Pre-KG 2022 / 23 Blog 9 Shapes, Colours and the Silk Road

Pre-KG 2022 / 23 Blog 9

Shapes, Colours and the Silk Road

On their journey to learn about colours and shapes in their first unit, we are giving the Pre-Kindergarten children the chance to go down many roads.

In one of the previous weeks the children had started to decorate an art pamphlet with triangles to make a colourful dress / coat / kimono for themselves. As the pamphlet depicted their own face this activity was very popular and connected the children to every day occurrences like dressing themselves.

In Pre-Kindergarten the children do many kinds of activities, some at the table, some outside and some on the carpet. The children love the balloons and the pictures on our classroom carpets, so we showed them some prints of other carpets and the children matched a variety of magnetic shapes onto these pictures and then started to create houses for different inhabitants.

Afterwards the children made carpets on their individual posters by gluing squares into colourful patterns.

Another day we gave the children the challenge of creating triangles out of straws to make Christmas ornaments for our DSKI Christmas tree. 

It was amazing to see how concentrated and focused the children were on their task.

They showed risk taking and determination and great joy once the ornament was finished. We are looking forward to hanging the ornaments onto the tree at the light up ceremony on Monday, 28.November 2022.

Finally, on Friday, the whole class had the opportunity to expand their knowledge of patterns and carpets by making an excursion to the fantastic Silk Road Carpet Museum on Rokko Island.

I had visited there previously and then confirmed by phone if it would be ok not only to visit, but touch the precious silk carpets with a group of 2 year olds and the staff was very accommodating.

We were welcomed with a big hello and smile and we presented the staff with some sweets. 

The children then had a fabulous time feeling the different surfaces and materials of the beautiful carpets and admiring the patterns.

They also learnt that some carpets are made of wool which comes from sheep.

It was astonishing to see the skill and workmanship that goes into the treasured carpets of the Silk Road.

I am a big believer in giving children many different, engaging, interesting and safe learning opportunities and experience has shown that even very young children always take something with them from these learning adventures.

Please have a look at the museum with your child if you have time. it is really enchanting and you might learn yourself one thing or another about the art of carpet making !

The Museum of Silk Road carpets

Have a joyful and healthy weekend !

Yours, 

Anita Ursula Mönch

DSKI Pre-Kindergarten homeroom teacher 

Playgroup / EY German