As always, we’ve been busy in the Arts & Smarts Children’s Program!
Every day is filled with different activities and special guests. We created pour paintings with swirling colors. We harvested okras and tomatoes and zinnias from Patchwork’s garden. We walked around Patchwork’s grounds doing a scavenger hunt to find items in all the colors of the rainbow. We learned about electricity from visitors from the library and created light-up pictures. We turned gourds into containers with visiting artist Denise and decorated them with drawings of fantastical creatures. We painted weird and wacky faces on pumpkins. Taylor visited to help us dye wool using indigo and turmeric. And, we walked to Haynie’s Corner to re-stock the Little Libraries and to admire the pumpkins and giant skeleton on the fountain.
All of this was enriching and educational for our participants. They tried new things, explored, and learned. And yet, some even bigger opportunities for learning occurred in other quieter, seemingly mundane moments.
Every day before snack, the group sits in a circle at the front of the room to discuss the question of the day. The adults lead and the kids chime in with their own ideas. Some days it’s something simple like having everyone share their favorite color, favorite food, or their favorite thing about Evansville’s Fall Festival. Many times, it includes an opportunity for everyone to share their sparks, which are the special things they do that interest and excite them. Sometimes the adults pick a line from the “Creed Official,” which lays out behavior expectations for everyone here at Patchwork, and the group discusses what that section means to them. And, as happens with inquisitive and attentive kids, sometimes the discussions get deep with questions about philosophy and theology.
Often, I will overhear one of the group leaders announce, “This has been a really great discussion, but I’m afraid we need to stop and move on to the next thing. We’re running late for snack, and we’ve got some other fun things planned today!”
I think it’s a wonderful sign of how much everyone is growing, learning, encouraging, and supporting one another through so many thoughtful conversations.
