"Explores and experiments with a range of media through sensory exploration, and using whole body" Early Years Foundation Stage. This week even though it has been raining, the Warren have been able to go out blackberry picking around the farm. Once we were walking around the farm the children quickly found the blackberry bushes and got picking. We collected just enough to make some blackberry paint.
Once we got back to the Warren we washed the blackberries and squashed them into a paste consistency, making it easier for the children paint with. This then allowed the children to be able to make marks using their hands, paint brushes, paint sponges and rollers, selecting the implement of choice for themselves! The children made marks in different directions and in different ways. This allowed them to express themselves in different ways through art and design. This type of multi-sensory activity supports their hand eye coordination and fine motor skills in the physical development area of the EYFS. Furthermore it helps their communication and language, as some children said 'blackberry', 'purple', 'more paint'. Some of them couldn't resist a taste of the blackberries which meant that we had less blackberry paint than we started with!
As the children loved this activity so much, they did become purple on their hands and face, which turned them into purple blackberry monsters. We do apologise to parents if any of their children have turned into purple monsters.
Laura