Why arts education? You know that moment when your kid is telling a story and you start laughing, because the story is so wacky and wonderful? And in that moment you wonder – where does this come from? Children imagine amazing things, and they do it naturally. Often as adults, we forget that we once had such free spirited, unfiltered creativity. This Washington Post article explains what’s so great about arts education. It’s not just about learning comedic timing or how to stay in character on stage. It’s about building creativity, confidence, problem solving, perseverance, and so much more. And that is precisely why CARE Actor is passionate about awakening creativity in youth. Creative play is so, so important to learning in general. When we nurture kids’ imaginations, we give them the freedom to experiment. They can be silly. They can be ridiculous. They can be kids. By focusing on the process instead of the product, we give kids permission to be imperfect. And imperfection can be a beautiful thing. There are lots of opportunities to nurture that creativity outside of school. Read on to discover a book, art activity, and improv game that will get your kids’ creative juices flowing. Image credit: Amazon.com “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.” Peter H. Reynolds’ The Dot is a picture book with a very simple premise. A young girl named Vashti refuses to create anything in art class because she thinks she can’t draw. Instead of chastising her, the teacher encourages her to “just make mark and see where it takes you.” The teacher encourages Vashti to express herself and try new things without worrying about whether she’s “good enough” at art. Not only does Vashti produce some cool artwork, but she also becomes more confident and genuinely interested in being creative. Now make your mark Encourage your kids to experiment with color like Vashti does in the book. Image credit: CARE Actor Art Project Materials:
Directions:
Video credit: CARE Actor
Energy: One to Ten This acting warm-up game gets your kids (and you) centered in your own bodies and ready to be creative. Check out our video of a CARE Actor teaching artist leading Act It Out (TM) students in this exercise. Directions:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsPooja Chawla Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|