From Sunflowers to Trees

Monday 21st September 2026

Following on from our still-life paintings of sunflowers, today an invitation of paper bark was placed on the art table. The natural texture and earthy tones immediately connected with our ongoing nature inquiry and invited the children to explore trees in a new way.

As the children began drawing, trees emerged onto the paper. What started as simple observations soon evolved into deeper representations of our Kindness Tree and the many living things we have been noticing and wondering about in our environment.

Our conversations about trees opened pathways into birds, nests, branches, leaves and the interconnectedness of living things. Children began adding details to their drawings, sharing ideas and building upon one another’s thinking.

What began as an exploration of a natural material became another chapter in our inquiry, showing how children’s ideas can grow, branch and evolve when they are given time, space and meaningful materials to express their thinking.