This week we introduced the children to the artist Henri Matisse; the artist who ‘painted with scissors’! We looked at some of his earlier paintings, but mainly focused on his collage pieces, in particular, ‘The Snail’.

The rain brought a visitor to Nursery’s patio, a snail! We brought it inside and named him Matisse. The children got to see and talk to him up close, and those who wished, gently held him. Inspired by both Matisse the artist and Matisse the mollusc, the children then created their own snail art. We kept the snail theme going with a trough full of green slime, home to a family of toy snails and a large slippery slug. Most were keen to experience the slime, for some it was the idea rather than the reality as we witnessed varying degrees of reactions once hands felt the texture. For those who are game, the slime recipe is one cup of soap flakes to 2 cups of warm water beaten to a smooth frothy consistency. We added green food colouring for the extra visual experience!

Under the stairs, our nook became Matisse’s garden where budding gardeners pulled on their wellies and tended to the flower and vegetable beds.

In the number room the children enjoyed triangle activities, both in the shape tray and creating triangle art.