Year 5 Visit to Darwen Library Theatre
Behind the Scenes: Year 5 Take Over Darwen Library Theatre! Our Year 5 artists traded the classroom for the spotlight this week with an incredible trip to Darwen Library Theatre. As part of our current project on Set Design, we went backstage to see how the magic actually happens! It was an action-packed morning where our pupils moved from the audience to the wings: Atmospheric Art: We learned how lighting technicians use colour and intensity to completely shift the mood of a scene. The Science of Sound: We experimented with audio modification—the echo and reverberation effects were a huge hit! Stage Presence: Every student had the chance to step up to the microphone on stage to deliver their best jokes. (We might have some future stand-up comedians in our midst!) VIP Access: A huge thank you to the staff who showed us the inner workings of the backstage areas. The team at the theatre were absolutely fantastic with the children, who blew us away with their insightful questions and curiosity. "It wasn't just a trip; it was a masterclass in how creativity meets technology!" Check out some of the highlights from our visit!
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Year 2 - Art - Worry Dolls
In this creative Art lesson, Year 2 explored the origin and purpose of Worry Dolls, learning how these traditional figures help hold our worries for us. Using twigs collected from around the school grounds, the children carefully selected sticks that suggested human forms, identifying natural shapes for arms and legs. To bring their characters to life, they mastered wrapping techniques with colourful wool, adding vibrant textures to their unique creations. It was a wonderful way to combine fine motor skills with an important discussion about wellbeing and sharing our feelings.
Year 1 - Art - Watercolours
Making a Splash with Watercolours! Year 1 have had a brilliant time starting their new art topic on watercolours. The children loved exploring the paint by practicing different types of lines and swirls. They especially enjoyed seeing what happens when the paints get extra runny, watching with excitement as the colours mixed together to make brand-new shades. It was wonderful to see so many colourful patterns and happy faces as we learned how to use our brushes!
Reception- EAD- Going To The Shops
There’s a lovely buzz in the Reception classroom at the moment, especially around the role-play shop, which has quickly become a real hub for working and playing together. The children are developing their social skills so naturally through this, and it’s clear how much they’re enjoying it. There’s a real sense of excitement as they take on the roles of shoppers and shopkeepers, chatting away as they “buy” and “sell” items. Whether they’re scanning wooden food or deciding how much a plastic pear should cost, their conversations are becoming more detailed and confident, helping to move their play along. The till and pretend money have been a big hit too, giving them a chance to explore early maths in a hands-on way as they count coins and make sure everything is “paid for” before leaving. Just as importantly, they’re learning to take turns, listen to each other, and work together, showing real care and understanding in their interactions. It’s been a joy to watch their confidence grow as they turn a small area of the classroom into a busy little shop full of chatter and teamwork.
Nursery/Pre-school- Art And Design-Workshop-Making Flower Perfume
Little perfumers at work! Our workshop table was buzzing last week as the children created their very own custom flower scents. From sniping and pulling to pinching and squeezing, they put those fine and gross motor skills to the test! By exploring their five senses, every child mixed up a unique, flowery potion that was perfectly them.
Reception- Expressive Arts and Design- Sparking Creativity
In a vibrant burst of curiosity, the reception classroom transforms into a miniature botanical studio as children dive into the world of floral painting. By observing real-life flowers including tulips and daisies alongside vivid photographs, the children learnt to bridge the gap between nature and art, noticing the intricate patterns of a petal or the deep green of a stem. This hands-on exploration does more than just fill a page, it sparks their creative confidence as they experiment with color mixing—discovering how a dash of yellow transforms blue into the perfect leaf-green. Each brushstroke is a lesson in sensory play and fine motor development, allowing their imaginations to bloom as they translate the beauty of the physical world into their own unique, colorful masterpieces.
Nursery - Art - Valentine's Flowers
This week, the children in the nursery class have been busy creating beautiful vases of flowers as special Valentine’s gifts for someone they love. The project began with the children focusing on their mark-making skills to decorate their vases. Using a variety of tools, including dabbers and felt tips, they practiced their control and intentional design to make each vase unique and colorful. To create the flowers, the children engaged in a tactile sensory experience by painting their hands with bright red paint. They then carefully used handprints to represent the flowers growing from their vases. This activity was a wonderful way for the children to explore the properties of paint and see how they can use their own bodies to create art. The finished pieces are a lovely celebration of the children's creativity and the spirit of Valentine's Day!
Year 5 Art - Creating Backgrounds for our Monoprints
Year 5’s Hauntingly Creative Backgrounds Our Year 5 artists have been working hard to master the art of monoprinting. This week, we explored the vibrant properties of acrylic painted paper to create a series of beautifully layered, complex backgrounds. Drawing inspiration from the atmospheric poem A Ghost in the Garden by Berlie Doherty, the children used their custom-made booklets to experiment with colour and texture, resulting in some truly haunting and visually stunning pieces. These textured sheets will serve as the perfect foundation for the next stage of our printmaking journey. If you were imagining a ghost in your own garden, what colours and textures do you think would best capture the mystery?
Year 5 Number Day - Exploring Islamic Geometric Designs
Last Friday, Year 5 celebrated NSPCC Number Day by exploring the stunning intersection of mathematics and art. The children discovered that maths can be incredibly beautiful as they studied the intricate geometric designs found in Islamic architecture. Using their precision and plotting skills, the pupils worked with great care and perseverance to recreate these complex, symmetrical patterns. It was wonderful to see such focus in the classroom, resulting in some truly striking pieces of work that prove maths is so much more than just calculations on a page! Can you spot any geometric shapes or repeating patterns in the architecture around our local town?
Pre-School-Expressive Art And Design-Junk Modelling
Last week, the children dug deep into their imaginations to create their very own masterpieces in expressive art and design. They were given a range of materials, including glue, tape, paper, tissue paper and plenty of junk modelling resources, and were then encouraged to see what they could create. We saw unicorns, robots, rockets and so much more. I was incredibly proud of their imaginative thinking and the teamwork that went into bringing their creations to life.
Year 3 - Art - Exploring Stitching
Our young artists are taking their volcano paintings to the next level by exploring the tactile world of textiles. Before we merge fabric with canvas, we spent today’s lesson mastering the foundational skill of stitching.
Year 5 Art - Learning to Use Acrylic Paints
Fast-Paced Fine Art: Year 5 Master Acrylics! There was a real "brush" of excitement in the Year 5 classroom this week as we swapped our usual paints for acrylics! For many of our young artists, this was their first time working with this professional medium, and the results were nothing short of spectacular. A Race Against the Clock! The children spent the lesson experimenting with blending and layering to create atmospheric backgrounds for our upcoming art project. However, they quickly discovered the most important rule of acrylic painting: work fast! Unlike watercolors, acrylic paint dries incredibly quickly. Our pupils had to be decisive with their strokes and expert with their mixing to get their colors just right before the paint set. They showed fantastic resilience and "quick-thinking" creativity! The Science of Color We focused on: Color Mixing: Creating unique tints and shades. Texture: Learning how the thick, plastic-like nature of acrylics can be layered for effect. Medium Control: Managing how much water to add (or not add!) to change the opacity. These stunning, textured backgrounds are now drying and ready to become the foundation for our final masterpieces. Watch this space to see how they evolve! Join the Conversation! If you were creating a masterpiece today, which two colours would you mix together to describe your mood? Let us know in the comments below!
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