Christmas is in the Air

Trying out new skills.

‘Creativity in the Classroom aims to give children the opportunity to have new learning experiences, an exposure to learning in a creative way, and at the same time exploring concepts and ways of working individually and collectively.’

As a facilitator I am listening to the children, who sometimes have a preconceived idea of what art should be and to teachers who have an overloaded curriculum to fulfil.

Christmas brings a lot of preconceived ideas and I find it can be difficult to have it as a theme.

Before Christmas I was working with two second classes in Inchicore N.S. and a second and third class in Our Lady of Lourdes, Goldenbridge.

All the classes wanted to do something for Christmas so for the two sessions before our holidays I thought we could explore some skills and materials and the children could create their own decorations using these.

All teachers requested to do something with ‘Fabric and Fibre’, part of the visual art curriculum.

This is what we did.

1st week

Dipping and dyeing fabric.

Learning to make knots and making tassels.

Wrapping drift wood with coloured wools.

Drawing on wood-cookies.

Cutting shapes and making cylinders from gold and silver card.Using a hole-puncher on card.

Putting it all together.

2nd week

Writing and drawing on the dyed fabric.

Making willow circles.

Weaving with plants on the willow to make wreaths

Learning the names of our evergreen plants: ivy, holly, pine and pine-cones.

The children chose their own way to make decorations from these materials.

Liz

www.creativityintheclassroom.ie