For children Christmas is magical and the most loved holiday because everything is new and exciting. This year, instead of getting swept up in the clichés of Christmas, we tried to capture that sense of wonder by giving our children an opportunity to indulge in free flow creativity in order to make meaningful and productive Christmas memories which will be cherished into the coming new year.
In school-age 2 we decided to create a Christmas wreath for our bulletin board. There was a healthy competition among the children as they all tried to make the best wreath. With the provided supplies, children used their creativity and dexterity to cut the shape of a wreath out of disposable paper plates. They used burlap, lace, and coloured and glittery paper to wrap it around the shape in order to make it look beautiful, presentable, and unique, which they then decorated with their own flair. Throughout the activity the educator encouraged them to develop creativity through continuous provision, where they could study material and make informed choices while engaging in creative activities.
As the children progressed toward the final step of creating their wreath, the educator realized what amazing work the children were engaging in, for each child had a different and unique style that made their wreath beautiful and wonderful. They wanted to highlight a wreath on the bulletin board at the front of the centre. After considering many factors, one wreath was selected and proudly displayed for all to see.
It is important to encourage children to be independent and creative in their learning and choices. Throughout this activity, children learned to express their creativity. Being creative in school-age 2 means much more than just creating; it is a way to observe freely, experiment happily, explore with interest, imagine, plan, and create masterpieces by choice rather than colouring predetermined outlines and placing supplies on pre-cut cards or shapes that can skillfully turn them into Christmas spirit outcomes. We love being creative in school-age 2 and can't wait to do more creative activities in the new year.
