What can you learn from a textile tree?
5
Linking with art and design
There are strong links with the art & design programme of study: "Exploring and developing ideas" and "Investigating and making art, craft and design". You can develop children's appreciation of three important ideas using the fabrics from the textile tree - colour, texture and pattern.
Ask each child to identify two fabrics from the tree that they like. Give the children samples of their favourite fabrics, cut into small squares. Tell them to work in pairs and to organise these into simple patterns. They will be able to use the colour and the texture of the fabrics as the basis for repeat units.
You can 'fix' interesting patterns by stapling the fabric squares into place on a piece of plain card. You can put these on display and ask the class questions to develop their understanding of the way colour and texture can used to generate decorative pattern.