In The Studio

A morning at the beach and then exploring water colour painting.

Years ago, when I transitioned to a Reggio Inspired program I found inspiration and made so many professional connections with facebook, twitter and many Reggio Inspired blogs and I still do. 
"Provocations are experiences I set-up in response to children’s interests and ideas. When I set up a provocation I am providing hands-on exploration for children to practice, test, construct and deconstruct their ideas and theories."          -Fairy Dust Teaching
Each morning as I prepare my room for the children I plan a simple provocation usually in the atelier unless we are doing story play. They either arise from the children's observed curiosities or are an invitation to explore new materials. They are intended to be student led and include tools and resources that the children are familiar with or that are self explanatory. 
Tips!

• use small amounts of materials
• use trays
• make your presentation beautiful
• keep it simple
• use open ended materials
• make it a regular, structured part of the program
• make it accessible to the children

Ideas for Atelier Provocations

• plastercine, sticks, buttons, beads, feathers, small nature seeds and nuts
• playdoh, small stones, shells, sticks
• small jar of pastels (3 colours i.e.: red, orange, pink), driftwood
• small jars of paint (3 colours i.e. light blue, dark blue, white), branch, mini pom pom, ribbon or decorative yarn, mini buttons, glitter, white glue, q-tips
• twine, small objects with holes i.e. buttons, beads... you can hole punch small circles
• small squares of scrapbook paper, 3 tier stand with small objects like ribbon, tissue, hole punched shapes
• small clear container of beach glass beads for threading, beautiful buttons, silver circles, threading string,  stump with holes and interesting branches
• jar of water colour paint, glitter jars, small squares of watercolour paper, new brushes
• small glass bowl of flat beach stones, white chalk pens
• small glass jar of tongue depressor sticks, assorted colours of sharpies
• black sharpies, cartridge paper, shaving mirror (for reflections)
• tagboard circles, small wooden bowls with loose parts to inspire faces, a book on faces. (click on book for a link to amazon.ca)
• empty frames, nature loose parts i.e.: twigs, stones, flower petals, leaves, moss
• fresh bouquet of flowers, sharpies, paper, paint cakes, water and small paint brushes
• sticks, leaves, flowers, embroidery thread (fairy wands)

Follow this link to Fairy Dust Teaching for their free e-book on. Provocations for children

Thanks for stopping by