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. 

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!

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.

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."

Afternoon Shenanigans in Session 3!

This afternoon, I checked in on the Red and Purple Groups, who were working on some pretty great projects. The Purple Group carved amazing designs into linoleum tiles in order to make their own prints. I caught the tail end of this project, while the kids were rolling ink onto their carvings and stamping their creations onto paper. The red group was in ceramics with Dave Woods, pressing leaves into clay which will burn off in the kiln to leave imprints.

Old Summer Spree friends, Dean and Hallie (of the Purple Group), rolling ink onto their carved linoleum tiles.

Jane and Nicole showing off a couple of their prints.

Nathan and his awesome print (with a guest appearance by Ava the Photobomber).

Mira and Megan (of the Red Group) with their clay pressed with plants before cutting and firing.

The following are a few shots from earlier this week and late last week. The Orange Group made some pretty cool plaster bowls by wrapping wet strips of plaster around plastic bowl molds and letting them sit overnight. They then painted them to make decorative pieces (note: eating cereal or soup from these bowls or putting them in the dishwasher/microwave might not end well). The Red Group also made mini oceans in a bottle by pouring colored sand into little water bottles along with tiny seashells and treasures before pouring blue- or green-tinted water into them.

Sophia (of the Orange Group) working hard to decorate her bowl.

Minori and her intricately designed bowl.

Izyan examining the treasures inside his own personal mini-ocean.

The whole Red Motley Crew (minus two members) with their oceans.

Gail's Teen Sketching class is making a special appearance in today's post! This is a shot of them from last week doing some outdoor sketching in the back yard of the arts center. Teen classes run from 1-2:30 or 2:30-4 every day during Summer Spree.

An Afternoon of Hula Hoops!

This afternoon, Summer Spree had the pleasure of a visit from Hula Hoop Instructor, Jennifer, of HoopFrenz! Jenn brought a bunch of kid- and adult-sized hoops so kids, teachers, aides and Arts Center Staff alike all got to join in on the fun. All three afternoon age groups got to try their hips at hula hooping, and doing all sorts of other activities with the hoops. I couldn't resist spending the afternoon taking pictures of all our campers having such a blast learning this awesome, active skill!

The Red Group's teacher, Jen, surprised herself when she learned to hoop today!

Adam doing a hoop trick for his friends in the Red Group.

They're getting the hang of it!

Aaron making his way through the hoopscotch course!

Izyan ditched his hoop to crawl through.

Megan used hers like a jumprope all the way down the line!

Alyssa (of the Orange Group) workin' it while Jenn cheers her on.

Practice made perfect for Sophia this afternoon!

The Purple Group doing their thing and testing out the hoop-challenges Jenn suggested.

I promise that my next post will be more focused on little artists, but today's post just had to be dedicated to this hoop-filled afternoon! We're lucky to be having Jenn back again for two more afternoons this summer in Sessions 4 & 5!

For more info about HoopFrenz (which offers classes and birthday parties as well) or hooping as an exercise technique, check out their website: http://www.teachkidstohoop.com !