Expressing Ourselves Through The Arts!

Dear Monkey Class Families, 

Over the past few weeks, our classroom has been buzzing with creativity and exploration as we've delved into the theme of "How We Express Ourselves" through the wonderful world of art! It's been a joy to witness the children's unique perspectives and their growing confidence in sharing their thoughts and feelings.

Observing and Expressing: An Introduction To Visual Art

Early in our exploration, we spent time in circle time and small groups looking at a variety of paintings and sculptures. It was fascinating to hear their observations and how different artworks made them feel. We encouraged active listening and respectful sharing, celebrating the diverse opinions within our classroom – even when a child confidently declared they didn't connect with a particular piece! This open dialogue is so important in fostering critical thinking and self-expression.


Hands-On Creativity: Bringing Art to Life

Looking ahead, we're excited to build on this foundation by giving the children opportunities to recreate famous artworks, both individually and as a team. This will be a wonderful way for them to engage with art on a deeper level and develop their own artistic skills.

Last Friday, we kicked off our art creation with a collaborative project inspired by Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night." Using a variety of loose parts, the children worked together, discussing what they noticed in the painting. While their initial fascination was with the materials themselves, it was a great starting point for observing the elements of a famous artwork. Next week, we'll be encouraging their individual creativity as they use loose parts to create their very own masterpieces


In another exciting activity over the past few weeks, the children explored their creativity through shape art. With gentle prompts and support from the teachers, they designed and created their own unique artworks using various shapes. This hands-on experience not only reinforced their understanding of mathematical concepts like identifying and using different shapes but also sparked their creative thinking. A wonderful part of this activity was seeing their confidence blossom as they proudly presented their artwork to the class during our second circle time, sharing their ideas and building their communication skills. We hope these colourful creations made it home with your child last week! While we offered the option to display their artwork in the classroom, most children were eager to take their masterpieces home to share with you.

Performance Arts

The children's enthusiasm for performance arts has also been a highlight! We had a fantastic session where they shared their prior experiences with different forms of dance, from ballet to street dance. It was lovely to see their excitement and curiosity. Interestingly, some children initially preferred to observe before sharing their thoughts later, reminding us that everyone expresses themselves in their own way and time. Our AM class even put on a delightful rendition of "The Three Little Pigs," with everyone eager to take on a role! While our PM class had a slightly shorter circle time due to celebrating our April birthdays, we're looking forward to diving deeper into drama with them next week. In fact, this week, small group sessions will be dedicated to creating their very own drama productions – we can't wait to see where their imaginations take them!

Musical Adventures

Music has also added a vibrant dimension to our exploration of expression. We've been enjoying experimenting with rhythm sticks, copying beats, and welcoming new instruments to our classroom's soundscape. When we created rainbow music jars during circle time, it sparked a fascinating discussion about different materials. The children had an interesting theory that plastic bottles might not create the same sounds as glass jars, and we're looking forward to putting this idea to the test during a small group activity this week.

Developing Gross Motor Skills

This term we'll be adding more structured PE sessions on the playground alongside their usual free play.. Just this past week, they had a blast developing essential gross motor skills using bean bags. Through activities like balancing bean bags on various body parts, they're improving their body awareness and coordination. Even something like walking with a bean bag on their head helps refine their balance and posture. Aiming at targets with bean bags helps build hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness, while practicing catching, whether independently or with a friend, enhances their reaction time and encourages cooperative play. We're really looking forward to seeing them further develop these important physical skills in the outdoor environment!

April Birthdays!

Last week we celebrated our Monkey class friends who have birthdays in April, please click on the link below to get a sneak peak of the celebration. (Please note that this month's video is from the PM class only.)


Google Albums

Here is a reminder of our Google Albums for Term 3, which you can access through the links below.


I will also keep the Home Sharing albums active throughout the term, so please feel free to add photos to these albums should your child wish to share any activities and or experiences with the class. 


Parent storyteller albums will also be updated throughout the term

Parent Storyteller Album

It's been a truly inspiring few weeks witnessing the children's creative journeys! We can't wait to see what wonderful expressions they explore next. Have a lovely week ahead and until next time, take care!

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