In the Atelier, we introduce water, liquid food coloring, and eye droppers to the children as an avenue to explore the different hues and values of color in an open-ended way. As the children squeeze, pour, combine, and measure, they share their discoveries and make connections with each other.
Fiona: Look what I’m making. (She pours water into small cups and announces), My dad does surfboarding.
Jacob: My Dada does surfboarding. Not Papa.
Fiona: Sometimes I go surfing too. Not my mom. My mom does not surf. My dad takes me.
Teacher Cindy: You two just made a connection.
Teacher Cindy: The water brought up a memory for Fiona. What does the water remind you of?
Charlie: Mixing colors with water reminds me of swimming in water.
Jake: It reminds me of having fun.
These real hands-on experiences give children the opportunity to make unique connections within themselves and with their peers. This is our beginning to many explorations of identity that will deepen as they move onto exploring with paint mediums such as, tempera, acrylics, and watercolor. As researchers, the teachers are wondering how a color will connect to developing identities and how children might connect color with their life experiences. How will those experiences influence the connections we make with one another and as a group? -Teacher Cindy