When we began painting last week my intention was to paint for several weeks, starting with black and then using the primary colors (red, blue, and yellow). Even though the main mode of exploration for children 8-12 months old is through their senses (and mostly via their mouths) I always want the children to have more than one chance to get to know the properties of a material so they can begin to build their knowledge of what encompasses the material. This idea, however, was called into question as I watched the children engage in the paint for the second time.
When I worked with infants in a school setting we had a special room called the Rainbow room where most artistic explorations took place. This was a place where children could freely come to on their own accord or if brought there by us could leave to play elsewhere if they were not interested in the material. What I discovered about our playgroup is that the materials I present are in the same place where I have all the other toys set up and I usually move all the other toys off to the side of the area so the children have plenty of room to explore the materials presented. When we paint the area is transformed even more by the addition of plastic overlays to protect the carpet. When I present the children with painting although it may be intriguing, it is their only choice. It is also so encompassing that the child cannot easily transition to a new activity because they are covered in paint and usually some cleanup is needed before they are set free to explore elsewhere.
So I am left wondering, how can I structure playgroup so that children can choose to engage in an exploration? While painting might be fun and exciting to some children and they could spend a great deal of time with the material, others may not be so inclined to spend as much time or even choose to come to the material at all. Of course, the one or two minutes one child spends with a material might be all they need get what they need out of the experience. I do look towards the length of time a child engages with a material as a sign of interest and want to follow the children's interest as much as possible. This was the second week Kaia had shown me that maybe I needed to wait until all the children are mobile and can choose to come to the paint because she showed hesitation and uncertainty in the painting experience. Yet in the past she had shown tremendous concentration and interest in other materials I previously presented.
It's not that she doesn't interact with the paint as you can see in the video above, but it is the way in which she seeks her mother and withdraws from the group shortly after she interacts with the paint. Kaia is usually moving everywhere and is especially interested in Sebastien and what he's doing. They tend to play practically on top of one another.
While Kaia observed from a safe distance Sebastien and Bryce didn't waste any time exploring the red paint. Sebastien really enjoyed waving the brush but also noticed the red on his fingers and has a little taste. Behind him Bryce diligently works to get the tempera cake up off the plastic and then catches sight of Sebastien's brush waving through the air. Bryce even manages to add some red to our canvas!
Toward the end we could tell the children were beginning to lose interest in the paint and Kaia was still staying very close to her mother. Kasey suggested adding some water and ice on the plastic surface to try and reengage the children but it didn't bring on the splashy excitement we had imagined. It did however get everybody wet and washed off some of the paint.
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