DURING OUR STUDIO UPDATE EVENING, A GROUP OF PARENTS TOOK ON A CHALLENGE TO WORK WITH CLAY AND CREATE ONE ANIMAL TOGETHER. BUT ALAS, THE FIVE MINUTE WARNING CAME TOO SOON AND THE GROUP HAD TO PAUSE MIDSTREAM, LEAVING A HEAD, FEET, AND TAIL AS SEPARATE ENTITIES ON A WOODEN BOARD. WHEN WE PRESENTED THIS WORK TO THE CHILDREN DURING OUR ENTRY, THEY ALL ASKED THE SAME FIRST QUESTIONS:
What is that?
Who made them?
WE ANSWERED THE SECOND QUESTION AND REFLECTED THE FIRST QUESTION BACK. "WHAT DO YOU THINK?"
A bunny maybe or a dragon? I don’t get the head. The ears of a bunny, the mouth of a dragon. BEATRICE
Yes! A dragon! Our moms did this. SEVI
Tail, feet, head. BROOKE
But where’s the body? BEATRICE
And no wings! BROOKE
Or maybe the wings are the ears. BEATRICE
It looks like a bumpy bumpy tail. SEVI
Maybe they’re supposed to be all connected. Like that’s the dragon’s head, that’s its feet, and that’s its tail. CHARLIE
DURING OUR MORNING GATHERING, TODD POSED A QUESTION TO THE GROUP: What's missing? THIS QUESTION CHALLENGED A SMALL GROUP OF CHILDREN TO WORK TOGETHER IN CLAY.
THE CHILDREN CREATE ROLES FOR THEMSELVES AND BEGIN TO CONSTRUCT THE MISSING PARTS. THEY MUST WORK TO STABILIZE AND ATTACH THE PARTS TOGETHER, NEGOTIATING A COMMON VISION.
A CHILD REQUESTS WOODEN DOWELS TO ASSIST IN THE PROCESS.
MAREN WORKS ON THE BODY, ZAAHRA CREATES A WING.
RYAN CREATES ANOTHER FOOT. CHESTER CREATES TWO MORE. HOW MANY FEET WILL THIS CREATURE HAVE?
EXCITEMENT BUILDS AND THE SMALL GROUP INVITES OTHERS OVER TO SEE THEIR PROGRESS.
A CREATURE EMERGES...
