Making snowflakes....

Talking with the children it has become clear that the fairy land with a Moroccan feel that turned into "Scaryland" as we investigated fears is to be returned to a fairy land but this time with a winter feel!

I am not the one for pulling down artwork on the wall (both as it serves as a reminder of what we have been doing - but also as part of a sustainable preschool - we do not just want to use materials for the sake of it - for instance the Morocco inspired fairyland was painted on the back of old wallpaper taped together)

Back to winter fairyland...

Snowflakes seemed essential (as we are waiting for snow here - unusually late for Stockholm - but I am not complaining - as the ground has not turned to concrete and there are still puddles to spalsh in and mud to play in)...

It was the first time to make snowflakes...
I prepared the circles and then started cutting snowflakes as the children played fairies - I felt the children were tired (they all seem to be catching chisken pox at the moment - today we had just 4 of 11 children!!) so instead of it being an "activity" it was just something I got busy with and the children were welcome to join in when they wanted to...

A three year old sat next to me and wanted to cut a snow flake. I showed how to fold the white circle of paper and guided the first cutting - then he opened the snowflake - BIG EYES and a HUGE smile - his first snowflake. He jumped up from his chair and had to show the fairies playing in the room next to us...

A few moments later the fairies came to the table as they too wanted to cut their first snowflakes - both four year olds. I showed them how to fold their circles and how to cut. I told them not to worry if they went wrong - there were lots of circles - for now it was about experimenting. I explained about how you could cut small triangles into the sides so that the circle did not fall apart...

Circles became bits - but they also became snowflakes - and there was so much PRIDE. "MY first snowflake" "My second snowflake" - and also the ability to laugh when they opend their snowflake and it fell to pieces. This was a session of messing about - not of prestige.

It was a session about learning - the children learned that we don't need to master everything the first time - that we NEED time to practice.

the first snowflake cuts - WONDERFUL to watch just how invloved the whole body is when concentrating on cutting - the mouth and tongue supporting the brain to make each cut!!

pure joy - like magic - opening the paper and seeing that there is a snowflake. One of the other children was totally blown away by the fact that she had made one hole and when she opened the paper they had turned into many holes.

"look, look at my first snowflake"