Infant Two loves to explore sensory play and art. Contact paper has recently become a fascinating new discovery to the children. The children like to graze their hands over the sticky texture. The children are amused how they can get their feet and hands stuck to the paper. Another new interest is tissue paper. The children love having the freedom to rip, crinkle and throw the multi colored tissue paper. Both activities encourage independent exploration of classroom materials. We combined the two interests to encourage Infant Two’s passion for creativity. 

In the classroom, we have been mindful how we can be less wasteful and more resourceful. We began collecting paper towel rolls to use as art materials. We kept in mind the interests of Infant Two and decided to wrap the paper towel rolls in contact paper. We then scattered tissue paper all around the table. The children were elated to have freedom to roll, pat, or swing the paper towel rolls over the tissue paper. Some children became engrossed in the activity as they could see the tissue paper quickly expand across the roll. Other children preferred to delicately pick up tiny pieces of tissue paper and place it on the roll. 

During the activity, the children were encouraged to take an exploratory approach to the art materials. The children practiced fine motor skills by picking up the petite pieces of tissue paper and placing it on the roll. Gross motor skills were also showcased by how the children could freely move their arms scooping up several scraps of tissue paper via roll. The scattered materials enforced shared space and teamwork. The outcome of the experimental art gave Infant Two a beautiful mobile for everyone in the classroom to enjoy!