SURPRISE ART PACK - CARDBOARD WEAVING LOOM

Let's build a cardboard weaving loom. You will need the cardboard and rubber bands. The idea for using rubber bands and cardboard to make a simple weaving loom came from Alyna. Weaving is an activity that helps children strengthen the muscles used in pincer grip, build fine motor skills, and eye-hand coordination. When children weave, they develop deeper understanding of spatial concepts of up, over and under.

Enjoy the process. You do not need to finish the weaving all at once. Take a break if you need one and continue with the weaving later.

Can you describe how the cardboard look and feel to you? Pick up a rubber band and give it a stretch. How far can you stretch the rubber band?

Are you ready to put the cardboard weaving loom together? Place the cardboard in a horizontal position. Stretch rubber bands around the cardboard. Leave a gap between each rubber band.

How many rubber bands did you use? Weave a paper strip over and under the rubber bands. It may take a little time to do this. Keep going. Go over, under, over, under. You can do it!

For the next paper strip, you need to weave in an under, over sequence. Continue weaving with the other paper strips. Ask your mother or father if you need help. This was how we weaved the paper strips.

What does your paper weaving look like? How many paper strips did you use? How many paper strips do you have left?

Our paper weaving is not done. The ends of the paper strips are flapping in the wind. What can we use to paste it to the cardboard?

That's right, you can use a glue stick to paste the ends to the cardboard. If you do not have a glue stick, wet glue works just as well. Remember to only use a dab of wet glue each time.

Use the remaining paper strips to cover the short sides of the cardboard and your cardboard weaving loom is almost done.

Use a pair of scissors to cut off the excess paper on each end of the paper strips. Ask an adult to help you if you need help with the scissors.

The paper weave reminds us of a nursery rhyme. Can you guess what nursery rhyme it is?

Now your cardboard weaving loom is done. Show us how your weaving loom look. Take a photo of your weaving loom and share it with us.

You can also weave on the back of the cardboard. Have fun weaving with other materials that you can find in your environment. We especially love weaving with natural materials.

Remember to share photos of your creation with us. Our next art pack will be out soon. Stay tuned.

SURPRISE ART PACK - CREPE PAPER ART

We had included one watercolour paper and 24 coloured crepe paper circles in the pack. We used the crepe paper to create colourful textured prints. Use this guide to learn how to make your own colourful textured print using crepe paper. Enjoy the process!

Place the watercolour paper in a tray. Fill a small bowl with water. You also need a sponge to start the printmaking activity.

Place the crepe paper circles on the watercolour paper. You can layer the crepe paper. Continue with this process until you have covered the entire watercolour paper. 

Place the sponge in the bowl that is filled with water. Remove the sponge and squeeze it to release the excess water. With the damp sponge, gently dab on the crepe paper. We love this process because it is so fun. 

What do you see happening when the crepe paper gets wet?

Make sure the entire watercolour paper is moistened. Then carefully place the wet paper at a sunny spot at home. Leave it to dry. It may take a few hours to dry. For a print with intense colours, leave the wet crepe paper on the watercolour paper till it is fully dry.

Is your watercolour paper dry? Check if the watercolour paper is dry. When it is dry, gently remove the crepe paper circles. Discard the crepe paper circles. We love the rich colours and texture in the print.

We love using crepe paper on wet paper and watching the magic happens. It is actually quite therapeutic to peel the dried crepe paper away off the watercolour paper and to see the unique print the crepe paper made.

Every print is unique. What does your print look like?  What are the colours that showed up in your colourful textured print? 

How will you use this beautiful print? What can you make with the printed watercolour paper? Do share your inspiration with us. We would love to see your amazing print. Take a snapshot of the print you made and share it with us.

We hope you had as fun as we did using the materials in the art pack. Stay tuned to see what we are doing with our prints. 

SURPRISE ART PACK - BOOKMARK

About a week and a half ago, we launched an art pack that contained materials for interesting art projects that parents and children could work on together. We had fun curating and preparing materials that went into this pack. 

We are excited about the art packs that were delivered to the four Friends of TLC who placed orders.There are materials that are good for at least four art projects in each pack. All the packs were sold out. Thank you June, Jing Rui, Mariana and Izyan for your support. As a bonus for your support, we doubled the quantity of coloured crepe paper, blank bookmarks and ribbons. 

You can start with any project at any time. There is no one way to create nor fixed time-frame to complete the art projects. What is most important is that you take time to explore possibilities and enjoy the process. Let your ideas flow freely. Enjoy exploring, playing and creating art using these materials. Do share your ideas with us. We look forward to seeing your creative works of art.

Here is what were in the art pack.

*Blank jigsaw puzzle x 1
*Colour/Pattern paper strip x 10

*Patterned paper x 8 (2 sets)
*Crepe paper x 6 colours
*Blank bookmark x 2 (2 sets)
*Watercolour paper x 1
*Kraft cardboard x 1
*Rubberbands x 10
*Ribbons x 2 (2 sets)

In the art pack, we doubled the number of patterned paper, blank bookmarks and ribbons. The papers come in many interesting patterns and colours. You can save excess materials for future art projects.

[ PROCESS ART - COLLAGE MAKING ]

In the following visual guide, we will share the process of creating a collage design for the bookmarks. Follow this guide to create your own designs. 

How will you design your bookmarks? Have a look at the patterned papers you received in your pack. What shapes and colours do you see? Which pattern caught your eye? Which are the patterns that look interesting to you?

For our bookmark, we cut out a row of triangles and pasted it on the long side of the blank bookmark. They look like buntings.

Adults at home can help younger children cut the shapes or allow them to tear paper into strips or small pieces for this craft. Make small cuts along the sides of the patterned paper to make it easier for children to tear the paper.

How will you start yours? What are the colours you see in the patterned papers? How do those colours make you feel? How will you design your bookmarks? What is your favourite shape?

We saw pastel green and yellow squares arranged in a circular shape. It looked like the shell of a snail. Many of our favourite things are green and yellow. What are some things you know that are green or yellow?

We used a craft punch to cut star shapes but you can also draw a shape on the back of the patterned paper and cut it out using a pair of scissors.

We wonder what shapes you are adding to your bookmark design. Are there any shapes that you can combine to form a new shape? What do the shapes remind you of? Can you spot the fish we added to our bookmark design?

Remember to take short breaks when you run out of ideas. Here is something you can do when you for fun.  Patterns are all around us. Go on a pattern hunt at home. What patterns do you see in your room? What shapes do you see at home?

Our bookmark is done. We looked at the different patterns on the papers and cut out shapes that looked interesting to us. We played with different arrangement using the shapes and when we were happy with the arrangement, we pasted the shapes on the blank bookmark. Some shapes have curved lines while others have straight lines. We used shapes with both straight and curved lines.

How does your bookmark look? Did you have fun creating your bookmark design? We would love to see your bookmark designs. Take a photo of your bookmarks and share it with us. 

The next post will be on Crepe Paper Printing. Stay tuned.

THIS WEEK AT TTY

All children are born with a natural drive to play. Here's E engaging in her own play, totally child-led.

We have had the box of shredded paper out for the past three weeks. Today, E got into the box by herself and sat in the box for a good 20 minutes. She scooped paper in her hands and threw it up into the air. And she laughed. 

We were there copying her actions. E threw some of the paper at us. It was an invitation to join her in play. We scooped up some paper and let it fall down on her. She shook the paper off and smiled.

PLAY @ THE TINKER YARD

At THE TINKER YARD, children are allowed to have all the space and time they need to work on their ideas.

Learning goals are current and focused on helping children gain understanding and mastery through experiential play.

Children play and learn in a calm yet inspiring mixed-age play space that allows them to be free to express their thoughts, exercise their imagination and encourages them to learn to listen to different ideas in a respectful and mindful way.

Age Groupings

18 months old to 23 months old

2 years old to 4 years old

4 years old to 6 years old

In planning the curriculum, we draw inspiration from observations made of children's play. Curriculum at The Tinker Yard is informed by principles of RIE, Playwork and the Reggio Emilia approach and framed by big ideas that children have. 

We hold a strong view of children being competent, curious, full of knowledge, potential, and interested in connecting to the world around them.

Children are respected as capable and competent learners.  They are empowered to take ownership of their learning whilst getting adequate support from the teachers.

At The Tinker Yard, mistakes are accepted. We believe that children learn from failures as much as from successes.

Children are given opportunity to make decisions, try things out, test their hypothesis and more importantly feel secure to take risks. We learn by doing and mistakes are inevitable.

This is where children feel safe, cultivate strong, secure and trusting relationships, develop life skills and know that their thoughts & ideas are important and valuable. Children learn to work together to achieve common goals as a team. They become self-motivated to seek solutions and collaborate with others.

WHAT WE ARE NOT
· We do not follow a fixed daily schedule. The schedule is adjusted to meet children's needs.

· We do not make children sit for long periods of time against their will.

· We do not compel children to work on tasks that they have lost interest in.

· We do not use a top-down approach in our interactions with children.

·  We do not do time-outs or punishments.

· We do not use the thematic approach that is overly structured and teacher-directed and allows little or no room for children's voices to be heard.

· We do not believe in hot-housing children.

· We do not view children as needing to be fixed.

At times, the class is taken outside to a nature park where children could have messy sensory and art play. Learning journeys to interesting places around Singapore are also organized periodically.

Children who stay with us for their formative years will be equipped with skills, values and knowledge that would carry them through challenges.

They will have all that they need to be successful in what they do AND more importantly, have a happy childhood.

We take great effort to create a culture of trust, care, empathy, support and collaboration in our class community (children, families and teachers). This is achieved through our practice of respectful and mindful teaching.

To book a spot, please connect with us through email, WhatsApp or SMS.

THE TINKER YARD

(by THE LEARNING CARAVAN)

Web: https://thetinkeryard.blogspot.com

Email: thelearningcaravan@gmail.com

WhatsApp/SMS: 84610186

Bubbles! Science and Art Messy Play

Bubbles! Science and Art Messy Play

for children 2 years old & up.

Limited to 15 children.

Children must be accompanied by a caregiver.

Happening at Telok Kurau Park,
a short walk from Kembangan MRT Station.

Make bubble wands using commonly found objects.
Explore different ways to make bubbles.

Have fun making art with bubbles.

To book a spot, please send a text message to 84610186. 

We will need your name, your child's name, 
child's date of birth 

as well as your email address.

Pre-payment is required.

= Only registered children will receive materials for this play session. =

Play Dough Party | Ages 3 & up

Back by popular demand.

Do connect with us if you have any questions.

THE TINKER YARD
Web: www.thetinkeryard.blogspot.com
Email: thelearningcaravan@gmail.com
Tel: 84610186 (WhatsApp/SMS)

Please click here to subscribe to our email list for instant notifications of new updates.

Playgroup Series, July to September 2018 | Playing and Exploring with Tubes!

Our inspiration (July to September) for the next playgroup series is tubes. The studio will be set up with tubes of various types. Our teachers will facilitate schematic play using tubes and other open-ended materials. Children will have the opportunity to explore possibilities to play, create and invent with these loose parts.

Classes are available at Katong Square for children between

15 months old to 23 months

Monday 9.15am to 10.15am

2 years old to 4 years old

Monday 10.30am to 12.30pm or 3.30pm to 5.30pm

To book a class, please sign up here: https://goo.gl/forms/775pbrQqYEEJRiYq2.

Do contact us if you have any questions regarding our classes.

THE TINKER YARD
Web: www.thetinkeryard.blogspot.com
Email: thelearningcaravan@gmail.com
Tel: 84610186 (WhatsApp/SMS)

Please click here to subscribe to our email list for instant notifications of new updates.

Children Baking Class | Lemon, Rosemary and Olive Oil Shortbread Cookies

{ THE KID’S TABLE } is a cooking class for children. We will introduce healthy cooking recipes using fresh ingredients. Children will be involved in the entire cooking process. They will work collaboratively to prepare the recipe from scratch and take home a portion of the delicious cookies.

Venue: Katong Square
Fee: $50 per child, inclusive of baking
Fee includes entry and unlimited play time at Kaboodle.

Pre-booking of spots is required. Payment will be requested in advance to confirm your spot. There will not be any refund for no-shows or withdrawals however you can transfer the spot to another child. To book a spot, please send us an email.

#Science #Mathematics #Language #SocialSkills#Fun #Cooking #Baking #SelfHelpSkills

THE TINKER YARD
www.thetinkeryard.blogspot.com
E: thelearningcaravan@gmail.com
P: 84610186 (WhatsApp / SMS)

Our Practice

We hold a strong view of children being competent, curious, full of knowledge, potential, and interested in connecting to the world around them.

This is where children feel safe, cultivate strong, secure and trusting relationships, develop life skills and know that their thoughts and ideas are important and valuable.

"The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things."

Jean Piaget

FOSTERING EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS

Children play and learn in a calm yet inspiring mixed-age play space that allows them to be free to express their thoughts & exercise their imagination and encourages them to  learn to listen to different ideas in a respectful and mindful way.

Children learn to work together to achieve common goals as a team. They become self-motivated to seek solutions and collaborate with others.

OUR TEAM

Our practice is research-based. We are life-long learners and view ourselves as partners with children & families in nurturing children's holistic development. The team regularly engages in continuing professional development. We meet with fellow play leaders as well as local early childhood practitioners and international early childhood colleagues through learning exchanges, dialogues and professional training opportunities. With informed knowledge on early childhood education and self & group reflections to guide us, we regularly review and improve our practice.

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.”

O. Fred Donaldson

We advocate for child-led play. We celebrate play and embrace curiosity. Play comes naturally to children and it is how they learn best. We believe that children learn when they are having fun.  Visitors to The Tinker Yard will find children engaging in different activities. At times, play might get messy which is perfectly fine with us as that is the exact reflection of real play! 

THE CHILD IS THE CURRICULUM

Curriculum at The Tinker Yard is built upon principles of RIE and the Reggio Emilia approach. We hold a strong view that children are capable and competent learners. Curriculum is framed around big ideas that children have. Our teachers carefully observe children at play and use those observations to plan the curriculum. Learning is meaningful and interesting to children.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

Fred Rogers

ENVIRONMENT

The environment at The Tinker yard is richly resourced with a diverse range of loose parts. Our space is intentionally designed and ready to offer children beautiful, open-ended materials and experiences full of possibility. Children have access to a diverse range of open-ended materials to explore, manipulate and invent with. Our team works hard to regularly update our learning space at The Tinker Yard to accommodate new ideas that children have.  

AUTONOMY

Children are given opportunity to make decisions, try things out, test their hypothesis and more importantly feel secure to take risks. We learn by doing and mistakes are inevitable. At The Tinker Yard, mistakes are accepted. We believe that children learn from failures as much as from successes.

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."

Albert Einstein

REVIEWS

We are grateful that parents who have joined us in our classes share the same philosophy on early years learning.

Reviews by Parents