JOY to the World!

I love when I am given the opportunity to volunteer in my children’s classrooms for a special event.  I always bring a craft and usually spend about 2-3 months thinking of a unique and useful project!  While I am planning, I have a few things to consider…

1.) How much time will this take? When I volunteer at the school, I usually have a time limit for the project I have planned. I spend a lot of time on prep work so that when I sit down with the kids, everything is organized and ready to go.  I always start with the kids writing their name and date directly on the piece or on a small cardboard work surface.

2.) What will the end result be? Making a piece of art or a craft that is usable is important to me. Can it be displayed on the wall, fridge, played with, or worn as jewelry? When something has a purpose, it is more likely to be enjoyed instead of getting lost in the shuffle.

Side note: Consider a small decorative bag or box for the children to bring their work home in.  That way, they are safely transported and become a small wrapped gift for the child to give.

3.) Does it encourage creativity? Even though each child is working on the same thing, with the same supplies, is there an opportunity for self expression? Will each piece be unique to each child? My favorite part of doing an art project with children is seeing all the different outcomes in the end. I usually snap a photo because I love to see them all together. They are all unique in their own way.

4.) Can they physically do it? Having two kids of my own helps with knowing age appropriate activities but there were a couple times I brought in a project and some steps were a little too challenging for some of the kids. In any class, there are a variety of skill levels to consider.  I always make a trial piece at home to make sure it all works.

5.)How much will this cost? When I organize a group art activity, I am usually using my own money to buy supplies. I have to think about how to make the project awesome while still staying on a budget, especially when I have a group of 23 kids!

As you can see, I take this pretty seriously.    🙂

Here is the most recent project I did with my daughter’s 1st grade class.  I cast 23 sets of the word “JOY” in plaster.  The kids painted them. The supplies for this project were inexpensive (~$15 total supplies) but the labor was long! If you’ve ever cast plaster using only one mold, you know what I mean. These letters are about an 1″ thick so they can stand up on their own.  They look great on a shelf of window sill.

Happy New Year!