Thursday, August 14, 2014

Session 5 Morning Mayhem!

None of us here at the Arts Center can believe that tomorrow is the last Spree day of the summer! It's been an amazing year. We've had more than 400 outstanding children come through our doors, and it's been exciting to see them making new friends and finding a new home on our grounds.

Keep scrolling down to see how much fun the kids in this session have been having this week! Susan and her helpers from Hedgerow have been working with the kids to put together what will be an outstanding show tomorrow (at 11:15!). The kids have been making costumes and singing the songs back in their rooms to prepare for tomorrow. Check it out!

Eliya (of the Orange Group) glazing her frog in the ceramics studio.

BFFs Lily and Kathryn in the children's ceramics studio.

Maysa carefully painting glaze on her froggie.

Just one of the Orange Group's many awesome projects this week.

Isabelle and Grace working on their costumes for tomorrow's show!

Can we guess what Roxy's going to be?

Another costume clue from Maya and the Yellow Group.

Madison (of the Green Group) doing some hands-on artwork. 

Zayna (also Green Group) posing with her work!

Dexter saw my camera and said "Alli, take a picture of me being a bush!" How could I say no?

I wonder what Kayla will be in tomorrow's show...

The Magenta Group working on some scenery for the show!

Samma (of the Magenta Group) working on her windsock.

The Turquoise Group is putting on a puppet show (which will hopefully be up on the blog tomorrow!) I wonder who's back there making shadow puppets.

Hint: it wasn't Carter. He was too busy hamming it up. 


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Session 5 is Underway!

Yesterday marked the first day of the final session this year at Summer Spree! It's been a great summer here at Spree, but it's not over yet! This week, we've got amazing guests from Hedgerow Theatre teaching a special in the mornings, and on Friday there will be a performance incorporating all 8 Groups at 11:15am. The kids are learning songs and making costumes to get prepared for the show, so we hope to see all parents, babysitters, grandparents, etc. in the SideYard/Children's Garden on Friday!

That's not all we have going on this week! We've also got our regular morning specials (Ceramics  and Tie Dye) as well as afternoon specials (Ceramics, Tie Dye, and Hula!). Despite the rain, this afternoon was a Hula Afternoon, so I checked in on all three groups in the Ballroom, as well as the Orange and Purple Groups in their classrooms!

Kayla (of the Orange Group) decorating her own personal mini-chalkboard.
That black paint she's using is Chalkboard Paint.

Members of the Purple Group decorating and assembling sketchbooks!

The Red Group warming up for their Hula session by driving their hoops like cars!

Jen helping Max get the hang of hooping.

Once they tired of hip-hooping, the Groups played a mirror game with their hoops, during which one partner would do hoop-tricks and the other would have to mimic them as best they could. 

Sam (of the Orange Group) testing out some really cool arm-hooping tricks.  
"I call this 'The Ultimate Human Hoop Pretzel'"

The Purple Group relay racing through the hoop maze while doing whatever hoop trick they could maintain!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Session 4 Art Shows!

Session 4 came to a close on Friday, and everyone had a blast exploring our outdoor morning art shows! Our youngest groups stayed in their classrooms before their parents brought them outside to see the other kids' work. While today marks the first day of the last session of Summer Spree 2014, take a look at some photos from the last day of the second-to-last session this summer!

Lysi, of the Red Group, arranged her ceramic creations and hand made picture frame on newspaper in her classroom. 

The result of the Orange Group's drip/splatter-paint projects, featuring a decorative cupcake made of plaster, mod-podge, and tissue paper.

Roxy, of the Yellow Group, high-riving the camera before joining her group of masked artists!

The Green Group made these awesome life-sized self-portraits and hung them on the outside of the water tower. Good thinking!

Kids show their parents the mini-castles they've been working on with Bob & Drew in the Children's Garden.

The Purple Group's artwork displayed in the garden.

Three sisters in Tie Dye, on stage in the children's garden!

Below are more shots from the Afternoon's Red Group Art Show! 
This group sang the words to "Let it Go" from Frozen with added dance moves from Choreographer Jen for their parents at the art show.

Mira's display of artwork on her tie-dyed bandana.

Isaac's art display.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Session 4 Fun Goes On!

The past two days have been full of tie dye! Check out all these dyed little hands and a couple afternoon girls in action.
The result of the Purple Group's time at the tie dye station.

Mira narrating herself while carefully choosing colors for her tshirt.

Sophia doing her thing without getting dye all over her hands.
This morning, I walked around and saw some really great artwork in the Classrooms of the Turquoise Group, who did collage work as well as printing. The Orange group was doing some active art outside with repurposed Keurig cups, and the Red Group was working with watercolors and salt to make an icy affect on their artwork.

Aaron and Griffin dripping watercolors onto paper from repurposed k-cups. 

What a cool idea, Sara!

Adrianna rubbing salt into her watercolor painting, which will crystalize as it dries.

The Orange Group has also been working on these plaster faces decorated with found objects and medallions from the ceramics studio!

Girls of the Green Group showing off their texture-tiles before using them to make unique and original prints.
This afternoon was another day of Hula with Jenn from HoopFrenz! In addition to the cool stuff the kids got to do last time Jenn visited Summer Spree, today the kids made hoop-huts in groups to practice working together. They also played new games like limbo and learned how to be ninjas with their hula hoops. What a blast!
The Orange Group doing Ninja Tricks with Jenn in front of the tower!

Jake climbed into the hoop-hut he made with his group to pose for this shot.

Sheldon and Whitney (of the Orange Group) finding their balance and working out their hoop-skills.

Check out Ninja-Raegan doing her thing with a bunch of hoops!


Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Session 4 is here!

Session 4 at Summer Spree started yesterday, and we're overflowing with kids during this one week session! Mornings have been hectic since this blogger also doubles as the tie dye instructor, but this afternoon, I had time to walk around and check out what the Red and Orange Groups were up to. The Orange Group was in ceramics making turtles and other pinch-pot-inspired creations while the Red Group hung out with Yogi Kim in the ballroom.
Sheldon (of the Orange Group) hard at work on her pinch pot.

Jake checking out Janai's handiwork.

The Red Group practicing their "Mountain Pose."

Roxanna's go-to move when she heard that her group was doing yoga was to sit in this position and say "Om."