Our activity this week was to use plasticine as a stamp and to pick up textures. After I gave them instructions, the kids set off to discover textures from around their school yard. They were very driven and independent. At one time, three children wanted to stamp the letters on a bench. This task involved patience and experimentation.

The three kids and I combined our plasticine together, so it was a very large piece. They started by spreading the material over the letters on the bench. It was becoming clear that if the plasticine was spread too thin, it would come out on the other side of the letters. I asked them how they could make sure that the clay did not poke out through the other side while they were trying to imprint the letters. One child had the idea of using his book to block the clay from coming through. The other children pressed the clay into the letters.

Together they were solving this problem and experimenting. When they were ready to make the stamp, they tried peeling the clay off, but it was too think so the stamp did not work. I asked them how we could be successful in getting an imprint of the letters? One child suggested that we try one letter at a time. So that is what we did. She also noted that if the clay was thicker, she could get a better imprint. She imprinted the letter S and this was successful in picking up the letter. I noticed the kids were very happy to experiment this way and that there is much joy to be found when problem solving together.

Our theme this week was exploring our environment through the sense of touch. The plasticine enabled the kids to play with the malleability of the plasticine and to explore various textures in their environment. When the kids wanted to capture a large word on a bench, I noticed how their curiosity fueled their ambition. From my adult vantage point, I was aware that their first iteration of their experiment would not produce the intended results. However, their confidence challenged me to stay present and to let go of the outcome of completing the task “perfectly.” Curiosity is a language children use to engage with the world. In a world that is primarily results-driven, foregrounding process is a radical act.

I noticed the kids became deflated when the task did not produce their intended results. In this way, the kids started to speak the adult language of perfectionism as they fixated on the outcome. To support them, I had to be agile and stay present, curious, and encouraging. I spoke their first language – curiosity – and this supported their reconnection to the process of experimenting.