DEM BONES: Before 8 a.m., we were brainstorming book ideas. Why? Because we've got our minds on the PBS Kids' writing contest, and its deadline is way too close. (We should have started brainstorming weeks ago).
To get inspired, we went to the contest Web site and looked at some pointers and past entries. After that, I asked the kids if they had any ideas. CJ was on FIRE! Seriously, he had so many story ideas, and was able to flesh them out really well. However, as I pointed out to him, the real challenge was going to be being able to 'deliver' the art to go along with the ideas. Since CJ doesn't like to draw a whole lot at this point, I suggested that he needs to think about what he can deliver (via drawing, painting, sculpting, painting, photography, and so on). At that, he honed in on one of his ideas - a story about a dog who loves bones and who happens to find his way into the new dinosaur exhibit at the museum. Chaos ensues. :) We talked about how CJ could illustrate this. We decided that sculpture and photos were his best bet and we had to find a 3-D dinosaur skeleton, stat! Off to Top 10 Toys we went. We found two options there - one was dino bones encased in a block of something like terracotta.
To get inspired, we went to the contest Web site and looked at some pointers and past entries. After that, I asked the kids if they had any ideas. CJ was on FIRE! Seriously, he had so many story ideas, and was able to flesh them out really well. However, as I pointed out to him, the real challenge was going to be being able to 'deliver' the art to go along with the ideas. Since CJ doesn't like to draw a whole lot at this point, I suggested that he needs to think about what he can deliver (via drawing, painting, sculpting, painting, photography, and so on). At that, he honed in on one of his ideas - a story about a dog who loves bones and who happens to find his way into the new dinosaur exhibit at the museum. Chaos ensues. :) We talked about how CJ could illustrate this. We decided that sculpture and photos were his best bet and we had to find a 3-D dinosaur skeleton, stat! Off to Top 10 Toys we went. We found two options there - one was dino bones encased in a block of something like terracotta.
The kids had all sorts of fun chipping and scraping and sawing and brushing the material away from the bones. They were surprised at what slow, tedious work it was and kept urging me to do it for them. I asked them if they thought archaeologists and geologists called their mommies out to the dig sites to do the work for them. They thought not, and soldiered on.
Truth be told, CJ did much of the heavy lifting on this project. His sticktoitiveness was impressive. He chipped and chipped away until he'd unearthed the whole skeleton. 
Fearing the buried skeleton wasn't going to be big enough (and I don't think it is) we also found a second option at the toy store - a 3D puzzle.
It's funny, going in Annabelle was just sure she was going to get to play the latest, greatest XBox games. Instead, it was us on the couch with a book - just like us at home, but in Redmond, under tight security. ;)
Overall, it was a very positive experience, and I'd recommend it to others. Plus, we got great parting gifts for our time, and we saw some of The Coolest Artwork ever in the Microsoft lobby. It was three glass bead curtains that, from a distance, made out the unmistakable images of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I want to make some. ;)
We started the puzzle - popping out its pieces - this afternoon.
Tonight, Christian and the kids assembled the dino.
PUT TO THE TEST: Late this afternoon we headed over to Redmond, home of Microsoft. A couple of weeks ago I signed Annabelle and CJ up as candidates for game testing, and last week Annabelle got a call for a "Playtest" for kids age 4 to 6. We were asked to bring photo ID and "a few books that your child is used to reading and not used to reading."
I signed (without really reading) stuff about privacy and not disclosing stuff, so I won't say much, other than I'm not sure we were much help to Microsoft today if they're developing software about emerging readers. (For instance, per instruction we brought along one of Annabelle's favorite books - The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten," about the food chain, and it included terms like "phytoplankton.")
It's funny, going in Annabelle was just sure she was going to get to play the latest, greatest XBox games. Instead, it was us on the couch with a book - just like us at home, but in Redmond, under tight security. ;)
Overall, it was a very positive experience, and I'd recommend it to others. Plus, we got great parting gifts for our time, and we saw some of The Coolest Artwork ever in the Microsoft lobby. It was three glass bead curtains that, from a distance, made out the unmistakable images of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I want to make some. ;) MEDIA BLITZ: Today, Annabelle was interviewed via phone by a Seattle Times reporter regarding the Sesame Peeps project. I could only hear one side of the conversation, but from what I could hear, it sounded like she handled it really well. We'll know how Sesame Peeps made out come April 24.
Bet you're right about Paleontologists mommies. I'm guessing, long range, that chipping out the little dino was a better lesson than assembling the larger one.
ReplyDeleteGo "Sesame Peeps" Bet they call back to verify age :)
I did talk to the reporter after Annabelle wound up, and the reporter did ask me how much help Annabelle had. I told her the truth - Christian cut out the windows on the cereal boxes with a knife for the windows Ernie and Bert are and and I melted the marshmallows and helped make the fondant since molten marshmallows are involved. Really, in the grand scheme of things, this was one of the easier art projects Annabelle has worked on. The Peeps are readymade, it was just a matter of sticking some fondant on 'em or around 'em, and she's been working with fondant for years. It's her Play Doh. And sponge painting a cereal box isn't exactly taxing. And anyone who reads this blog knows she's been Photoshopping for quite awhile now. Coverting the Sesame Street sign to Sesame Peeps was child's play. ;) CJ had a minor hand in it - kneading fondant, but that was about it.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, truth be told, when the Sesame Peeps was done, I looked at Christian and said something along the lines of, "It's not very complicated or elaborate, but it's cute."