“We were also a little uncomfortable about the craft nature of the ladybugs. This was not meant to be an artistic/creative activity. Instead, it allowed the children to have a role in creating a representation that could be played with further. We could have opted to buy toy ladybugs from the nature store for them to play with, instead. At the time, this seemed a better (and, cheaper) possibility. As we grow and learn as to what works best with the youngest children, we will most assuredly make different decisions. Each teacher is in a different place in his/her own journey regarding this approach. I talked to the teacher who had offered this in her classroom and she told me that the children did paint some of the dots on the rocks, but they were rubbing off so her daughter painted new ones on. She mentioned that other materials were provided to represent their ideas such as offering shades of red, green, and black paint as well as fabrics and recycled materials in those shades.”