| The following is a list of ideas that can be | | | | tell a story. |
| incorporated into a lesson plan for young children, | | | | 4. Black and white clothes could be worn for the |
| using black and white colour as the theme. | | | | session and a prize given for the most original |
| 1. Look at a book of colours and look at each | | | | outfit. |
| colour except for black and white. See if they can | | | | 5. Read the story "Funnybones" by Janet and |
| tell you which colours are missing. Talk about | | | | Allan Ahlberg and get the children to act out the |
| what you think of when you see black. Encourage | | | | actions where possible, e.g. going to the park, |
| the children to share how they feel about | | | | feeding the ducks, playing on the swings etc. This |
| darkness and the contrast between black and | | | | could precede the talk in idea number 1. Where |
| white. They may associate it with fear or worry. | | | | appropriate throughout the story, you could |
| You could ask them how they could deal with | | | | intersperse a song, sung to the tune of "Hickory |
| their fears and who could help them. Why do | | | | dickory dock" as follows: What's the weather |
| some people prefer to only wear black, rather | | | | today, what's the weather today, it's cold and |
| than bright colours? What does white indicate? | | | | wet, cold and wet, what's the weather today. |
| How can it be spoiled? | | | | Let's put on our wellington boots.....let's go to the |
| 2. Play a black and white game. Divide the children | | | | park.....let's now feed the ducks.....etc. |
| into two teams and give each a box of black and | | | | 6. Black and White Colour Crafts, such as: |
| white everyday items (about the same number | | | | - Paint white spotty shapes using cotton buds |
| as children in each team). At the other end of the | | | | onto black background paper. |
| room, each team has one black container and one | | | | - Make doillie snowflakes by folding a sheet of |
| white. On "Go" the children race one at a time | | | | white paper several times and cutting out shapes |
| with an item from the box and put it into one of | | | | along the folds. |
| the appropriate boxes at the other end of the | | | | - Open to see a beautiful snowflake. Stick onto |
| room. The next child doesn't go until the first child | | | | black paper. |
| has returned to the starting line. The first team to | | | | - Stick cotton wool snowmen onto black paper. |
| place all items correctly wins. | | | | These lesson ideas can be placed into whatever |
| 3. Set up a corner of the room where you are | | | | order or form suits your group of children and |
| making shadows, using a spotlight shining onto a | | | | how much time you have at your disposal. Some |
| white cloth/sheet. Make shapes with your hands | | | | activities might take longer than others if they are |
| behind the cloth, such as butterflies, birds etc and | | | | keeping the children's interest, whilst others might |
| see if the children can guess what they are. When | | | | not take long before the general interest has |
| they answer correctly, they could go behind the | | | | been lost and it is best to move on. For a more |
| cloth and make shapes for the others to guess. | | | | detailed plan and further ideas and resources, see |
| You could even turn it into a shadow theatre and | | | | below. |