Early Year 2 – Arts: The Big Whale Arts
In the Arts lesson, EY2 children revisited what they had learned over several days about fascinating sea animals, with a special focus on whales. The teacher briefly recalled key facts and encouraged children to remember shapes, colours, and the ocean environment. This helped them connect prior knowledge with creative expression.
The activity then moved into hands-on art making. Children first folded an origami whale, carefully following steps and practising fine motor control. They then created an ocean view on a paper plate using crayons, exploring colour blending and gradient techniques to show the sea and sky. To enrich their artwork, children added sand and shells as collage materials, freely arranging them based on their own imagination and ideas.
Throughout the lesson, children were given the freedom to create without strict rules, allowing each artwork to be unique. They proudly shared their work, praised their friends’ creations, and showed respect for different ideas and styles. This art experience supported creativity, focus, and confidence, while also encouraging appreciation of others’ work. It helped children express understanding through art and enjoy learning in a calm, meaningful, and joyful way.
