There are many of me inside me.

An old piece of soft and light paper, crumpled, clumped, and gathered into many layers, becomes a round, solid, useful ball.

I'm a Ball that can bring joy to someone now. 

Since February, our children had been working on their summer projects for quite some time, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to discuss the colours of summer. I wanted to encourage them to express their ideas and thoughts about summer, I set up a big painting activity for them to participate in. The children were excited to get started, and as they painted, they took turns using different colour paint and leaves.

It was interesting to see how the different leaves they used as brushes created different textures and patterns on the paper. As they painted, they also engaged in collaborative learning, sharing their ideas and techniques with one another.

Reflection
As I reflected on this experience, I realized the importance of fostering a positive relationship between children and materials, as it can facilitate deeper learning and exploration. Painting as a medium for artistic expression and sensory exploration is one example of this. By encouraging inquiry-based learning, we can empower children to experiment and create their own styles. This experience has taught me how to engage children in creating a positive and supportive relationship with materials and how it can facilitate their curiosity, exploration, and creativity.

- Teach children to collect natural resources with respect and sustainability, using only what they need and leaving the environment untouched.

- Emphasize the connection and relationship between First Nations cultures and the natural world, and encourage children to develop an appreciation and respect for the natural resources they are using.

However, as my son tried to make an alien figure, he found that the clay's smooth and soft texture presented some challenges. It was not easy to make the alien stand or sit in a specific position, and he had to be creative in finding ways to support its structure.

While faced with these limitations, I continued to enjoy the tactile experience of working with the clay, feeling the different sensations of cold, hard, empty, tricky, soft, sticky, and satisfying as I molded and shaped it. I also found that melting the clay with warm hands made it smoother and more pliable, which added another layer of sensory exploration to the experience.

As I continued to work with the clay, I realized that it was a versatile and engaging material that allowed me to express my creativity and imagination in new and exciting ways. Even after the clay had dried out, my hands still felt the residue of the experience, a tangible reminder of the rich sensory experience I had just encountered.

-  Limitations: Wrapping paper may not be suitable for some types of creative activities, or for children with sensory issues.

-  Interactions: Wrapping paper can be used to enhance creative expression and communication with young children through its visual and tactile qualities.

-  Shifting interactions: Children's interactions with wrapping paper can change with time as they develop new interests, skills, and encounter different materials and papers. Children's engagement with wrapping paper is also influenced by their cultural and social contexts.

2. On the light table, children can observe how light passes through different materials, such as coloured gems, transparent blocks, or tracing paper.

3. Children can place different coloured filters in front of flashlights to see how the light changes.

4. To explore reflection and refraction, children can use mirrors to reflect light onto different surfaces or magnifying glasses to examine how light bends.

Light comes from a variety of sources, including the sun, light bulbs, and fire. Through highlights or shadows, light catches our attention by drawing our eyes to areas of brightness or contrast. With light, we can see the colours, shapes, textures, and movement of objects and spaces.

Light is different from our other inquiries because it is intangible and constantly changing. Light is capable of creating different moods, highlighting details, and evoking emotions. It is incapable of creating physical shapes or objects on its own. Light responds to other materials in its environment by reflecting, absorbing, or passing through them, and can be influenced by the colour, texture, and shape of those materials.

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, ‘From Encounters with Materials in Early Childhood Education’, Paper: Movement, Taylor&Francis Group. pp.30-40, ISBN: 9781317588573

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, ‘From Encounters with Materials in Early Childhood Education’, Paint: Assemblage, Taylor&Francis Group. pp.52-61, ISBN: 9781317588573

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, ‘From Encounters with Materials in Early Childhood Education’, Clay: Ecologies, Taylor&Francis Group. pp.62-72, ISBN: 9781317588573

L’alveare, 2012, ‘BEPS Reggio Emilia Study Tour 2012’, Ray of Light Atelier, weblog post, 26 April, viewed 14 April 2023, < http://bepsreggiotour.blogspot.com/2012/04/wonders-of-learning-auditorium-tuesday.html>

Harwood, P, 2021, ‘Polydron shape your imagination’, The Benefits of Using Lights During Play, weblog post, 21 October, viewed 15 April 2023, < https://www.polydron.co.uk/blog/the-benefits-of-using-lights-during-play.html>