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Gentle Blue Workshop 1 reflections | Being & Belonging
2012-11-11

Gentle Blue Workshop 1 reflections

There is a huge amount of development that takes place from the age of one to three/ four. Most toddlers by the age of two grasp the concept of many activities and have developed the ability and motor skills to perform them well. Stirring, sticking, putting things into a box and taking out again. Placing things in a specific area and have even begun to arrange and organise how things are stuck or placed. They have often also developed skills in mark making, painting with sponges and brushes. Children under the age of two are mostly focused on experiencing how things feel and understanding them though texture and sensation. For example children under two focus mostly on getting in the tubs of paint and feeling the paint not just with hands but also love to feel with feet etc. Although children between two and four still will enjoy this they also enjoy processes such as painting and sticking. By four many children now also enjoy quite sophisticated organising. Arranging cut outs in rows, painting in stripes, circles etc. The children in Stepping Stones toddler group are a wide range of ages and approach the activities differently. It is important that the parents feel comfortable about this and do not feel that there is one way only to work with the materials. Sometimes parents worry about a child tipping up a plate or sitting in the paint. From the childs perspective this needs to be an open play ground and although guided and supported there should be no sense of ever getting something wrong. By being supportive and relaxed about these eventualities myself parents will also feel more comfortable with it.