Dear All,
When I was about seven years old, I would go outside with my siblings to complete one of our daily chores: watering the plants. I distinctly remember a puddle of water and mud forming at the corner of the driveway every time we used some of our chore time to play with the hose. I would stand in it and allow the mixture to ooze between my toes. It was a time in my life where being outside and playing barefoot in the mud was one of my favorite things to do- and I found it so entertaining because I had the time to allow my imagination to create fun activities to keep myself occupied. Looking back, I realize that the reason I enjoyed this simple task is because not every minute of my day was accounted for. In short, I was bored! And when kids are bored, they have no choice but to get creative and make their own fun.
During camp, children have the opportunity to create and explore at their own pace. If they want, they can make mud puddles, stand in them, and watch the mud ooze between their toes just like I did when I was younger. It is so important for children to “unplug”, play and soak up life en plein air. Sometimes, boredom is an occurrence that is beneficial to children so that they have the motivation to play and explore.
And so, art camp is in full swing! I have loved meeting the children and watching them soak up the beauty surrounding us. We’ve had plenty of time for exploring painting, playing with clay, and sketching. Often you can find our campers searching for toads, feeding the goats treats, or snuggling with the bunnies. Once, they all came running to me because they had found a bird that was “bright blue with an orange stomach”. So, off we went with binoculars to see it up close! We love binoculars. Later, we decided to paint the blue birds and a variety of gorgeous shades of blue were created, each one different and unique. I have enjoyed every minute of it. Here’s to four more weeks of pure joy at Hummingbird Hill Art Camp!
Love and Wonder,
Anne
Comments