Starry Nights & Art Room Days

Here we have the solar system kids, with their constellations and ufo's. They are all about the mysteries of the universes - fun to talk with them about spin, gravity, magnetism, and folding time and space to appear and disappear in different places. While they learned traditional science showing layers of planets and the idea of a molten core, in the art room we watched videos of spinning spheres becoming hollow at the center (like the spin cycle in your washing machine). The question became, what can that mean for a whole planet? Is there such a place as Inner Earth? Perhaps one day they'll see for sure.

What are they holding in their hands? Bella tells in this little clip:

 

The kids put their very best into cutting and folding in order to make these things, which as you see are mesmerizing and mystical both! They've been wowed, oohed, and aahed by the spiraling of galaxies, to say nothing of the similarities to growth patterns in plants, seashells, waves, hurricanes and tornadoes. Yoyos and flextangles are little projects that seem to add understanding and meaning. It's fun to watch them imagining just how far a mind can go and what magnificent spiraling adventures might happen during sleep. "On a bimulous night . . ."

Hazel with some of her booty:

I wrote a story for the kids which they requested (well, begged for), about a magic crayon - they are all starring on the pages of the book. But the project was something of a flop I think. It was very time-consuming for me to write and put together, and then the kids colored in the illustrations. I can tell you our kids would much prefer free-hand drawing to coloring!

   The big kids have made more big pictures for their Shakespearean plays:

 Now their minds are on Egypt:

 

 

 The clay cracked on some of these but the kids thought it made them feel more ancient.

 They get backed with strong glue and felt so they can be hung up safely.

This one is Sydney's - and here she is with a page of hieroglyphs -

 - along with a witch she carved after school!

There's much more of course, but here's Friday workshop time - time for mermaids and merboys!

They are beginning lanterns that will glow with mermaids and boys.

Here the kids are about to start painting heads they sculpted for mermaid puppets.

 Yes, they'll all get hair. And jewels from the bottom of the sea!

 These are their lanterns-in-progess. It looks tidy but oh the glue and flying bits of tissue paper!

Always a reason to celebrate at Phoenix Rising!