This month, I noticed, the RisingOaks Early Learning | Saint John Paul II School-age 1 children, have continued to show a strong and developing interest in art and craft activities. They often choose to spend their free time drawing, painting, or exploring creative materials. To support this interest and offer a new sensory experience, we introduced shaving cream marbling a fun, hands-on art technique that combines colour, texture, and pattern-making. When presented with the shaving cream, food colouring, and tools, all children were immediately intrigued. With visible excitement, they began experimenting with the materials, carefully selecting colours and swirling them together using a stick in small group. They commented on how the colours blended, saying things like, “It looks like a rainbow cloud,” and “I’m making a magic sky.”, “Gooey”, “It feels so good to touch”. Throughout the activity, everyone showed focus, creativity, and a willingness to try new ideas. They developed confidence in the process, learning to press the paper gently into the cream and lift it to reveal beautiful marbled patterns. As they became more familiar with the technique over multiple sessions, they began to experiment further adjusting how much colour to add, creating different swirl patterns, and even naming their artwork with imaginative titles. What stood out most was their eagerness to share what they had learned with others. They invited peers to join in, demonstrated the steps clearly, and offered encouraging words, showing a natural sense of leadership and collaboration. This experience not only allowed children to express themselves artistically but also supported their sensory development, fine motor skills, and communication abilities. They used descriptive language to talk about their work and asked thoughtful questions about colours and patterns. It was a joy to see their confidence grow as they engaged deeply with the activity, taking pride in their creations and showing them off to educators and peers. Moving forward, we plan to build on this interest by offering new marbling techniques on different surfaces such as fabric or wood, and by encouraging the child to incorporate their marbled papers into craft projects like greeting cards, collages, or storytelling books. Supporting School-age 1 children creative journey through activities like this helps foster not only artistic skill but also self-expression, independence, and a love of learning through play.
“Every child is an active and engaged learner explores the world with body, mind and senses.” “How does learning happen? 2014, p. 23
