By Mrs Thomas (Year 3 Teacher)

On Friday, 12th January, Year 3 had the pleasure of hosting Chris Holland, a storytelling expert, to kickstart our exploration of the new central idea, The natural world influences creativity and enjoyment.

Our day began with a captivating oral storytelling session related to the seasons, sun, and earth. The girls were actively involved, selecting items from a story bag, adding in sounds and movements that enhanced the immersive experience.

The girls then took their learning outside into the Junior School gardens where the focus on cycles in nature was explored by engaging in a land-art mandala activity. Together, the girls created a seasonal mandala using natural elements, encouraging them to think about the connections in natural cycles, like Earth's seasons and other life cycles. Alongside the land-art mandala, everyone made a small clay model of their Power Animal, placing them in the cycle to show their birthday months.

The afternoon continued with a reflective session on What is creativity? This provided Year 3 with the opportunity to explore and comprehend various ways to express their creativity. Starting with personal doodling, this transitioned into crafting mandala art on wooden discs using acrylic paint pens.

The day ended with a last storytelling session and a final exchange of ideas and reflections. Chris Holland's visit provided an immersive and enriching experience, aligning perfectly with our exploration of the central idea.

View a gallery of photos here.