Rapunzel's Supermarket by Ursula Kolbe
Helping Children to Realise their Artistic Potential
Jul 27, 2008
Written by Australian artist, early childhood teacher and lecturer Ursula Kolbe, Rapunzel’s Supermarket (2nd ed) [Peppinot Press, 2007] inspires educators and parents of children learning to draw to offer opportunities for them to enjoy and experience the wonder of creative expression.
Facilitating Childhood Art Experiences
Kolbe recommends giving children the freedom to explore aspects of their environment that catch their interest and allowing them to direct their own creative response to these experiences, rather than providing them with an artistic formula or template that limits their expression.
The first section of Rapunzel’s Supermarket offers suggestions for incorporating exploration of the magic of everyday things into the lives of children, with activities to facilitate children’s experiences with shape, form, colour, texture, pattern and light. A particular emphasis is placed on allowing children sufficient time and freedom to explore these elements at their own pace.
Kinds of Image-Making
The second section explores a variety of artistic mediums and activities including drawing, painting, claywork, collage, building and construction, printmaking, rubbings, bookmaking and puppet people.
With each image-making technique, information is offered for:
- Appreciating what children do
- Interacting and guiding
- Further challenges
- Method, materials and tools
- Providing time and space for the activity
Illustrations include a fascinating collection of children’s artwork with background information about what experience inspired the child. Kolbe frequently encourages educators and parents to allow children to direct their own creative response to their environment and experiences, offering them a range of materials and opportunities to explore their own reaction to the things that they see, hear, touch, smell and taste.
The Reggio Emilia Approach
Kolbe’s approach to developing and fulfilling children’s artistic potential is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach. This educational philosophy focuses on providing a rich, stimulating environment for children to explore, offering experiences with a range of materials and stimuli and opportunities for self-directed learning.
Kolbe offers an extensive selection of further reading relating to the Reggio Emilia Approach, developing artistic expression in children and assisting children to express their own creativity and imagination.
Encouraging Children to Explore their Creative Potential
Rapunzel’s Supermarket is an inspiring book ideal for early childhood and infants/early elementary teachers wanting to encourage students to express their response to their everyday environment and to explore their own creativity. It is currently used as a reference text in several universities in Australia and internationally including the University of Dakota in the US, University of Victoria in Canada and Canberra University in Australia.
While primarily aimed at educators, Rapunzel’s Supermarket is suitable for parents who want to encourage their children to find new ways of expressing themselves creatively. It is a very readable book and most of the suggested activities are adaptable to a home environment.
Suggestions for meaningful displays of children’s artwork, organising an enjoyable visit to an art gallery and creating a studio environment offer practical advice for further encouraging children to explore their own creativity and experience the creativity of others.
Rapunzel’s Supermarket
In Rapunzel’s Supermarket, Kolbe’s passion for children and their creativity shines through. Her creative insights and practical advice equip teachers and parents to provide opportunities for children to explore the possibilities of the world around them and to experience a variety techniques for expressing their response to their environment.
Originally published in 2001, the 2nd edition offers an expanded reading list and a new chapter, Sunlight and Shadow, highlighting areas that Kolbe felt needed to be particularly re-emphasised in response to comments and feedback from teachers and parents.
Stockists and ordering information for Rapunzel’s Supermarket and the companion book It’s Not a Bird, Yet [Peppinot Press, 2005] are available from Peppinot Press or through Australian distributor Pademelon Press.
