Woven bird cages

Bishop Tufnell Infant School

These cages were made by Year 2 pupils (6-7 year olds) with the help of a visiting sculptor. They were inspired by the empty cage in Molenaer's painting and considered its symbolism and wondered about their own futures; when they would be the same age as the children in the picture and beyond.

Before they started making their final pieces, they made close observational drawings of different styles of cages. Learning about structure systems, halves and quarters, estimating and measuring length and using positional language, they worked in pairs, using willow withies soaked in water to make them pliable. They secured the willow with masking tape.

Curriculum areas covered: English - Speaking and Listening, Art and Design, Science, Maths, Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
Key skills: Working with others, Creative thinking, Problem solving, Numeracy