Colourful Creations

Overview

This 1-hour art session for preschool tamariki (year preschool in New Zealand) centres on painting colourful, collaborative wall art using simple shapes and free exploration of colour and form. This lesson is designed specifically to reflect the principles and strands of Te Whāriki, New Zealand's early childhood curriculum, providing an empowering, holistic, and culturally rich environment where tamariki develop a sense of belonging, contribution, and communication through creative arts.

Learning Objectives (aligned with Te Whāriki)

Exploration / Mana Aotūroa
Children explore paints, colours, shapes, and textures freely, fostering curiosity and discovery in art materials.
Communication / Mana Reo
Children engage in verbalising their choices about colours and shapes and describe their artwork, enhancing oral language and symbolic communication.
Contribution / Mana Tangata
Participation in a collaborative wall mural cultivates social skills of contribution, cooperation, and respect for others’ creations.
Belonging / Mana Whenua
Creating art intended for display in the learning environment supports children's sense of identity and connection to their space and community.
Well-being / Mana Atua
Sensory exploration with painting supports children's emotional expression, satisfaction, and self-regulation.

Competencies Developed

Thinking: Recognising patterns, shapes, and colours; experimenting and problem-solving with materials.
Managing Self: Making choices about colours and shapes; practising fine motor skills.
Relating to Others: Sharing art materials; collaborating on a shared mural project.
Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Naming colours and shapes; storytelling about their artwork.

Materials Needed

Large sheets of mural paper (enough for a large collaborative wall display)
Washable poster paints in multiple colours
Brushes (various sizes) and sponges
Paper cutouts of simple shapes (circles, triangles, rectangles) to inspire patterns
Aprons or smocks
Cloths for cleaning
Wall space where completed artwork will be displayed

Lesson Structure and Timing (60 minutes)

1. Introduction and Warm-up (10 minutes)

Gather children in a circle near the art area.
Briefly discuss colours in te reo Māori (e.g., whero (red), kikorangi (blue), kākāriki (green)) and simple shapes (e.g., tapatoru (triangle), porowhita (circle)).
Demonstrate how to use brushes and paint.
Encourage tamariki to think about colours and shapes they enjoy or feel like painting today.

Te Whāriki links: Supports Mana Reo through language learning and Mana Aotūroa by encouraging exploration .

2. Painting and Creating (35 minutes)

Children paint freely on the mural paper, using brushes and sponges to explore colours and shapes.
Encourage mixing colours and making patterns with the shapes provided or drawn spontaneously.
Children are invited to paint parts of shapes or create their own shapes and patterns inspired by those shapes.
Support tamariki to talk about their art while they paint, e.g., “I’m painting a kikorangi circle!” or “Look at my big whero triangle!”
Teachers facilitate and prompt ideas, embedding te reo Māori and shape names gently and naturally.

Te Whāriki links: Supports Mana Aotūroa through active exploration and Mana Tangata through collaboration and respectful use of shared materials .

3. Sharing and Reflecting (10 minutes)

Gather the children to sit around the painted mural paper, now drying or set aside for drying.
Invite each tamaiti to share stories or thoughts about their painted elements — what colours they chose, what shapes they made, and how they felt painting it.
Reinforce positive language and praise the uniqueness and contribution of each tamaiti’s work, fostering a strong sense of belonging and well-being.

Te Whāriki links: Enhances Mana Tangata and Mana Whenua by recognising each child’s contribution; supports Mana Reo by verbal expression and listening .

4. Display and Celebrate (5 minutes)

Plan to install the completed painting(s) prominently in the classroom or hallway for all tamariki, whānau, and visitors to see.
Explain to children this art is part of their shared learning space — reinforcing identity, ownership, and community connection.

Te Whāriki links: Supports Mana Whenua, underlining belonging and connection to place and community .

Assessment and Teacher Reflection

Observe children’s engagement with materials, language use, and social interaction during painting.
Listen for use of te reo Māori colour and shape words and extend vocabulary gently.
Note how children make choices and communicate ideas about their artwork.
Reflect on their confidence, creativity, and motivation to contribute to the shared project.
Use observations to guide future planning, focusing on inclusion and extending interests and skills.

Extension Ideas to ‘Wow’ Tamariki and Staff

Include natural pigments or eco-friendly paints to connect art with sustainability (a future-focused theme in NZ education).
Invite tamariki to add natural materials (leaves, petals) to paint for a mixed-media wall art piece, deepening sensory and cultural learning.
Integrate simple karakia (blessings) in te reo Māori before starting and upon completing the art to honour Māori protocols and identity.
Document the process with photos and children's quotes for a digital story or display to share with whānau, continuing the sense of community and communication.

This plan ensures tamariki have a rich, playful, culturally affirming painting experience that results in beautiful, meaningful artwork adorning their learning environment — a true celebration of their creativity and identity in line with Te Whāriki principles and strands.

If you would like, I can also help create accompanying bilingual labels (English and te reo Māori) for the wall art to further enhance the learning environment. Would you like that?

Teaching Instructions