Thread by @toddle_edu

We have started our watch party for Sound Art: Connecting contemporary art and children's play, by @louisa_penfold, Diamond Arrington, and Kaijeh Johnson.

Contemporary art and children's play may not be the most obvious combination, but the sensory stimulation, fuel for curiosity, and channel for self-expression make contemporary art a great medium to enhance children's experience of #LearningThroughPlay.

With these two contrasting images, @louisa_penfold highlights the range that children's art covers, with one being a structured adult-intended creation, while the other is messy and exploratory. New materialism suggests that materials and people mutually transform one another.

When designing a space for play, educators function in a similar way to curators in exhibitions. How can the experience leverage material, encourage social interaction, promote concepts like shape and colour, and best optimise the space available #DesigningForPlay @louisa_penfold

So what exactly is sound art? Kaijeh explains that it is art where sound is the medium (what it is made out of) and the subject (what it is about). This can include complex structures or be as simple as using your own body, as Diamond points out in chat. #SoundArt #EYlearning

A lovely idea shared by Diamond is that our "noisy" classrooms are actually bursting with potential, and full of sound artists waiting to create #SoundArt
Some materials that can be used to make sound art are:

How can we help the children bring the music out? Here are some helpful prompts that can help to take your children's sound art experience further!
Kaijeh also shares examples of how this activity can help expand children's vocabulary & literacy skills - even making up their own!

Diamond's favourite part is the reflection that allows children to draw on their imagination & think through their actions. It consolidates their knowledge & extend their understanding. Sound art helps young students show adults what they know & promotes their scientific inquiry.

Some key takeaways from the session: pause, listen, & reflect, comparing objects and materials, multilingual sound descriptors, incorporating different materials into the learning space, exploring with water... As @snigdha_baduni says - we're just excited to get this started!

@snigdha_baduni So exciting to have @louisa_penfold, Kaijeh, and Diamond answer all of our questions at the end of watch party - what infectious enthusiasm and what a fresh perspective on Arts in the Early Years! #EYPlay #PlayBasedLearning #EYPlayParty #ToddlePlay