Session 1, Friday: Sculpture Challenge

This afternoon at Spree, I caught up with Jenna's Yellow Group. They have not forgotten about their underwater books from earlier in the week, but their classroom has gained some new wall decor, and these kids are really getting their creative juices flowing! In addition to working on their books, I came to check in on the Yellow Group as they were starting a Sculpture Challenge.

The supplies for this challenge were every color of construction paper imaginable, scissors, and glue sticks. Campers were asked to think about all of the different ways they could change the construction paper: folding, cutting, ripping, gluing, rolling. The Challenge? Change the paper and combine at least 6 different pieces to make a new sculpture. Eventually, Jenna said, they will work with these methods and make 3D Sea Anemones.

The Yellow Group brainstorms ways in which to alter the construction paper.

And they're off! The Sculpture Challenge is underway. Can't wait to see how these Anemones turn out!

Session I, Week 1: R.O.Y.'s Fun First Morning

The three youngest Summer Spree morning groups, Red, Orange, and Yellow, are off to a great start this morning! All three groups have jump-started art projects and special classes, and have been learning a lot already about our water systems.

Jenn's Red Group, the youngest of the kids at Summer Spree, were already very excited about art camp when I ran into them on the way back to their home base from the garden. They'd just come from digging out the beginnings of the trench along the edge of the garden, and were pumped to get into their cool room and take a group photo with Jenn and their helper, Marisa.

2013's first Red Group. Hard to get five 4-yr-olds smiling at once! (Sorry, Jenn!)

Members of the Red Group cooling off in the AC from the 90 degree heat with some creative necklace making. These big beads are perfect for their little hands!

A year older than the Red Group, I found the Orange Group, with teacher Sarah and assistant Sarah, working on some water colors in their classroom. Using masking tape to secure the paper to the table, the kids did not want to stop mixing and matching colors. The boys would only stop for a second to smile at the camera before, "Sarahhh! Can I have some more paperrr?"

Sarah's Orange Group getting their creativity flowing with some water colors.

The Yellow Group is planning a big project this week to turn a corner of their classroom into the 5 layers of the ocean. When I came in to see them, their teacher, Jenna, was reading them a book called Octopus Alone, about an Octopus travelling around his home near the coral reef. Jenna was getting the kids started thinking about the animals under water such as the Octopus' jellyfish and seahorse friends. After the story, they began to create their own coral reef scenes first in pencil then brought to life with watercolors on watercolor paper, a new material to the children in the yellow group.

Above & Below: Yellow Group outlines their coral reef artwork in pencil.

All three groups and teachers are off to an awesome and art-filled first morning! Keep checking the Summer Spree Blog for updates on the Red, Orange, Yellow, and older groups as the sessions go on!