One thing all of my kids seem to love is the adventure playground. Even my year 7s often ask if they can play on the equipment during the break (sorry guys, since many kids choose to work through the break I can't be there to supervise, so it's not going to happen!)
Students start by drawing their initials large on the page, with a horizon line. Their task is to create an adventure playground using their initials as the support structure.
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| Alexander K |
The idea for this lesson was inspired by this idea from THe ARt Cart, many thanks!
Before they begin we brainstorm ideas - starting with usual things like swings and monkey bars, and progressing quickly to rock climbing walls, water slides, roller coasters, flying foxes and bungee jumping as their imaginations take hold!
To encourage spontaneity we are drawing directly with black biro - no pencils and erasers (to the shock/horror of many, but they are getting used to it :) This is also a great way to practice 'happy accidents' - being flexible enough to incorporate unwanted or unplanned for marks into the overall design. Sometimes the unplanned-for turns out even better than our original idea!
I encourage lots of detail and the inclusion of children playing on the equipment. We also have a small side discussion about the difference between using stick figures as the basis of small action figures and lazy-drawing stick figures.
Students may choose to leave their designs as black and white, or to add selective splashes of color using crayon.
Although I've used this as a 'filler' short lesson, I really like the creativity involved. There's lots of talking, but as I walk around the room what I hear is lively on-task chatter about what they are drawing, and I'm torn in different directions by kids eager to share their ideas with me.
Jake, a preppy, has put toilets at the top of his letter J, but seriously explains that if someone was too old (I think he means me!) to climb the rope ladder they could climb the rock wall on his second initial, climb over the spiky arrow things, and jump across the big gap to the toilets. Don't you just love it? (Sad that I didn't get a picture of that one!)
Another student (year 3) said to me today - "Elizabeth! I just had a Happy Accident!!"
This boy is usually devastated when things don't turn out 'just right.' He had made a mistake, but instead of getting upset had found a way to use it to great effect. I am SO proud of him! :)
A fun lesson that inspires creativity and encourages acceptance of 'happy accidents' with a smile!
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| Kate P |
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| Caillou D F |
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| Teddy H |
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| Juliana K |
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| Lilly H |
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| Mayah K |
Great playful idea, I like how they really have to stretch their thinking to come up with their composition.
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