Occasional Murmurings: July 2013

Tahitian Landscape

Tahitian Black Pearl

We just wrapped up our 4th annual Passport Kids Around the World Art Camp! Twenty kids in rising 2nd-5th grades spent a week exploring different countries through art, music, literature, folklore, architecture, culture, and food.

Day 1: Tahiti
Today, we visited this island nation of French Polynesia. We listened to the sounds of Tahitian music while we made our version of Tahitian pearls,

Tahitian tattooed banana

which later became necklaces and pins. Next we tattooed bananas! The kids loved this one. After a snack of dried mangoes, we studied Post-impressionist Paul Gauguin and were inspired to make our own Tahitian Landscapes with oil and chalk pastels. I think they turned out beautifully.

Greek vase

Day 2: Greece
Today we went to gorgeous Greece. We listened to some music inspired by Greek mythology and spent some time going over the Greek gods and mythology. The kids loved the story of Prince Theseus and the minotaur!

Mythical creature in mosaic frame

We made our own mosaic frames and while they dried, we explored Greek pottery and made our own Greek vases on Kraft paper using patterns and line designs. After a snack of Greek olives, the kids came up with their own myths and illustrated unique mythical creatures!

Albrecht Durer-inspired
scratch art engraving

Day 3: Germany
Today, we went to Europe and visited Germany. We learned a lot about the history of Germany, including its involvement in World War II as well as the fall of the Berlin Wall. The children were very interested and hands were up all over the place, asking questions. We listened to the beautiful music of Beethoven while we created Albrecht Durer-inspired animal etchings with lots of visual texture.
After a snack of German butter biscuits and gingerbread, we visited the Black Forest and created cuckoo clock collages. I love them!

Cuckoo clock collage

Elijah's cups and Stars of David

Day 4: Israel
Learning about the Holocaust yesterday helped us to appreciate the rich history of the nation of Israel, where we visited today. We listened to the sometimes sad but lovely music of Itzhak Perlman while we made our own versions of Elijah's cup used in the Passover feast of Seder. Next we made colorful stars of David, and after a snack of tea biscuits from Israel, we were inspired by the Dead Sea to experiment with watercolor and Kosher salt. It's amazing the visual texture you can create!

Antique cars in
Old Havana

Day 5: Cuba

Cuban Sugar pots

Today, we went to the island nation of Cuba, our neighbor just off of Florida. We learned of the Spanish and African influences on this country as well as its history of slavery. Some kids had already heard the name Castro, so we had some interesting conversations about communism and the Cuban missile crisis. You never know what children are ready to understand! While listening to Cuban drums, guitars, and voices, we made our own sugar pots (az'ucar) with flower pots and wooden beads. After a delicious snack of rice and beans, we drew wonderful pictures of 1940s and 50s cars in colorful Old Havana. I love these!

This camp is truly a labor of love. I love to expose children to other places and other cultures as it whets their appetite for travel, but also creates empathy and understanding that we all share the same amazing Earth. If we begin to think about and pray for other people, we'll begin to care about them. I think that's what it's all about. Not to mention, children's artwork rocks!