Shades of green

ADULT-LED

Take a close look at a range of colours and shades.

Planned learning intention To differentiate colours and begin to differentiate shades within colours Adult:child ratio 1:6 Resources

A bag filled with a teddy's toys and clothes in primary and secondary colours (red, blue, yellow, green, orange and purple); a bag filled with green items (different shades); six coloured boxes (red, blue, yellow, green, orange and purple); a selection of green paint shade cards.

Activity content

* Show the children the first bag and explain that they will be looking at the colours of the items inside. To engage children's interest, try introducing the activity by saying: 'Teddy has let his things get into a terrible muddle. Can you help him sort his possessions into the boxes?' Ask the children, in turn, to take an item from the bag and to place it ina box of the same colour.

* Repeat the activity using the second bag. As the activity progresses, children will realise that all these items are green, or are they? Encourage discussion about what 'green' is, asking questions such as: Does this scarf go in the green or the yellow box? Is it dark green or light green? Are all the items in the green box really green? Have another look through - do you want to move any of the items into another box?

* Ask children to look for the colour green outdoors. Give them each a green paint shade card and encourage them to find different shades in buds, shoots, grass and so on. Encourage them to compare and match the shades with those on their cards.

* Talk with children about how, as winter ends, we look for green to appear in trees and on the ground as a sign that spring has arrived.

Stepping stones

* Children with little experience will enjoy pulling items from the bags but may need support with colour matching, by the adult modelling colour names. They will probably enjoy exploring the outdoors but may need support to focus attention on new plant life.

* Children with some experience will be able to match and sort items according to colour and will be familiar with colour names. They will probably show some awareness of the range of greens and be able to find evidence of green outdoors. They may need support to make links with the greens on their shade card.

* Children with more experience will compare greens using language such as 'light' and 'dark' and attempt to match the greens they find to those on their shade card. They may also be able to select a shade on their card and search for a leaf that matches it.

Extension ideas

* Punch holes in the top of the shade cards, attach them in sets to a key ring, label and hang on hooks in a central place in the nursery.

* Encourage the children to make observational drawings of bulbs and branches. Offer them a range of green dry pastels, or provide only yellow and blue and draw their attention to the different greens.

* Offer plenty of opportunities for experimenting with mixing greens, for example, mixing yellow and blue water in the water tray, overlapping yellow and blue cellophane in the workshop, using yellow and green colour paddles, mixing yellow paint with blue paint using the palms of their hands in the paint area.

2 COLLECTION POINT

CHILD-INITIATED Capitalise on children's love of making their own collections by gathering together all things green!

Resources

Interactive display about green with, for example, books, spring posters, objects, shade cards, fabric, ribbon, colour paddles, sorting baskets; green fabric drawstring bags with a luggage label attached (plastic labels with 'windows' can be bought cheaply and are fairly durable); pieces of card (cut to fit in the luggage labels) and pencils or pens; children's name or picture symbol cards (also cut to size); plastic hooks attached to the wall at child height; white plastic trays.

Play suggestions

* Encourage the children to explore the display, looking at the greens and perhaps sorting objects according to their own criteria.

* Provide individual collection bags and encourage the children to collect green items from around the setting.

* Encourage them to write their name card, or to find their pre-prepared card, and to slot it into the luggage label.

* Suggest that the children work with a friend to make their collection.

* Encourage them to compare collections, perhaps arranging the items on a tray. They may want to count their items, make green patterns with things they have collected or may even want to trade items!

* When children are ready to move on to another activity, ask them to hang their bags on a hook so that they can return to them later.

Possible learning outcomes

* Differentiates colours.

* Talks about colour using colour names (particularly green).

* Beginning to differentiate shades of one colour.

* Works alone/in partnership with others.

* Makes marks to convey meaning.

* Recognises own name.

* Explores pattern.

* Uses some number language.

* Counts reliably up to 10 objects.

* Revisits activity.

3 WEAVE A WEB

CHILD-INITIATED

Celebrate spring with a collaborative weaving activity and provide opportunities for children to develop fine motor skills.

Resources

Large rectangular piece of green plastic, open-weave webbing (available from garden centres) - preferably attached to a wooden frame on a stand; box containing green (various shades) pieces of fabric, ribbon, cord, thread, raffia, strips of crepe paper. Other resources will need to be provided in response to children's ideas (see 'Play suggestions').

Play suggestions

* Encourage children to handle the materials and talk about their colour and texture.

* Invite them to choose a length to weave into the webbing.

* Work alongside the children, modelling skills involved in weaving.

* Invite parents to participate by providing materials from home and joining in weaving themselves.

* Make resources available for about two weeks, adding new materials to motivate new interest. Allow children to visit whenever they choose and to spend uninterrupted periods at the weaving.

* Make sure that there is enough space around the weaving for children to watch others at work and to monitor how the weaving is progressing.

* Encourage children to help each other. For example, one child secures the end of a piece of fabric as the other threads it over and under the webbing.

* When the green weaving is complete, encourage the children to think about spring and what it means to them. Ask them to make or find symbols of spring to hang on the weaving, such as paper daffodils, a toy lamb, wrapping from an Easter egg, a feather, a drawing of a frog.

Possible learning outcomes

* Observes others as they engage in the activity.

* Works co-operatively.

* Contributes to a collaborative piece of work.

* Comments on similarities/differences.

* Talks about colour and texture.

* Shows increasing skill when handling materials.

* Identifies features of spring.

* Uses talk to clarify ideas.

* Communicates ideas by using a widening range of materials.