A Reggio Emilia Journey Through Animals, Habitats, and Imagination

Over the months our art studio has been alive with curiosity, cardboard, paint, and the kind of imaginative storytelling that only young children can produce. What began as an exploration of animals and their habitats slowly grew into something much bigger ; a journey that carried us from forests and rivers all the way into the deep blue sea.

We began by looking closely at the animals the children already knew and loved. Using the Reggio Emilia approach, we followed their interests rather than directing them. Conversations about where animals live quickly turned into rich investigations. The children made their own animal enclosures using wooden bricks, tweaking it each day they came into the art studio. So we used old woodchip board to create a more permanent  animal habitat using moss, wood, clay and fabric. The children created their own space to place with the animals they were so passionate about.

From Fish… to Whales

As often happens in early years learning, one child’s idea became the spark for a whole new direction. Whilst exploring the clay the children started making different kinds of sea life creatures and and soon, fish and whales became the centre of our collective fascination. We even dissected trout and sardines to take a deeper look inside the inner workings of the fish. Whales soon took over and featured in the children’s art and conversations.  The children were captivated, not just by the size of whales, but by their gentleness, their families, and the idea that whales might need help or care just like people do.

Building Our Own Whale

Inspired by their enthusiasm, we embarked on our most ambitious collaborative art project yet: a two‑metre whale model, built entirely from cardboard, newspaper, and a lot of trial and error and team work.

The process was as meaningful as the final sculpture: 2 of the children drew out the whale shape onto cardboard, we added cardboard strips to create some depth, stuffed it with newspaper, added tape, tape and more tape, then added glue and newspaper. The children added ribbon, string and paint for the skin of the whale, J added a button with some glue and told the others ‘It’s a barnacle!’. Over the next few days multple barnacles were added to our whale, bringing it to life.

The whale became a presence in the art studio, a gentle giant that invited touch, conversation, and imaginative play.

Whale Doctors

Once the whale was complete, the children naturally shifted into storytelling. They invented roles for themselves: whale doctors, whale nurses, whale helpers, and even whale scientists.

Their stories were extraordinary:

• Some children created medical kits filled with bandages, shells, and “whale medicine” made from coloured water.
• Others wrote or dictated stories about rescuing whales who ‘bumped his head on a rock’
• A few imagined travelling across the ocean to help baby whales find their mothers.
• One group even rode the whale, putting them selves into the story

Through play, they explored empathy, care, environmental awareness, and the idea that humans can protect rather than harm nature.

This project captured the essence of our Reggio Emilia approach because the children truly led the direction of the learning. Their questions, ideas, and curiosities shaped each stage, allowing the project to grow organically from animals and habitats into a deep exploration of ocean life and whales. The materials we used were intentionally open‑ended, giving the children freedom to experiment, construct, and express themselves without limits.

Throughout the process, collaboration was central. The whale could not have been built by one child alone; it required teamwork, negotiation, shared problem‑solving, and a collective sense of pride. As the whale took shape, the children’s stories and imaginative play added another layer of meaning, helping them deepen their understanding through narrative, empathy, and role‑play.

Art became a language for them – a way to communicate ideas about nature, care, and responsibility. Most importantly, the whale became a symbol of connection: it connected the children to one another, connected their ideas across different weeks of learning, and connected their creativity to the wider natural world they are beginning to understand and care about.

Projects like this remind us that when children are given time, space, and trust, their creativity expands far beyond what we could plan. A cardboard whale becomes a patient, a friend, a story, and a doorway into deeper learning.

Our whale will soon be put on display in the front entrance of nursery, so keep you eyes peeled.

-Nathalie