Today children are often found in front of the television or some kind of game system that gives an image for them. When are students given the opportunity to imagine or create? To go outside and find objects in the clouds, take a box and make a spaceship, take a sheet and create a fort, grab chalk and use the sidewalk as a canvas, or envision their future. This month you will find resources to expand your students’ imaginations. For elementary you will find highly esteemed books, online resources, and crafts. To encourage your middle and high school student’s interests and career paths, you will find a wide range of electives. -AMW
ELEMENTARY-
Books
ELEMENTARY-
Books
Students will read about a monk who shares his love and the joy of music. Readers will enjoy the fantastic illustrations, unique story, and catchy songs to sing.
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In this story, students will read about how much they are valued because of their creativity, love, and uniqueness. They will be encouraged to find that they were made to do extraordinary things and that God has big plans for them.
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Counting sheep is often used to help people fall asleep but Moynihan gives a creative way to think of sheep that is fun. This book will encourage students to use their imagination when bored.
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The Stroyteller’s Handbook has many pictures but very few words. This allows children to begin a journey into their imagination to create a story. As you read with your children you can gain insight into your child’s imagination and share your ideas as well. Families will have a unique bedtime reading experience together.
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Molly Lou shows students that with imagination you can create things that are so much more fun than ordinary toys. All you need is an imagination and a willingness to try and you can make extraordinary things.
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A boy has an idea and shares it with others. Many try to discourage him but he keeps his idea and nurtures it. Students will see the importance of never letting go of their dreams no matter what others say.
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Crafts
The Stretch and Wreck Cars Craft encourages kids to create the best car. Invent a car with a pool in the back seat or a sports ice cream car. Let your imagination go full speed.
What You Need: -Old Magazines and Car Advertisements -Blunt Scissors -Drawing or Construction Paper -Craft Glue -Markers First, cut out cars and other vehicles from magazines and ads. Cut the cars into separate pieces. Then mix and match the pieces to make your imaginary vehicle. Glue the pieces together on a piece of construction paper. Next, glue different parts together to create crazy stretch and wreck cars. Last, draw a scenery around your vehicle. |
The Cut a Castle Craft is an entertaining creative project for you and your kids. You'll be the ruler of the land in your very own castle.
What You Need: -White Cake Box -Blunt Scissors -4 Paper Towel Tubes -White Paper -Transparent Tape -Markers or Poster Paints and Paintbrush -Construction Paper Scraps -Craft Glue -Toothpick First, cut a drawbridge on the side of the clean cake box. Cut out a square from the top of the box. The hole is the opening for the courtyard, and the rim is the base for the battlement. Next, make four towers from the paper towel tubes. Wrap the white paper around the tubes, and secure them with tape. Make a cone for the roof of 1 tower. Tape it to the top of a tube. Tape a tower to each corner of the box. Then To make the wall around the battlement, cut four strips of white paper into a comb shape. Make them long enough for each side of the box. Tape them around the castle's top edge. Use markers or paint to decorate the castle with windows, vines, and bricks. Last, to make a flag for the castle tower, cut a scrap piece of construction paper in a triangle. Glue it to a toothpick. Insert the toothpick into the top of the cone on the tower, and glue it in place. |
Activities
Kids Wonder is a play center that offers children many opportunities to unleash their imaginations. Centers include a Home, School, Grocery Store, Cafe, Construction Zone, Fire Station, Pet/Vet, Theater, and bounce houses. The entry fee is $15 for students 3 to 8 years old cost for adults are $2. To find out more information visit https://www.kidswonder.net/
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Art Gallery of Ontario provides FREE virtual art classes for students in kindergarten- 8th grade. Classes are offered every day 9:30-10 am and 12:30-1 pm. Students can participate in Art and Stem, Indigenous art, Art of Africa, and Art Making 101. To sign up visit https://ago.ca/visit/group-visits/virtual-school-programs#beyond-borders
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Middle and High School Electives:
Alison offers several FREE courses in skilled trades. They will teach you the techniques and industries to assemble structures. Students will practice skills such as logical thinking, numeracy, and computing. The courses cover plumbing, electrical, carpentry, masonry, appliance repair, and more. For information visit https://alison.com/tag/construction?page=2
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Be a Maker Club provides a one-on-one tutorial to show creative children how to turn their ideas into a 3D model using CAD and prepare it for 3D printing (optional). They teach children computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD & CAM) in our maker space lab. Our focus has been on product design that enables a child to repair, make and invent for their everyday life. With the closure of in-person maker space classes they have online 3D design and printing classes. For more information visit http://www.beamakerclub.com or contact Zef at [email protected]
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If your child likes to dance they may enjoy taking classes with Artistic Fusion Dance Academy. They provide ballet, ballroom, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, pilates, or tap dance classes. Students will not only learn how to dance but also understand the power of a team, that anything is possible when they put their mind to it, that excellence and hard work always pays off in life, and that manners and respect never go out of style. For more information visit https://www.artistic-fusion.com/home
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Promenade Horsemanship Academy gives many types of horsemanship classes including riding, drill teams, agility, and show and trail classes. Horsemanship will build focus, discipline, confidence, and balance through working with a live animal. For more information visit https://promenadestable.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI69nzn_3-5QIV8iCtBh1a_gdhEAAYASAAE…
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Vintage Youth Program offers classes, workshops, private coaching, and touring shows with our professional actors, directors, choreographers, and more. For more information contact our Education Director, Liz Nye at (303) 537-7233 or by email at [email protected]
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Outschool is a program that offers a variety of online classes for all grade levels. Classes meet weekly and are charged each week. Prices range from as low as $2 to $20. With over 140,000 class options you can pick from a wide range of class subjects that include academics, art, health, life skills, music, and world languages. For more information visit https://outschool.com/
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Fleece Tie Valentine Pillows
You will need: -2 pieces of fleece per pillow – suggested size: 9×9 inches -Poly fill stuffing -Fabric scissors -Pen or marker -White paper to make your template First, cut out a heart-shaped template from the white paper. Make sure to make it no bigger than your pieces of fleece. Use the template to cut out the heart shape from each piece of fleece. Next, lay 2 fleece hearts on top of one another and draw a smaller heart on the top heart. I suggest making it about 1 ½ inches smaller. This smaller heart is used as a guide to cut your strips. Then start from an edge and cut little strips, about ½ inch wide, into the fleece, making sure to stop at the smaller heart you drew. Continue until you have strips around the entire perimeter of your heart. Now take 2 strips that are on top of each other and tie them into a tight little knot. Move on to the next 2 strips until you’ve gone almost all the way around. Leave a little opening so that you can stuff your Valentine pillows. Last, finish tying the last few strips together. SNOW CARVING TIPS AND TRICKS
1. Choose a large box. 2. Dump a few inches of snow in the form, stomp it down and repeat until the box is full. 3. Flip the box over, let it sit overnight and then remove the box. 4. Draw your design on the snow with a permanent marker (alcohol-based ink won’t freeze). 5. Use tools from around the house and garage to carve your sculpture. Sandpaper and ice- and paint-scrapers work great. |
Pastel Heart Art
You will need: -5×5 piece of white cardstock or construction paper -Ruler -Pencil -Black marker -Crayons of assorted colors First, draw lines across the 5×5 paper. They can go in any direction, just as long as the points don’t meet and only the perpendicular lines intersect. Next, draw a heart and then they can trace over it with a black marker. Then, color heart in different colors. Pick 2-3 colors for the background and 2 colors for the heart. Color in a pattern. Make sure that touching squares have different colors. INGREDIENTS
-1 ⅓ cups white whole wheat flour -¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats -3 tablespoons light brown sugar -3 teaspoons baking powder -1 tablespoon ground flax seeds(milled flax seeds) -1 small apple - grated with peel -2 medium eggs -¾ cup whole milk -¼ cup unsalted butter - melted INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Grease or line a 24-hole mini muffin tin. 2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and flax seeds. Fold in the grated apples. 3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Beat in the milk and butter. 4. Pour the egg mixture into the batter, and fold together, being careful not to over-mix. 5. Evenly distribute the batter into the mini muffin tin, filling each muffin cup about ¾ full. 6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked in the middle and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack. |