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Families with babies go colour – An example of a development project
Mango purée, apple jam, fruit soup coloured with turmeric and mashed lingonberries… Eight-month-old Erno is spreading the taste-proof colours with his bare fingers, sometimes even with his toes – what a thrill playing with colours can be!
The colour workshop for families with babies is a widespread concept that has also initiated interest across national borders. The colour workshops support interaction between the parent and child under a counsellor’s guidance. This method, which has become familiar to many through the media, has not been available in the Seinäjoki region, although many children who are cared for at home and their parents are easily caught offside when it comes to cultural offerings.
The local association of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare in Seinäjoki decided it is time to change this. Contacting Liiveri proved worthwhile, as a project supporting creativity, communality and parenting fits the Liiveri development plan perfectly and the board submitted for funding 80% of the project costs.
The Seinäjoki model wanted to emphasize the significance of communality, peer support and early interaction. In addition to the colour workshops, there were organised visits to baby-friendly art exhibitions and other cultural venues to promote the awareness of the local district and roots by spending time together in an enjoyable way. An exhibition of the babies’ artwork is also put together each term and the families get to plan a baby-week together. The project will be finalised by the project coordinator compiling an illustrated end report of the colour workshops, in order to allow other babies to enjoy sense-nurturing art education.
