PBL: Christmas Carnival — Day 3

Date: 9th December 2022; Friday.
Facilitators:
Sonai, Apala, Drishti, Sanmoyee, and Priyanka.
Participants:
Arya, Dhriya, Divit, Hazzel, Joshua, Meher, Nitara, Parth, Rishit, Ruhani, Shannaya, Shivansh, Shivanshika, Shivanyaa, Taanush, Vaanya, and Yuvaan (Mehra).
Tags: art, craft, christmas, festival, pbl

Welcome back to Arth Hours — and the countdown to our Christmas Carnival! Our Arthlings are exploring all things Christmassy, and are making crafts for the big day. Read on to know how they made miniature Christmas trees and sock snowman!

PLANNING AND SETUP

The activity was divided into the following steps:

1. Making Sock Snowman: Trays were arranged with white socks, packs of tissue paper, dot stickers, buttons, ribbons, bows, and white glue.

2. Making Mini Christmas Trees: Trays were arranged with triangles of brown card, popsicle sticks, green wool, wool pompoms, and white glue.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The class opened with an indoor snowball fight! The children made teams and shaped ‘snowballs’ out of cotton. When the instructors gave the signal, the teams went to war!

One team attacks from the ground…

…While the other launches snowballs from the slide!

Making Sock Snowman: The children assembled around their tables to make another Christmas craft. The educators began by introducing them to some soft snowy friends — the sock snowman!
The children began their preparation by rolling balls of tissue paper. To make the balls bigger, they added more layers. Each Arthling stuffed two balls of tissue into their sock: the first to make a snowman head, and the other a snowman body. These balls were tied off with short pieces of ribbon. When the stuffing was complete, the top of the sock was turned inside-out to make a little hat!
After this, the snowman were bestowed with buttons and facial features. Many Arthlings were disappointed that there were no carrots available to make noses!

Drishti Didi demonstrates how to make a tissue ball.

Taanush rolls tissues.

Nitara and Divit make tissue balls.

Shivansh poses with a snowman!

Shivanshika ties a ribbon.

Shivanshika rolls tissue paper.

Yuvaan (Mehra) stuffs his sock.

Sonai Didi demonstrates the process.

Ruhani stuffs tissue into her sock!

Shivanyaa poses with a sock snowman!

Making Mini Christmas Trees: The crafts continued with a forest of miniature Christmas trees! The Arthlings began this craft by applying glue to triangles made out of stiff paper. They then wrapped their triangles in green wool. The children used different methods of wrapping, leading to the formation of crosses, spirals, and zig-zags on the trees. Each Arthling finished their tree with pompoms and a wooden popsicle stick.

The Arthlngs create their mini Christmas trees.

Nitara wraps wool around her triangle.

Nitara decorates!

Taanush decorates with yellow pompoms.

Joshua adds red pompoms to his tree.

Joshua poses with his pompom-filled tree!

Vaanya puts the finishing touches.

Ruhani admires her Christmas tree.

SKILLS USED

  • Fine motor skills

  • Focus and attention

  • Turn-taking

  • Following instructions

OUTCOME AND FUTURE

The Arthlings are mastering more and more craft techniques and motor skills as the countdown to the Christmas Carnival continues! Day 3 featured skills like sticking, stuffing, rolling, and wrapping. Fine motor movements help exercise small muscles in the hands and wrists, which are crucial in the development of writing.
Join us in our next session to watch our Arthlings tick more items off their Christmas list!