On Thursday 29th November the children of Year 1 started the day off with an exciting and creative toy making workshop. Pak Sugeng, who ran the workshop, makes traditional toys using wire, jute and bamboo.
Pak Sugeng had pre-made the frame of the doll, the base for it to sit on and the accessories to create different style models. The children could choose from a range of different figures either carrying buckets, holding a basket or with additional animals. Some children also choose to add a bamboo cylinder that could hold pencils or assembled a motorcycle or a helicopter!
Our parent volunteers had fun being trained in the morning on how to make the toys and how they would support the children. Both classes joined together to be creative and learn how to make a simple handmade toy. They concentrated hard to roll the jute thread carefully around the skeleton of the doll before putting on some clothes like a blouse, trousers or a skirt on their figurine. They got their hands messy as they glued on the hat or the pen holder. The room was filled with sounds of helicopters whirling or motorbikes zooming, as the children engaged in innovative role play with their dolls and animals!
This was a fantastic morning. It was wonderful to see how engaged the children were, their resilience that led to an amazing sense of achievement and their joy with what they had made. The children had a great time not just making their toy but also playing with it. We are sure that they will thoroughly enjoy playing with this at home too over the next few weeks!
