PLAY, EDUCATION, CO-CREATION, AESTHETIC PROCESSES, MUSIC, DANCE, CULTURE, COMMUNITY, COLLABORATION

REGION: North
MUNICIPALITY: Frederikshavn
PROCEDURE: 2022
DAILY OFFER: Børnehuset Mælkevejen

Snippet story: Børnehuset Mælkevejen (2022)

At Børnehuset Mælkevejen, we have the following points of wonder:

We are curious about how we can use simple tools such as song suitcases to give music more space in the house, so that music becomes a natural part of everyday life in all rooms.

We are also curious to see how the participating children and adults together can implement knowledge from the project into all the rooms in the house and whether new play relationships are formed across the house.

In our project, we have collaborated with artist and musician Viggo Steincke.

Mælkevejen is a diverse house with 40 nursery school children and 100 kindergarten children in 6 rooms. We have decided that all rooms should be represented in the Play Art project. Therefore, 4 children and 1 adult from all rooms participated.

In the kindergarten, we have experienced that the children across the 4 rooms have been united around music. All the children have experienced being part of a new active community, where everyone has contributed to creating and making experiences together. Viggo has been good at seizing the day and following the children's tracks based on what the children are interested in and the children's initiatives. Viggo has not previously tried having 16 children in a group, but it has been very calm, there has been a good atmosphere and good management.

The children have taken new songs from the project into their own rooms, where they have taken the lead at, for example, children's meetings by teaching the other children both gestures and lyrics to the new songs, which has increased the self-esteem of each individual.

"One of the girls asks on Tuesday, when we're eating our packed lunches, "is it tomorrow that we're going to "spillekunst". The adult says that it's tomorrow and asks the girl if it's because she's looking forward to it? The girl smiles and says yes.

At the children's meeting the next day, we play and sing "If you see an elephant" and make gestures to it. The girl helps teach the other children the song - and is very proud! She is very excited about it."

Throughout the project, we have noticed that the quiet children have changed and become more active participants. They play instruments and sing along to the songs, and everyone has gained the courage to stand up in front of the others.

"A sunshine story: A girl who is usually very shy around adults she doesn't know opened up from day two of the project😀"

During the project, Milky Way has written their own song, which has been composed by children and adults together. The children have played different instruments to the song, and the song will now be shared with all children and adults in the house.

In the nursery, the children have developed a lot: The first few times, the children sat very close to the familiar adult without actively participating. By the third time, everyone was more courageous and actively participated from start to finish. The children have developed very individually, and all of them have finally stood up in front of the others and played an instrument. In collaboration with Viggo, the staff has emphasized that the content of the play art days has been familiar to the children, which all children have benefited from. The children have looked up to Viggo a lot - here is a little snap story:

"Legekunst has just started and all the children are very attentive and listening to what Viggo is playing. Viggo takes a short break and before he starts playing again, he says "I'll roll up my sleeves before I start".

Immediately the kids start rolling up their sleeves, and Viggo can't start until everyone has rolled up their sleeves!"

The pedagogical staff is still curious about/will continue to work on completing Mælkevejen's own song. Both this and other songs from the project will be included in the house's morning song. Here, all the children from Legekunst will perform the songs with instruments, thereby showing the other children what they have learned.

All rooms will also continue to work with music in the individual rooms. Here, children and adults from the project will take the lead, and the rooms' song trunks will be updated and will be an essential part of daily life in the future.

Mælkevejen has been very enthusiastic about the project and the collaboration with Viggo. Viggo says that he has seen great joy and involvement in the project from all children and adults. Many children have pushed their boundaries and Viggo has experienced that it gives a different expression when the adults are also involved in the music.

Through participation in the play art days, I have experienced how much joy, development, learning, community and education has taken place for all children and adults. We look forward to continuing the work in the house, spreading the project throughout the house, and we hope that our paths will cross with Viggo again in the future.