Together and active with film
The creative use of film and media in day-care centres turns young children from passive consumers into actively engaged viewers.
Many of the films in The Preschool App and Website (Børnebiffen i Dagtilbud) , have accompanying resources named thematic guides. They are aimed at supporting educators in creating a safe and inspiring environment for watching, discussing and creating films. The platform divides the films into different sections that align with the teaching guidelines for day-care institutions in Denmark. This makes it easy to select a film and an activity in the busy day-to-day of the day-care centre.
Watch the tutorial "To Water Basil" here:
Educators are encouraged to introduce the film before the screening, highlighting characters or inspiring the children to look out for colours or sounds, etc. This will help the children to better understand the film. The teaching resources suggest good questions to start a dialogue after the screening and present a number of activities to explore. The activities do not necessarily have to take place right after a film screening. Some can be used as inspiration for other kinds of creative play.
Brobækhus Kindergarten. Photo: Bjørn Pierri Enevoldsen
Through creative film activities, children experience different aspects of playing with images and sound. They have to use their own imagination and make decisions working together. Filmmaking activities can use analogue or digital processes, perhaps in combination. Making stop-motion films is a good example.
When children make films using a digital device, they get an early awareness of film as a combination of images and sound, and how these are used to tell a specific story and create a specific atmosphere.