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 3 is here at Spree!

Session 3 is underway here at Summer Spree 2014, and we're happy to see some familiar faces alongside a bunch of new friends! This morning at Spree, the Orange Group made beetle-prints, while the Yellow Group worked on some colorful collages, and the Purple Group made millipedes out of bottle caps and pipe cleaners. Back in the main building, the Turquoise Group learned about contrast in a new geometric project and the Blue Group assembled kites and flew them around their classroom!

Adam and Izyan (of the Orange Group) using found materials to make prints that look like beetles (to be decorated after the pain dries).

Maisie, Anna, and Maya (also Orange Group) posing in their masks. 

Minori and her friends in the Yellow Group working on their collages.

Martha helping her Purple Group Girls construct creative millipedes from painted bottle caps and pipe cleaners.

Nathan, Hallie, and Dean learning how to use contrasting colors and patterns to make designs pop off the page.

The Blue Group decorating and assembling their kites...

...before flying them around the room like Sophia!

Session 2 Comes to a Close!

This session has been another amazing one here at Summer Spree! Kids and staff alike have had a blast digging in the dirt, molding clay, painting, and doing all sorts of other creative projects while making new friends and running around the grounds of the Arts Center. At the end of Magic Mornings today, we had a big End-of-Session Celebration in the side yard and children's garden. The kids got to show off what they've been doing with Bob and Drew all session, and the Turquoise Group even planned a coronation for the giant King Nelsor the worm. But before that, kids showed off their completed projects, put finishing touches on others, and posed for the camera.

The Green Group Girls in their mining gear! Can you dig it?

Seasoned Summer Spree Camper, Adam in the kid's ceramics studio.

Charlotte (of the Red Group) taking a giggle break from painting her ceramic creation.

Selwa (of the Yellow Group) painting sparkly purple while her group members take a little sensory break in the lego area.

Bram shows off his lego guy and awesome Summer Spree Tie Dye!

Melissa (of the Turquoise Group) mentally preparing for her role in the Coronation of King Nelsor.

The Turquoise Group performing their opening musical number.

Jen (Red Group teacher) observing the beautiful entrance to King Nelsor's Lair.

King Nelsor himself.

Drew assisting in the passing of the crown.

The triplets enjoying their freeze pops after Nelsor's Coronation.
[Please disregard the shameless blog advertising in the background.]

In the afternoon, the Red, Orange and Purple Groups all hosted their own art shows in their classrooms to commemorate the end of the session. Here are just some snippets of the awesome work these kids have made during Session 2:

The Purple Group squeezing in one more project before the end of the session.

The Orange Group's collaborative yoyo-painting project done with homemade yoyo's made from balloons filled with sand and rubber bands.

Ben's collection of work he made with the Orange Group. How cool!

Can you spot all the different materials Sophia used to make this work of art?

Jen beautifully displays her Red Group's ceramic creations on top of their awesome Tie Dye Shirts from this session.

More Morning Art Madness!

Back in their classrooms, our morning groups have been making some great work! Today, I saw the Red Group drawing with crayons and hanging out with their awesome aide, Steph. The Purple Group was giggling and performing with their pipe cleaner microphones, while next door the Turquoise Group experimented with watercoloring techniques, and downstairs the Blue Group made tree root designed out of yarn and glue on paper.

Steph drawing with Cameron and Adrianna, of the Red Group.

Adam, deep in concentration, working on his drawing. 

Future divas of the Purple Group with their pipe-cleaner microphones, just like the pop stars.

Violet (of the Turquoise Group) watercoloring within the dried black Elmers glue outlines of her work of art.

Melissa (also Turquoise Group) experiments with salt and watercolors.
Some other techniques she's been trying are in the foreground.

Another Turquoise Group experiment with watercolors and saran wrap.

Pearl and Gianna (of the Blue Group) working with glue and yarn to create designs meant to look like tangled tree roots.

Ben and Nathan getting their hands dirty with the same technique as above.

This afternoon, I caught up with the Red and Orange Groups. The Red Group was in the process of making rainsticks, while the Orange Group did some outdoor painting with giant fly swatters and splatter-paint!

Natalie (of the Red Group) displaying her freshly painted rainstick!

Sara & Sarah's Orange Group always has some out-of-the-box art project going on! Check out Ben as he first swats his paper with a black giant-fly-swatter pattern... 

...before splattering neon colored paint over top of the print. So fun!

Session 2, Morning 3!

Another successful morning at Summer Spree is complete! This morning, some young paleantologists removed sand from Tyrannosaurus Rex skulls before painting them as they imagined the dinosaurs to have looked, while a bunch of little sculptors made pinch pots with snakes coiled around the sides. Before the morning was over, the Yellow group painted big whimsical turtles.

Maddie and Sofia (of the Orange Group) recreating the dinosaurs of their imaginations.

The Red Group in the Childrens' Ceramics Studio learning to make pinch pots and snake coils.

The Yellow Group in their classroom, working on their turtle paintings.

I wonder what Grace's favorite color is...

In the afternoon, the Orange group consists of 7 boys, all of whom had a great time in Ceramics with Dave Wood today. I couldn't resist posting this great picture of Sam showing off his "scratch to attach" tool-knowledge.