Letting children make their mark

Our children have been interested in mark making and intriguing materials. During our encounters, they brought familiar tools from their environment to add new elements to their creativity.The children found their own way of using big foam pieces, presenting us with a back and forth motion as a way of expressing their marks. They giggled with delight as they listened to the sounds they were creating. The children showed joy in asking for more paint and pointing ‘there’ and ‘here’ to show where it should go on the canvas, and excitedly selected colours from the paint that we had within our reach.One day, a new discovery was made as one friend brought sand over to the canvas. The children began to mix the sand with the paint and as they added texture, they were curious about the sensory encounter. They looked contently at their hands, observing how the sandy paint felt between their fingers before moving onto the rough texture that had formed on the canvas.The children explore mark making experiences through their own interests. One friend relished in taking her shoes off to feel the paint between her toes, returning on another day asking to relive the experience again.The children have brought a new medium to our inquiry into mark making and intriguing materials by bringing over a tambourine. They requested ‘ba ba’ and enjoyed painting as we sang along together. I wonder where our next creation will take us!