Preschool Hosts Mini Reggio Exhibition: “A Journey Through Stories”

This year, our youngest learners at Concordia have been diving into the world of imagination and creativity, working hard to express their thinking through various projects. To celebrate their remarkable journey and achievements in one of their learning units, the Preschool team hosted a Mini Reggio Exhibition, “A Journey Through Stories,” inviting everyone to experience the creativity, joy, and wonder our Preschoolers have poured into their work!   

Chapter 1: In The Beginning...

In this opening chapter, we explore the moment when a story is born-the spark of imagination. Every story adventure begins with curiosity, pretending, experimentation, or a daring risk. A story’s opening words invite bravery, asking: “What if…?” as whispered by a child, “Let’s pretend…!” between friends, or the timeless call of “Once upon a time…” to summon tales of distant worlds. The invitation ignites creativity, problem-solving, and shared courage – it focuses the scene and unites storytellers and listeners as they leap into the unknown together.  

Chapter 2: Story Jars: Provocations to Share Meaning

Story Jars act as tactile portals into imagination. These jars house eclectic collections of objects designed to spark wonder, provoke questions, and invite storytelling. For 3-and 4-year-olds, the physicality of these “tangible manipulatives" anchors their narratives, while the purposefully unusual pairings (a soccer ball at the foot of grandma, a gingerbread and tokens) ignite curiosity. Through the jars, childhood explore concepts of time (What happened? What will happen?) and story structure, weaving tales that stretch across moments or days, using only one jar or combining many.

Chapter 3: Sound Stories: Rhythms of Imagination

Sound is a complimentary language of expression. This chapter invites children to explore how rhythm, pitch, and texture deepen storytelling, evoke emotions, and bring narratives to life.  Aligned with Reggio-inspired practices, the intentional inclusion of instruments-from Chinese drums to shakers, guiros, and bells-transforms sound into a collaborative dialogue. Children "listen with the body"; responding to stories through movement, creativity, and shared experimentation, while honoring cultural roots and collective memory.

Chapter 4: Story Costumes: Step into Pretend Worlds

In “A Journey Through Stories,” dress-up evolves into a language of self-expression for 3-to 5-year-olds. By embodying characters like the Gingerbread Man or the Wolf through costumes and props, children transcend imitation to explore empathy (“What does the Wolf feel?”), agency (“How can I protect my house?”), and collaboration (Let’s rewrite the Wolf’s story!”).

Aligned with Reggio Emilia’s “100 Languages” philosophy, play becomes a dialogue between a child’s inner world and narrative exploration. Costumes and props act as “third teachers,” nurturing creativity while empowering each child’s unique voice.

Chapter 5: Patchwork Characters

Inspired by Elmer the Elephant's celebration of individuality and unity, this chapter invites preschoolers to explore how characters—like themselves—are combination of identity, emotion, and collaboration! Just as Elmer's patchwork colors symbolize diversity, the Character Cubes become tools for children to construct stories that honor authenticity and collective joy. Through play, they learn that every character (and person) holds unique value, and by blending parts of our friends we can create special story characters.

Through play, we honor the Reggio Emilia belief that every child's voice—like every patch in Elmer's coat—adds irreplaceable beauty to childhood's unfolding story.

Chapter 6: Story Creation Trays: Worlds at Your Fingertips

The Story Creation Trays invite children to bridge make-believe dramatic play, digital creativity and hands-on exploration. After hearing classroom stories and crafting various narratives, preschoolers may now extend the storytelling into a tactile realm, manipulating standard characters with loose-parts to build, revise, and share miniature worlds.

Aligned with Reggio-inspired practices, these trays honor the child as both author and architect—where textured fabrics become landscapes, pebbles transform into characters, and every rearrangement sparks a new plot twist.

Chapter 7: Light & Shadow Story Cave: Illuminating Hidden Worlds

The Light & Shadow Stony Cave invites children to explore storytelling through contrast, mystery, and change. In Music & Movement classes, the PS students explored how the interplay of light and shadow enables a language of movement—distorting scale, animating the ordinary, and amplifying expression and creative imagination. Aligned with Reggio Emilia’s emphasis on the environment as a teacher, this sensory-rich space challenges preschoolers to explore: What story hides in the dark? How does light change a story? What story can I imagine when I close my eyes? Are dreams stories?  

“One of the biggest components that we’re trying to help people understand is purposeful play and how it integrates to those subjects and leads into the skill set that you’ll even need as a high schooler,” says Ms. Shannon Keane, Early Childhood Principal.

Want to witness everyday learning become extraordinary growth? Book a school tour today, to discover how the school nurtures each child’s unique gifts and sets them up for lifelong success!