The Summer Camp group at RisingOaks Early Learning | St. Luke got to discover prehistoric and ocean landscapes through a National Geographic lens. Inspired by the theme “National Geographic: Animal Planet”, children dove into an exciting process art adventure using aluminum foil as their canvas. The session began with an engaging discussion about dinosaurs and their natural habitats. The children eagerly shared ideas for creating a prehistoric landscape, incorporating scenes into their images such as erupting volcanoes, jagged mountains, dense forests, flowing rivers, sandy plains, and muddy swamps.
The art table was intentionally set up with large sheets of foil, watercolours, brushes, sponges, paper, and props such as dinosaurs, ancient animals, volcanoes, and small wooden logs. With their tools ready, the children began to explore how different materials and techniques could bring their visions to life. One child carefully flattened the foil with their hands, fascinated by its shiny, reflective surface. “I’m going to make a river!” they said excitedly. Another chimed in, “I’ll create volcanoes with lava flowing into the river!”
Using a mixture of dabbing, swirling, dragging, and finger-painting, the children layered colours and textures to recreate the vibrant images of prehistoric worlds. Their imagination turned foil into dynamic, textured landscapes full of movement and life.
After exploring land-based scenes, the educator challenged the children to shift their focus beneath the surface, towards the ocean. Using cooler tones like blues, turquoise, and green, the children transformed their foil canvases into shimmering underwater worlds. Some crafted seaweed using paper and foil strips, others sprinkled yarn into the wet paint to mimic coral textures, while some used brushes to paint jellyfish, starfish, and sea foam.
This process was not about creating a final product; it was about exploration, imagination, and storytelling. One child represented a turtle’s journey from the sea to the sandy shore. He carefully painted a stretch of beach and gently guided a toy turtle across the foil. “She’s looking for a safe place to lay her eggs,” he explained. He then built a hidden nest inside a log and carefully placed the eggs inside. “This will protect them from hungry seagulls,” he added. His scene represented care, protection, and the natural life cycle, combining that of the land and sea.
This experience supported fine motor development, sensory exploration, development and texture recognition, scientific thinking in regards to the land and sea, and expressive language through the art of storytelling. Whether through roaring dinosaur lands or peaceful ocean habitats, each child discovered a unique way to express their creativity and curiosity through this creative art and process-focused exploration activity.
