BABY ROOM · PLAY AND DISCOVERY

A table full of leaves and paint.

A few leaves, some paint and plenty of time to see what happened next.

The table was set with paper, paint and leaves gathered from outside. Children picked things up, pressed them into the paint and watched what appeared on the page.

STARTING WITH WHAT WAS THERE

Leaves gave children somewhere to begin.

Some children began by holding a leaf or moving it across the paper. Others were more interested in the paint: its colour, the way it spread, and how it felt on their hands.

There was no right way to use the materials. Children could return to a leaf, swap it for another, add more paint or simply sit and watch for a while.

Leaves in different shapes and colours, paint in small bowls and large sheets of paper. Everything was within reach, ready to be picked up, moved or mixed.

Leaves and plants arranged on paper before the Baby Room activity

HANDS AT WORK

Pressing, smudging and trying another way.

As the paint and leaves moved across the page, each child made different marks. A leaf became a stamp. A hand left a smear. A small object made a line when it was pulled through the colour.