The challenge: Design and lead a meaningful and fun week-long environmental arts program held in a community park. Children ages 5-17 drop in for however many days they want, no registration required. Program will be held regardless of weather, and will serve between 10 and 80 children daily.
That's what I get to do this week. Today it poured rain the entire time. We sat and made Lummi sticks (sanded 12" long 3/4" dowel rods), then sang and learned some rhythms, then painted the sticks - no environmental concepts there, and I'm not sure if there were many artistic or musical ones, either. About 8 kids came, total. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain again. And Wednesday, and maybe Thursday.
My quandary, as I think about my plans - activities that support writing a song about the ideas of wilderness and city - is to figure out what's actually possible with a program like this. I mean, how do children build skills without consistent participation? Perhaps we should we write a new song every day: do the whole process of learning what a song is, then exploring the concepts of wilderness and city and then slogdance through the creative act of songwriting, with breaks in between for rhythm/movement/singing games.
The other artists who teach this scenario at other times during the summer have some things figured out. My favorite example is the week of building sandcastles....! How perfect. Who doesn't like to build sandcastles?? The kids learn (about artistic and environmental concepts, I assume) while having loads of fun. And it doesn't matter if they come 1 or 5 days. That's the kind of program I want to design/lead. Hmm.
2 comments:
Get them to make a film - kids love feeling like grown ups, and you can encorporate acting/discovery/creativity. You could have them make their own documentary in the park using all the stuff they find and make. :)
So you had some good suggestions - have them make a film, have them make a book - what did they do?
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