly what they can/cannot do. They know the boundaries that they can reach based on their physical abilities. We just need to trust them to achieve it.

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The VEYLDF outcome 3 states children are confident and involved learners (2009 p.20), so in that way, educators should apply the understanding and knowledge to grant children the space to connect freely to art and learning, including the mess that arises through it.

Developmental theories define child development being in ‘distinct’ and ‘separate stages’. There is a truth to it, but I think separating development into stages and mess does not mix together. Instead if we ‘focus on a child’s learning and development as an individual’ (Nolan and Raban-Bisby 2015 p. 8) as educators or parents we can clearly see the differences.

For example, if two children are given the same materials and paper the ‘mess’ arising through their experimentation would be completely/slightly different. So our labeling of what exactly a child should be able to achieve at a certain age is sometimes unwanted when applied in instances such as ‘mess’ because every child is different.

‘Our expectations of children’s development need to be viewed not as universal but interwoven with the social and cultural worlds in which the children are raised.’ (Nolan and Raban-Bisby 2015 p.10) With socio-cultural theories- Ben’s community is his mom, his dad, family in Kenya, the plains, and the animals. It is his cat Tilly and his home, it is also playing at the Oval and if we were comparing him to the set standards that he was supposed to have achieved at 5 years like Piaget or Montessori have stated, it would be unfair and rude because his experiences are what makes Ben- Ben and the ‘messes’ that arise both metaphorical and physical would be his story, His learning, and his own expression because ‘children have a strong sense of identity’- outcome 1 (VEYLDF 2009 p.18) and it is up to us to make sure that it is justified.

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As said by Rinaldi (2001) one of the first questions we ask ourselves as educators is; ‘How can we help children find meaning in what they do, what they encounter, what they experience? And how can we do this for ourselves?’

By re-evaluating what definitions we can give ‘mess’ in the context of early childhood education we help children find their meaning.

By taking a step back and being wholly present in a particular moment we allow ourselves to be immersed with the child and ‘... they will learn more, we will learn more and we become co-researchers with children.’ (Department of Education, South Australia 2019)

As adults and educators, it is our priority to keep the children under our care safe and happy, but when it comes to the mess that is created through play and art, the instinctive reaction is to be careful and to keep things in order. How does this interfere with how children express themselves? I wanted to be more aware and understand that it is okay for mess to be there and put myself in their shoes.  I had to stop myself from saying the expected phrases because if I did, it would deter Ben’s play and learning at that moment- how small that effect may be.

Post-structuralist theories explain things being in many forms, without an absolute truth (Nolan and Raban-Bisby 2015 p. 7) If looked at from this lens, we can confidently say that there is a reason for mess and that could be a new way of looking at the ways children learn. From years 2-5, the resulting disorder from arts and crafts can be defined as expression, understanding and experiences felt in that moment, for that child. Because ultimately, ‘educators need to be responsive and reactive to the different learning and developmental pathways for children.’ (Nolan and Raban-Bisby 2015 p. 13)

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It was around 4.30 pm, Ben had just come home from school and was finishing up an ice lolly. The conversation wasn't flowing that much because he looked distracted, tired, and maybe a bit frustrated and my thoughts were: Well how can I make this next activity relaxed and enjoyable for him and I also had to take into account of how he feels towards school- which is not that positive. My plans had to be scrapped to suit his needs.

I opened up my laptop to a virtual museum website and let him choose the exhibition he was most interested in. With the presenter on-screen talking about dinosaurs and fossils I started asking him where his mini dinosaurs were.

Ben: Which ones? Ohhh..  do you mean the ones that we played with the other day?

Me: Yes we can make some fossil prints... if you'd like.
(Him losing interest in the video)

Ben: Let's play now.
(His go-to sentence when he does not want to do things he doesn't like)

I started taking out food colouring bottles and the closest thing can we can work on, hoping that what I am about to do will be interesting for him. Dipping in a dinosaur's foot into the food coloring and pressing it on to paper I start asking him about his favourite dinosaur- He follows along with lots more energy and a little smile while explaining.

We make up an elaborate storyline with the good and bad dinosaurs, early humans, and get the colours all over our fingers, bright reds, and greens on the paper mixing together to form one dark brown.

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Ordinary Moment 3- Playhouse with Furniture

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Ordinary Moment 3- Playhouse with Furniture

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Ordinary Moment 2- Ancient Dinosaur and Footprint Fossil War

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Ordinary Moment 2- Ancient Dinosaur and Footprint Fossil War

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Ordinary Moment 1 - Getting messy with huge paper rolls and paint

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Ordinary Moment 1 - Getting messy with huge paper rolls and paint

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Question: How does the instinctive nature of adults' wanting to minimise mess create tensions between children's learning and expression?

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Question: How does the instinctive nature of adults' wanting to minimise mess create tensions between children's learning and expression?

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Name of Educator: Shakya Perera
Age group: 3- 5 years old
Placement Time Period: 5th to 16th October 2020

Xander is 5 years old and he lives with his mom and the household favorite- 'Tilly the Cat'. He was born in Kenya and moved to Australia last year.
Xander is a very smart, humble child with a love for all animals and 'every color of the rainbow', he is interested in dinosaurs, the loch ness monster with a deep imagination for all things. Which extends to his series of dinosaur drawings.

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'Mess'- the Fine Line Between a Child's Expression and Adult's Cautiousness

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'Mess'- the Fine Line Between a Child's Expression and Adult's Cautiousness