Our Taiko toddlers (2 - 3.5yrs) recently engaged in a rich, hands-on fine motor experience using pom poms, tweezers, tape, and a variety of small containers.
This simple setup quickly became a meaningful learning opportunity as the children experimented, problem-solved, and expressed their creativity.
The sticky tape stretched straight across and immediately captured their imaginations. One child looked closely and exclaimed, “It looks like a spider web!” Another child delighted in their creation, proudly sharing, “Look Georgia, I made Christmas lights!” as they carefully tucked pom poms underneath the tape.
These spontaneous comments showed how children interpreted the materials in different ways, drawing on their own knowledge and experiences. Using the tweezers required concentration, patience, and precise finger movements. The children were visibly proud of themselves every time they successfully picked up a pom pom and transferred it into a container.
This sense of achievement was an important part of the learning, celebrating effort, persistence, and growing capability. This experience strongly aligns with our centre’s current internal evaluation focus on effectively evaluating children’s learning.
By observing children’s comments, actions, and choices, we gain valuable insight into their thinking processes and developing skills. This helps us better understand not just what they do, but how and why they engage in certain ways. Capturing these moments supports us in planning responsive learning experiences that build on children’s strengths, interests, and emerging abilities.
Overall, this pom pom experience was more than fine motor practice; it was a window into the children’s creativity, confidence, and learning journeys.