O often likes to paint her hands, this morning the other children noticed and all joined in alongside her. There was sensory exploration as the children covered their whole hands with paint & squashed them together. There was colour experimentation too with C noticing when he rubbed green and yellow together, the yellow blended in. C and M gave each other a high five, mixing their colours more. N had a go at making brown by mixing colours together. When everyone was finished there was laughter as they splashed their hands in a soapy tub of water.

Core Skills Analysis

Sensory

• The 3-year-old student learned about tactile sensory input by feeling the texture and temperature variations of the paint on their hands.
• Through the experience of squashing their painted hands together, the student explored proprioceptive sensory input, understanding spatial awareness and pressure.
• Color blending was introduced as the student observed how different colors mixed together when rubbed, enhancing their visual sensory perception.
• The act of mixing colors to create new ones, such as N attempting to make brown, provided the student with a hands-on lesson in color theory.

Tips

To further enhance sensory exploration and creativity, encourage varied textures for painting, such as using different tools like sponges or brushes, and diverse materials like clay or sand. Incorporating scented paints or adding glitter can also engage olfactory and visual senses. Encourage open-ended exploration and experimentation to foster a sense of curiosity and discovery in the child.

Book Recommendations

• Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet: An interactive picture book that introduces young children to the magic of colors through imaginative experimentation and play.
• Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg: A book that celebrates mistakes and encourages creativity by turning unexpected spills and smudges into beautiful artworks.
• My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss: A poetic exploration of emotions tied to different colors, helping children connect their feelings to the world of colors around them.