Butterfly Art
We have started to explore with colours at kinder. After reading the very hungry caterpillar story the other week, the children had the opportunity to make their own butterfly by engaging in a fun art activity on Wednesday. The children were to place small blobs of paint down the middle of the page and then fold the paper in half and squish the paint around. When they opened the paper up the paint had mixed together and made the shape of a butterfly. The children get so excited about the colour patterns their butterfly’s have created.
On Thursday and Friday Jess worked with each child individually to cut their butterfly out and staple antennas on their butterfly. The butterflies are displayed in the room, hanging from a brunch. They all look fantastic flying around the room.
This experience provided the teachers the opportunity to build the children’s colour knowledge as well as building on the children’s cutting skills.
EYLF- wellbeing, learning, communication
Other areas of interest inside
- The children had so much fun adding different kinds of yellow material to the sunflower. Thank you to Banksia group for sharing the sunflower with Wattle Group. community, communication
- Construction sets- Magnetic wooden construction set, mobilo and the shopping Duplo community, wellbeing, communication
- The children showed interest in exploring with light and colour by using the light projector. learning, communication
- On Friday we added the gardening experience in the black tray. The children were able to pour the sand into the pots and plant the artificial flowers. This experience was very popular that a teacher sat near the activity to make sure everyone got a turn. community, wellbeing, communication
- On Friday we also set up a Knights, horses and fairies imaginative area on the light table. community, communication
Areas of interest outside
- The children really enjoyed the rocket ship that was set up outside, we had many Astronauts flying into space. Identity, community, communication
- The children love using the binoculars at kinder and we were super lucky to get some new ones. The children love to explore the yard and looking up into the sky and the trees looking for birds. On Friday Waratah group added a bird scavenger hunt outside, the children enjoyed looking around the yard looking for the different birds that were on the bird scavenger sheet. community, communication
- We had many witches at kinder who were putting spells on their friends and teachers. identity, community, communication
- We can tell football is back on, we have some very mad footy supporters who enjoyed kicking the footballs and using the goals. community, wellbeing
- The tools are very much still a big hit outside, apparently we have a lot of broken equipment at kinder that needs to be fixed. community, communication
Wominjeka –
Wominjeka, a word that some of the children already knew and a word that some children just learnt.
Wominjeka means Hello/Welcome in the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people of Kulin Nation-the traditional owners of Melbourne. (reference- https://rorkprojects.com.au/languages/)
Last week we started our learning journey about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture. We started by learning what Wominjeka meant and learning the kindergartens Acknowledgement of Country. At Waterfall Gully Preschool we pride ourselves in learning, acknowledging and showing our respect to the Traditional owners of the land that we work, learn and play on. Through play, art, music and movement and other incidental experiences we hope to provide a curriculum that allows the children to build their understanding and knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
Every session the children will have the opportunity at the start of the first large group time to sing the Acknowledgement of County-
Last Thursday with a small group at a time, we sat in the front yard and shared a discussion about what the children already knew about Aboriginal Culture. We looked at the different flags that we have displayed at kinder, the meaning of the colours (especially the Aboriginal flag), we lightly discussed when the First Peoples arrived in Australia there was no supermarkets or shops for them to buy food or clothes and that they needed to hunt and collect their food and make their clothes. We lightly discussed the importance of song and dance and how it is used to tell a story.
The children were also able to engage in a animal dance experience. While playing the tapping sticks the children were able to dance around and move like an Australian Animal. We will be extending this experience and learning more about how Aboriginal People used Song and Dance to tell stories in the next couple of weeks.
EYLF: Identity, community, learning, communication
Other group time activities
- Music and movement- ‘Highway number one’ and ‘Let’s go driving’
- Show n tell- we have nearly completed our term 1 show n tell. The children will be able to have another opportunity next term to bring something in for show n tell.
- We were able to discuss if the foods ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ ate were a healthy choice or a sometimes choice. The children helped place the foods in the right category.
- We started to learn the ‘rainbow Song’ on Friday and learning the different colours in sign language.
Photo link for last weeks photos-
https://photos.app.goo.gl/XQwwPznwAcoAS7Vb9
Happy Birthday Kylo!
What’s happening next?
- To continue our exploration with colours the children will have the opportunity to explore with colour mixing by painting and mixing colours on a tile piece.
- A Teppanyaki restaurant has been set up after Sam was telling us during his show n tell about the restaurant he went to while on holidays that threw food at you for you to try and catch it with your mouth. The children were so amazed by this.
- The flower planting activity in the black tray will be available again this week
- Rainbow collage on the Easel
- A little kitchen was set up where the children have been using play dough and other equipment to pretend to cook with. We have changed some of the utensils and equipment in this area to extend the children’s interest in making cupcakes and cakes.
- On the light table a knights, horses and fairies imaginative area has been set up.
- Outside
- Rocket ship
- Binoculars and bird scavenger hunt
- Witches dress ups
- Footballs and footy goals
- Trampoline
- Obstacle course
- Group time
- Learning about Primary colours and mixing two primary colours to make a secondary colour
- Colour song
- Music and movement- ‘Highway number one.’
- Bug under the rug-name recognition activity
- Continue Learning the sign language for the ‘Rainbow song’
- Friday Yoga