Adult-led activities
Animal art
With its symbolic telling of stories, its detailed emphasis on pattern and the predominance of animal images, Aboriginal art naturally appeals to children, and it provides practitioners with an excellent opportunity to explore the work of contemporary artists.
Key learning intentions
Express and communicate ideas, thoughts and feelings towards art work Explore colour, texture, shape and form in two or three dimensions Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
*Nursery World poster *various surfaces on which to paint and draw including paper in various sizes and shades (including black) *used card in varying thicknesses and textures *recycled materials (including wood and board) *textured fabric such as hessian *large stones and pebbles *paint in varying thicknesses *pens, pencils, charcoal and pastels *rulers and sticks *magnifying glasses Preparation
* Read the information on the back of the Nursery World poster to familiarise yourself with the history and meaning of Aboriginal art.
Activity content: discussion
* Give the children plenty of time to look closely at the prints and listen carefully to their responses.
* Be prepared to follow the children's train of thought before asking the obvious questions about what can be seen in the picture.
* Talk about the colours, shapes, patterns and animal images in the pictures.
* Suggest the children use magnifiers to look closely at sections of the paintings and the patterns within them.
Possible questions How do you think the artists made these pictures? Where can we see patterns like these around us? What can you see in the 'empty' spaces? What do you think the animals might be doing? Why do you think that? What do you like or dislike about the picture? How does it make you feel? What could we use to make pictures like these?
Key vocabulary
Aboriginal people/Aborigine, Australia, lines, dashes, wavy lines, circles, tracks, relevant animal and shape names, patterns, symbols.
Activity content: painting
* Encourage the children to select resources and experiment to produce 2D and 3D artworks.
* Model techniques alongside the children - for example, printing lines with rulers and sticks, scratching lines in thick paint, dabbing and dotting.
* Give the children lots of opportunities to experiment and refine their artwork. Make sure you have enough resources available to enable them to do so.
Follow-up activities
* Make butterfly or other symmetrical prints on folded paper.
* Experiment with finger painting.
* Make snakes and lizards from clay or plasticine.
* Add small-world animals to sand and water play.
* Do patterned face painting.
* Make 2D or 3D fabric snakes.
* Play snakes and ladders.
* Find out more about reptiles, particularly snakes and lizards.
* Study worms in the garden.
* Find out about markings and patterns of animals.
* Use chalk outdoors on various surfaces.
* Make prints by scratching designs in thick paint and pressing paper on top.
Rainbow bird
Share an Aboriginal folk tale with the children.
Key learning intention
To find out more about Australia Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
*The Rainbow Bird - An Aboriginal folk tale from northern Australia by Eric Maddern and Adrienne Kennaway (Frances Lincoln, 5.99, bb 14.99) *globes *maps pictures and reference materials on Australia and its wildlife Preparation
* Read the information on the back of the Nursery World poster and to familiarise yourself with Aboriginal Dreamtime stories.
Activity content
* Show the children the dedication in the book and explain the words 'Aborigine' and 'Dreamtime' in simple terms. Explain that the story comes from Australia and was a myth used by Aboriginal people to understand fire and its importance in human life.
* Read the story and repeat it as often as needed. Encourage the children to ask questions and make connections with their existing knowledge and experiences, particularly about fire, its origins and uses.
* Encourage the children to look closely at the illustrations and discuss the landscape, animals and colours and the way the artist has portrayed heat and fire.
* Find Australia on a globe or world map and talk about its distance from Europe. Children may have some awareness of Australia from television programmes, particularly 'soaps'. Capitalise on any knowledge, but draw their attention to the variety of life and landscape in Australia. Some children may show interest in the idea of Australia being 'down under' and may want to explore aspects related to the hemispheres, such as time and seasonal differences.
* Create a display using children's pictures, artwork and comments, together with geographical information and artefacts, globes and maps.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Australia, Aborigine, Aboriginal people, country, Dreamtime, myth, story, author, illustrator, light and dark, raw, cooked, swamp, bush.
Possible questions When do you think the world was 'born'? Why did people need the fire? How do we usually cook? When do we use fire? What can happen if people aren't careful with fire?
Follow-up activities
* Draw fire and rainbow paintings and hot and cold paintings.
* Make large-scale paintings. 'Walk the story' by letting children use handprints and footprints to link aspects, as they paint them on a large sheet or fabric which can be made into a wall hanging.
* Find out about exotic birds and crocodiles.
* Play kangaroo 'hopping' games.
Child-initiated learning
Let children develop their own interests and ideas across the curriculum by adding topic resources to the basic provision.
Outdoor area
Additional resources
* Small-world animals *water, sand and mud *chalk and paint *wood, stones, pebbles and bark
Possible learning experiences
* Making animal movements such as hopping like a kangaroo, crawling like a crocodile, slithering like a snake.
* Being involved in small-world animal play in grass, in mud or on stones.
* Exploring number with small-world animals.
* Exploring concentric circles, tracks and wavy lines through making chalk pictures on the ground.
Supporting learning
* Engage in play alongside the children.
* Ensure safe use of materials,
Creative area
Additional resources
* Natural materials such as wood, bark, pebbles, straw *string, rope, cord * shallow trays with wet and dry sand *commercial sand rakes, implements such as plastic forks and scrapers face paints *chalk *thick paint Possible learning experiences
* Finger painting.
* Face painting.
* Scratching designs in thick paint.
* Exploring concentric circles and spirals with sand or string pictures.
* Coiling rope and string.
* Painting and drawing on wood, fabric, card and pebbles.
Supporting learning
* Ensure resources and equipment allow children to make independent choices.
* Provide technical help to keep children from becoming frustrated or demotivated.
* Participate in activities, explore the resources and role-model techniques.