Artasia at Lakewood
Today's Family Early Learning and Child Care
🖌️ Artist Educator: Ava Aalbers
Week 1
The first week of Artasia at Lakewood was a tremendous success! I kicked off the session with an icebreaker where each child, while holding a ball of yarn, had the chance to say their name and share two things they love. I also joined in, showing them my own badge, decorated with the things I love, as an example.
The kids were thrilled and wasted no time in creating their favorite things out of the fabric materials provided, eagerly gluing them to their badges. They crafted a wide variety of designs, including their favourite foods, loved ones, beach scenes, sports, and even their favourite movies. The excitement was contagious as they proudly displayed their creations to one another, sharing the things that bring them joy. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm and the connections they made through the activity!
Week 2
The Flag Week of Artasia at Lakewood was another great success! The kids were eager to work with paint on fabric, a texture and experience quite different from the usual paper or canvas. I started by explaining the craft and offering suggestions on what their flags could represent—whether it be their cultural background, favorite things, something they love and want to protect, and so on. I also introduced the primary colors, giving a brief lesson on how to mix red, blue, and yellow to create new colors. The kids jumped right into the activity, painting and creating shapes with enthusiasm. Most of them preferred to work individually, exploring their own ideas rather than collaborating in groups. A popular choice was the Canadian flag—about four kids decided to make one! Another favorite was cutting out pictures from the fabric of things they love, like dogs, sports balls, foods, and gluing them onto their flags.
Overall, the week was a wonderful success, filled with creativity and excitement. It was fantastic to see the diverse directions each child took in expressing themselves through their flags!
Week 3
Flower Pounding turned out to be the highlight of the summer at this location! Though having over 20 kids enthusiastically pounding flowers with rocks to extract pigment created quite a bit of noise, it was absolutely worth it as they got to experience the joy of creating art directly from nature.
The kids were most excited about this activity, carefully arranging flowers on their cloths to form beautiful patterns and pictures. Their excitement was evident as they dove into the process, and the results were stunning. Every child was incredibly proud of their work and couldn’t wait to take it home to show their families! It was also a great teaching moment, showing the kids how to source creative materials naturally. The activity was such a hit that when I returned the following week, a few kids were already begging me to bring back flowers and rocks so we could do flower pounding again.
Without a doubt, this week was a tremendous success!
Week 4
Wearable Fashion Week at Lakewood was a fantastic success! The kids were immediately drawn to the project, with many eagerly rushing to make bracelets out of pipe cleaners and beads. Others were excited to create capes and headbands, diving into the materials with enthusiasm. The materials for this week were quite different from what the kids were used to, but they quickly adapted, using their imagination and creativity to make some truly impressive pieces. Some kids even made multiple items and crafted pieces for their families, showing how much they enjoyed the activity.
Overall, it was definitely a great week, filled with creativity and fun!
