Colour, movement and Marvellous Faces: A Week of Discovery in Early Years

This week the children have been learning all about themselves – what they look like, what their bodies can do, and how they can use colour to express the world around them. Our young artists began by experimenting with watercolours, mixing primary colours to create entirely new shades and delighting in the moment red and yellow blended into orange before their very eyes. They made predictions, named the colours they had created, and chose their favourites for their own paintings, building a rich vocabulary of colour as they did so.

Alongside their artwork, the children have been busy identifying the different parts of the body and discovering just how much their bodies are capable of. We named everything from hair to toes, and then put those parts to work – stretching, balancing, twisting and holding still in unusual positions. The children particularly enjoyed copying and inventing poses, describing what they were doing ("my arms up high", "I stand on one leg"), and noticing how their bodies felt as they moved.

Our exploration of identity continued as the children created faces with modelling dough, choosing to sculpt themselves, a member of their family or one of their teachers. These wonderful models prompted thoughtful conversations about facial features – eyes, noses, mouths, ears and hair – and about the ways in which people look both similar and different. One child proudly explained that he and I look alike "because we have the same type of hair", which led to a lovely discussion about how the features we share help us feel connected to one another, whilst the features that differ make each of us special.

Experiences such as these support the children's development across every area of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Mixing paint and rolling dough strengthens the small muscles in their hands and prepares them for early writing; moving their bodies in different ways builds coordination, balance and spatial awareness; and talking about themselves, their families and their teachers nurtures confidence, communication and a growing sense of belonging. Most importantly, the children are learning that their ideas, their families and their faces are something to celebrate – and we could not be prouder of how enthusiastically they have embraced every challenge this week.

By Sharie-Niah Defoe

Nursery Rainbow Fish Class Teacher

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