Educating children through the senses is a focus in all our programs. It is an effective way to reach and teach the young child holistically and is also lots of fun.
This week our early learners at Die Bron Primary made their own sensory paint. We used flour, water, a little oil and a variety of spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, peri-peri, curry powder and vanilla.
We encouraged the children to identify and name the different smells and use their hands for pouring, measuring and stirring the paint. The creations not only smelt wonderful but also looked beautiful. They were earthy, full of atmosphere.
“The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences. We must widen the range of topics and goals, the types of situations we offer and their degree of structure, the kinds and combinations of resources and materials, and the possible interactions with things, peers, and adults.”
Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994), Italian early education specialist.
Quoted in The Hundred Languages of Children, ch. 3, by Carolyn Edwards (1993).
