Kindness Creatures

Get ready for Kindness Creatures!  This is our new Mind Move Make art project, and we started it this week.  The children are creating stuffed animals for either themselves or someone they love (HUMANS ONLY!) to remind the lucky recipient to remember kindness in everyday life.  The students answered several questions to help them gather ideas together before starting.  Here are the questions:
1. Who is your Kindness Creature for?
2. What kind actions will your Kindness Creature remind its owner of?
3. How can the way the creature looks be influenced by its function?
4. What will your Kindness Creature's name be?

After finishing our brainstorming session about this new project, it was time for relaxation.  The students got into a comfortable position on their yoga mats and listened to the sound of the singing bowl while following the sound of their breath.  I asked them to stretch their arms above their heads when they couldn't hear the singing bowl anymore.  Connecting physical action with mindfulness activities helps to keep the students focused.

Then the students launched into movement.  We began with Sufi Rolls in a seated position.  After the students got this motion down, they each grabbed a partner.  Sitting back-to-back, they linked arms and moved through Sufi Rolls together.

After that, the students changed partners and we performed another partner activity.  The students created The Elevator by joining hands, leaning back in Chair Pose, and bending their knees up and down.  For this partner pose it is easier to have people of a similar height working together.  Partner poses are excellent for building trust, teamwork, and confidence.

Art-wise we had many things to accomplish!  My expectation was that all students would complete their Kindness Actions artwork, and everyone accomplished this goal!  The actions that ended up in the artwork were fantastic.  Here are some of the actions that ended up in the artwork:

"Start a community garden"

"I won't steal oysters at dinner"

"Be a good friend"

"Help someone feel better"

"Recycle paper"

"Help my mom and dad around the house"

I'll share all of these artworks at the end of this blog entry!

The Mind Move Make students also started planning their ideas for the Kindness Creatures.  Most of them had time to begin drawing a sketch for what they want their final creature to look like.  Some even transferred their design onto a final sheet of paper.  This design will act as their template or pattern.  They will cut out the Creature shape and trace it onto fabric.  I'm excited to see these Kindness Creatures come to life!



Here are all of the other completed artworks!