The Wishing Tree

Yesterday while using the story cards ( check Amazon to see what I mean ) the story paused for a moment as we wondered what we would all wish for if we found a wishing tree...

Today we returned to that question as part of our philosophical circle time and included the question, why? and what would the tree look like? (as we were going to look for the tree in the forest afterwards). Tomorrow I will share the findings of this week's philosophical dialogues, as usual.

In the afternoon I cut out a left over piece of "tree trunk" painted as part of the Painting by Letters session last week... I pinned it, for now, on top of our spring painting with a vague idea of transforming spring into autumn at another session in the atelier to deepen the children's awareness of changing seasons and the changing colours and temperatures that go with that...

But as I looked at the photo of the tree on the way home (the commute is my first photo editing session) it struck me that this should be the wishing tree - and that the ideas and suggestions made by the children during our philosophy dialogue this morning should guide us as to how to proceed with this artwork. I am glad that I took a quick snapshot of the tree now, even though I was not entirely sure what was going to happen with the tree - as the photo documentation became fuel to a new idea as I reflected over the day and looked at the images...

So now I am rather excited about presenting this idea to the children to see if they are interested in making it an autumn tree or a wishing tree (or maybe they have a whole new idea ... maybe a fairy house?). I can add on some more branches to make it less hand-like and more tree like... but there again, maybe a wishing tree should be hand shaped?

I also like to re-use "old" artwork... to develop it further... it feels a natural part of a sustainable preschool. It also shows the children that we can return to art and add to it, change it etc... until we are satisfied, and that it does not all have to be finished in one session but that we can take time, and pauses...

We have a spring/summer spaghetti that is just waiting for a layer of autumn colours - and at the end of the year for a layer of winter colours... maybe this time we could try string painting?