Creative Play

I choose a Creative Activity because as stated by (Beith, Robinson and Pullan, 2003, pg. 81) 'Creative play is a very important way of encouraging children to experiment and explore the world around them'.

Planning & Preparation for the Activity

Before the activity was implemented a newsletter was sent out to all parents explaining that we were going to be covering a topic about the Autumn Season and what would be involved. If the parents had any problems they were very welcome to come into the nursery to discuss these before their child took part in any activity. I sought permission from the Nursery teacher to do the activity and we discussed what I would like to do, she was very helpful and more than happy for me to carry out the activity. She advised me that it would be better to do it on a one to one basis so I would have more time with the child. All the materials I needed were available from the storage room and they were plenty of resources for all the children. Different coloured sheets of A4 paper and paint was provided in the autumn colours, red, yellow, green and brown and a damp cloth. All the materials and newspaper covering were laid out, and the tables used where size appropriate for the children involved. The craft corner has a washable floor to easily clean any spillages and a sink is situated close by for easy access for the children to wash their hands. The area has plenty of room to allow children to move freely which is important to avoid any accidents. The paints used were non-toxic and carried the appropriate safety marks and were set out in spill proof pots. A chucky paintbrush was chosen because as stated by (Green, 2002, pg 77) 'a child with limited manipulative dexterity will benefit from chunky brush handles'. Aprons were laid out on the back of the chair. The preparation time for the activity will take approximately ten minutes to set up.

The activity is suitable for all children regardless of their gender, culture or abilities. For any children with allergies or skin conditions such as eczema, the paint can irritate the problem further so I would make a card cut out of the child's hand which the child could paint to make a handprint or colour in.

Word Count 420

Implementation of the Activity

I completed the activity with the children on a one to one basis; this enabled me to spend quality time with each child. I did the activity with an equal amount of both boys and girls. Two of the children had physical impairments, one child had sight impairment and the other child had a hearing impairment so I had to adapt the activity a little for these two children. For the child with the hearing impairment I had to think about the tone of my voice and had to make sure that I was face to face with him when I spoke to allow him to read my lips. As with the child with the sight impairment thinking about the proximity of the objects and myself was important. As stated by (Tassoni and Hucker, 2000) activities that focus on touch are valuable for children with sight and hearing impairment and can be used as an alternative means of expression for the less verbal child. The activity was closely supervised and I helped all the children to use the materials safely. When the child sat down I asked them to put on the apron and explained it was to help keep their clothing clean. I talked to the child about printing and what we were going to do and explained to the child how to make a handprint. I asked the child to choose which colours they would like to use and asked them to paint their hand with the brush. I provided any additional support to the child if needed. The children told me that the brush tickled when they painted their hands and how it felt cold, sticky and wet. Some of the children needed a bit of help to paint their hands but most could place their hands to the paper themselves. I asked the children what they thought of their prints, and they seemed excited about their work smiling at me. I explained to the children that the handprints were going to be used as leaves on our trees for our display wall, they showed lots of interest and this brought about further discussion about the trees outside, they turned on their chairs and looked out the window, pointing and asking why the leaves were changing colour and why the leaves fall off the trees. We talked about the Autumn Season and what happens during this time. The children seemed happy and contented. They talked about their handprints once they could see them on paper, pointing to their pictures with big smiles, one child very proudly said to me 'look that's my hand'. I replied, 'yes it is, its wonderful'. I asked the children if they would like to make anymore and repeated the activity if the child wished to. Several of the nursery children came over to see what was going on. I praised the children during the activity and showed lots of interest and enthusiasm about their lovely artwork. Once the child had finished their print the child wiped their hands with the damp cloth, I then made sure that they went to the sink and washed their hands thoroughly. Some of the children needed help to clean the paint from their hands, so either myself or another member of staff supervised. Once the handprints were dry they were cut out and stuck onto the trees for our leaves. The work was displayed on the main wall. A notice was put up on the nursery door inviting all the parents into the nursery to see their child's work.

The activity took around ten minutes to complete and was easy to supervise. The children listened carefully and lots of interaction took place. All the children involved had equal access to the equipment and resources and the activity benefited all the children regardless of their age, culture, gender or abilities. I offered any additional support if needed and each child was given enough time to complete their activity. All the children were treated with equal respect.

Word Count 603

Evaluation of the Activity

I feel the children enjoyed the activity; they showed interest and enthusiasm in what they were doing and asked lots of questions. The activity encouraged communication as we talked about colours, textures of the paint, seasons and what they saw and felt. I feel some spontaneous learning occurred from the activity because after discussing that their prints were going to be used for leaves on our trees this resulted in the children looking out the window and talking about leaves and what happens during the Autumn Season. The children were alert throughout the activity and showed signs of being happy and contented with what they where doing. The activity showed the children how to use paint in a different way and how to make a print. They learned some new words by describing what they felt from the paint and what they made such as gooey, print and texture. They also used their senses to help them describe what they saw and felt. I feel the children gained confidence from the activity by the praise they received from myself and others in the group.

Learning Outcomes for Me

I learned that when a child is showing an interest in something they are enjoying it creates a good basis for positive communication with the child. Children gain lots of learning opportunities from taking part in activities. Spending time with all the children showed me that they are all unique and all react to experiences in different ways. The activity promoted a sound basis for physical, social, emotional and language development. I have also learned from preparing the activity plan to think about the Early Learning Goals and how and where they fit in and to make sure that activities provided are suitable for all children involved.

Word Count 288

REFERENCES

* Beith, K. and Robinson, M. and Pullan, L. (2003) Early Years Care and Education S/NVQ Level 2, Oxford, Heinemann Publishers

* Green, S. (2002) BTEC National Early Years, Nelson Thornes Ltd.

* Tassoni, P. and Hucker, K (2000) Planning Play and the Early Years, Oxford, Heinemann Educational Publishers

BIBLIOGRAPHY

* Beith, K. and Robinson, M. and Pullan, L. (2003) Early Years Care and Education S/NVQ Level 2, Oxford, Heinemann Publishers

* Meggitt, C. and Walker, J. (2004) An Introduction to Childcare and Education Level 2. Hodder Arnold

Oxford, Heinemann Publishers

* Tassoni, P. and Bulan, K (1999) Early Years care and Education S/NVQ Level 3. Oxford, Heinemann Publishers

* Tassoni, P. and Hucker, K (2000) Planning Play and the Early Years.

Amanda Vickers

Pin Number - 05/293830

Centre Number - 779.004

Pre-school Learning Alliance - North East Region