Materialpoetiske øyeblikk. En art-ografisk studie av små barns eksperimentelle materialprosesser i barnehagen.

The study explores how the youngest children in kindergarten explore and create with soil materials. Through a method called a-r-t-ography, the researcher observes how materials, children and the researcher influence each other in creative processes. The research question is: What occurs in experimental processes and collective co-creations between materials, young children and a-r-t-ography in kindergarten?

The study reveals how the characteristics, quantity and shape of materials affect children's exploration. The place and atmosphere also play a role in these processes. The results provide insight into how to think about creativity and arts and crafts in kindergarten, away from traditional, goal-driven activities. The researcher behind the study suggests a deeper connection between arts and crafts, nature and culture in kindergarten practice.

The researcher visited a kindergarten toddler department 25 times. There she observed how twelve children played and explored with different materials such as sticks, wool, clay, foil, pine cones, leaves, snow, textiles and rattan. The children played both inside and outside. The researcher took pictures, wrote down what she saw, and described her experiences. In addition, she also played with the materials herself to better understand how the children experienced them.

Waterhouse, A. H. L. (2021). "Materialpoetiske øyeblikk. En art-ografisk studie av små barns eksperimentelle materialprosesser i barnehagen". Akademisk avhandling. Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge.