“My goal is to have the children feel so comfortable and confident with these materials that they are willing to use them to speak about their innermost thoughts and feelings. I see materials as being as much the teacher as I am.
Children need a lot of time to explore the properties of any new material before they use it. If children are to become fluent in communicating through these materials, we need to first give them time to explore without the pressure of the product. We also need to expose them to these materials time and again so they can gain mastery over them.”
Collage is a wonderful place to start, especially for young children because it nurtures their natural desire to explore the world through their sense of touch. It also allows a certain level of flexibility. Children can make decisions about which materials to use and can then manipulate these shapes of various textures, forms, and colour until they are satisfied with their arrangement.
Collage, in its simplest form, is the glueing of materials to a flat surface. You will need: glue, scissors, and a wide selection of pre-cut materials ranging in colour and texture.
You can begin to collect a wide assortment of beautiful papers and fabrics from just about anywhere. You’ll begin to notice the abundance of texture and colour in everyday packaging. Look for variety in texture and colour. Keep a bin handy in the kitchen so when something catches your eye on the way to the recycling bin, toss it in. Later, you can cut up these materials. Also look at fabric from old clothes, swatches from fabric stores, bags etc. Once the materials are pre-cut, it is helpful to sort them in categories, shown below. Get creative, and happy collaging!
