As a freelance practitioner in arts engagement I am really interested in how we can use play resources to support our youngest visitors in creative play in the gallery space.
Our programme offers open mornings every week for parents and carers to bring their babies and toddlers into the gallery learning space for free, open ended sensory play.
We set up the spaces differently each week and respond to a painting or sculpture from the collection which we project on a large wall in the space, perhaps using water and reflective materials for an impressionist river painting, using leaves, golds and autumnal colours for art deco panels etc. What I love about the sessions is watching the babies explore and engage with materials, we rotate what is on offer, responding to the paintings but always offer a variety of textures, scales, and creative spaces for babies and toddlers to discover and connect with.
When I discovered Oplay Blocks I quickly recommended them for our sessions and one set that comes out time and time again is the rocks. We have many other well loved block sets at the Galleries, used often for constructing sculptures both in the play spaces and in led nursery sessions, however rocks offer something different. The multi faceted form seems to be endlessly entrancing for little hands, feeling and grasping. The irregular shape means they are more challenging to stack and build with, making them the perfect hurdle for experienced little ones who want to try and master a new skill. The shape of the blocks is open ended despite the name ‘rocks’ we have used them in a session which focused on fruit and vegetables ( the children loved to play, cooking and peeling them as potatoes!) and also sessions with opulent costumes, children reimagining them as large jewels, wrapping the shapes in cellophane and tape.
What I look for in a gallery resource is not just versatility and excitement for the children but also resilience. Our sessions can be attended often by 80 families each week so the materials need to be hardwearing and last well. Our blocks get thrown, drawn on, covered in tape and plunged into clay paint and water, they still come out beautiful and can be wiped down ready to go the next week!
