Exploring materials

Over the past month, I’ve been working with children from the museum’s nursery, exploring materials in a series of specially created workshops designed for 2-5 year olds. I planned the workshop content in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the approaches of Reggio Emilia and High/Scope which promote children as active participants in their own learning.

Children were offered the chance to play with a wide array of objects, from button to shells, straws to feathers, in whatever manner they pleased, and using all their senses. This was very much a partnership in learning for me as the practitioner and the children alike, rather than a formal lesson with lots of instructions.

 During the first week I introduced children to the objects and encouraged them to explore and investigate textures and outward appearances. The children were so engaged that as they left the the session I heard them comment “this is smooth” as they touched the door!

In week two we looked at the shadows and reflections produce by the objects with the help of an overhead projector, a light box, and torches. We then took the torches into the dark ‘Desert Discovery’ gallery to explore further.

Week three found us looking at the imprints objects leave behind when pressed into modelling clay. Some children chose to leave their objects in the clay, integrating it into their designs, while other children were more interested in their imprints.

For our final session I hung up a white sheet and projected photographs from the previous sessions on to it. Needless to say, the children were fascinated with the images of themselves as they ran through with the sheet. I also brought out all the objects from previous sessions for one more explore.

There were lots of surprises in the way the children played with the many different objects; one boy who usually loves to be very physically active showed himself to be a methodical learner, as he spent a great deal of time sorting out and identifying things. Each week the children surprised me with their understanding of the world around them; they made me and the nursery practitioners smile with their enthusiasm and knowledge and I had a great deal of fun learning with them.

Penny Dargan is an Early Years Enabler at Eureka!