Term 3 in the studio has seen our Pikanini 2’s developing their language in leaps and bounds (which happens every year and is great to be a part of, listening to our little folks demonstrate their language learning through creative play, retelling of stories, playing with puppets and inventing stories and in general conversation showing us how many words they’re learning).
Our Pikanini Ones at this time of year are transitioning up from the Bambini room and proving their confidence and comfort in the centre to me, specifically by taking their first visits to the studio (as when they are in the Bambini room, I visit them), in their stride and getting stuck into our activities and exploring the space with their older peers.
Our Kodomo kids have taken an interest in building their own cubby houses and using these as schools, homes, hospitals and shops, as well as impressing me with their developing computer mouse skills when using Paint 3D and Microsoft Paint.
Our Makedo tools are still a hit, and the children are developing their fine motor skills with these, as well as creating all kinds of things (robots, cars, walls for their cubby houses, aeroplanes) with recycled boxes and cards.
We have been given an electric drumkit from one of our generous staff, which the children are enjoying thoroughly, trying to follow the onboard metronome and inbuilt tunes and for some of our super keen before and after school care children attempting to follow some basic drumming patterns, (a couple of our kids having drum lessons at home and bringing this knowledge to the studio and to their peers).
Our babies have been bashing on some real drums and cymbals, drawing and painting and taking a great interest in our ukuleles, and they’re impressing me with their increasing fine motor skills. the Blipbox synthesizer was bought specifically for them and has been a hit.
Our Koorlongka children have been constructing with nuts and bolts, continuing to find success in learning how to use a computer mouse, learning drawing skills using basic shapes (something I’m always pushing as this is the cornerstone of representational art and super useful), and they’ve been enjoying some super messy squirty painting with sauce bottles and droppers as well as learning the basics of colour mixing, (both with me and in their own classroom).
Mr Marwick
Atelierista