Play Camp!

OK, I'll admit, this wasn't quite as easy as week one of camps, but it was still pretty easy and great. I was laughing/frowning at myself today when I was thinking back to the Sunday before this little two week stint of camps began. I was so impressed with myself about how on-it I was: all my supplies were so well organized, the yard was looking great, the house was even clean, and I was fantasizing that I was going to become one of those really with-it people who juggle it all blithely and blissfully and even manage to have a stylish, cool-looking, and actually clean house. Well, the house is a wreck and I'm beat, and the last thing on my plate is interior decorating, I'll be lucky if I get to those dirty dishes in the sink.

Anyway, this was a great group and I felt so incredibly lucky. It was clear early on that they were super creative, and I tweaked the projects accordingly. I don't always get kids like that, and when I do it is SUCH a pleasure because I can pull out some favorite projects that I absolutely love to do, and then I get to just sit back and be absolutely tickled by what they come up with.

Virginia Fleck gave me these awesome wood and fiberglass scraps and I cut them up for the kids to make modern dollhouses (actually, I believe I called them 'action-figure forts', ahem). I really liked the look and didn't offer paint or anything because I thought they looked kind of sleek and stylish, all wood and 'glass'.... very Dwell-4-kids.

They worked on these for almost two days. And they would do an awesome kind of playing that was kind of a making/playing hybrid... gathered together, glue guns in hand, talking to each other about the characters and ideas and drama that is unfolding in their imagination, and then adding on to the houses accordingly.
Moon sand.




I didn't know why Parker wrote, "You are listening to Bob Schneider. Lose one turn." but I thought it was a hilarious penalty. His mom later explained that they name of his game was, "Time to Pay Attention!" so if you are listening to Bob, you haven't been.

"You are distracted. Lose one turn."



I was over at my friend's house this week and she had a book by this guy, in which he drew a different monster every day for one hundred days, starting with an ink blot that he blows on with a straw to make those beautiful crazy feathery shapes. I stole her idea and it was a big hit (thanks Jen!).

STUPID (by Parker): Farts alot. Likes to eat ants. It's huge. Lives in a house. Bad hairdoo. Also likes to eat grasshoppers. Likes wrestling. Phone number: 12-12. Address: 11 11. Likes Justin Beaber. Likes to say "Hi". Has 2 friends (Coconut and Gooey).
COCONUT (by Wesley): Speshes: Hawii. He lives in China. Eats metal, hunts bats. Lives in a volkanoe. Lives with other montsters. Destroys houses. Phone number 1324.
Good ol' fashioned ooblek. Kids love it, so I couldn't resist (why would I?).

So Much Fun. Now one week off and time to dive in to Art Camp. Yippee!