Our creative space where our children’s imaginations, expression and experimentation can inspire and encourage dynamic learning processes through the arts.
Our intention with the creation of The Atelier is to nurture each child’s creative expression and ability to complement their early learning journey. In additon, it’s very important to us that our curriculum and philosophy resonates with key characteristics of our surrounding community.
Our children’s work…on display in our foyer..
And busy in the Atelier Class Room…
Group project work fosters an understanding of team work, cooperation and contributes heavily to the development of social skills and friendships. Group work in our art class also teaches our children about the concepts of empathy and communication. Everyone’s input is important, we may agree and disagree and that is how we learn to negotiate. Together, we learn, grow, and create beautiful memories.
There is no better moment for us than witnessing a child’s joy as they sit in our Atelier and begin working with clay. Clay, and its necessity to be touched, is at once familiar to children. Clay manipulation is a sensory experience that they enjoy with uninhibited enthusiasm; “It’s cold, it’s wet and squishy, and it’s so heavy!” Clay asks to be poked, pinched, twisted and rolled and as they handle it, children develop both fine and gross motor skills and realize that they have an effect on the clay as it responds to their manipulation. Children visually inspect the clay’s surface and color, they smell it and they laugh at its texture. It challenges the children while they’re developing the large and small muscles of their fingers which is essential for children to grip and write. For many, it’s perhaps the first time they’ve been encouraged to get wet and dirty in a classroom environment and there is an instinctive and uplifting response to the freedom they feel from this type of activity.
Our Radishes children recently explored weaving with natural materials – As the children collected items in their buckets, they developed a deeper understanding of their environment, learning to appreciate the textures, colours, and shapes of the items from the natural world around them. This exploration fostered their curiosity and encouraged them to observe patterns in nature. During the weaving process, the children practiced fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, manipulating various materials through the frame. This hands-on activity also promoted problem-solving as they figured out how to interlace different elements creatively. Working together, the children enhanced their social skills, learning to communicate, share ideas, and negotiate roles, which helped build a sense of community and belonging.
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