Kids Learning to Play like Kids!

Taken from my MTheresaBrown blog!

Kids Learning to Play like Kids!

I take my childhood for granted. But now I know that I, and my peers, were oh so fortunate to have grown up in the years that we did! These were the years where kids played outside all day, came home when all the neighborhood moms stood on the porches and stoops and called us in.....where we climbed trees, ran for the sheer joy of it, picked berries, built forts and our water parks were wading pools and water hoses!

I re-create part of that in my art summer camps. And the kids have a ball! It is different because the kids work with art, outdoor play and critical thinking skills....and through it all I expect the grouped ages of 7-17 to work, play and create together. And they do!

Coming to our 2 art studios out in the country-both are our professional ones- in itself is an adventure. Being free to run at will outdoors down the secret paths of the maze, climb the maple and pecan trees, and in general, be kids, is actually a new experience for many of the students.  But by day 2, they are enjoying the freedom of outside activities and that pumps up their creative processes!

Collage 1

 

Enjoying the ponies

The lunch tree

Without a doubt the favorite tree!

  I hope to add more camps next summer-it's definitely something I have to bring in extra help as the camps can have up to 14 participants. Many are repeaters. Many are so improved by the 3rd day of camp-both artistically and physically! (who knew climbing trees was so hard?) 
So add to that mix-getting wet, dirty, loved by dogs, ignored by chickens (but collecting the eggs is fun!) running the secret trails....and you have the incredible experience that I so took for granted as a kid...(thanks Mom and Dad for letting me be a free range kid and artist!)

Blackberries and Cobbler and.... art?

juicy blackberries

It took me 30 minutes to collect 4 cups of blackberries. The old pasture was full of heavily laden bushes and the previous year I had vowed to cut trails among and around them in order to access the lush fruit.

Paths around blackberry bushes? For those of us old enough to remember Song of the South and Brer Rabbit, there is an apt line in the story where Brer Rabbit pleads with the bear "Please don't throw me in the brier patch! Please don't throw me in the brier patch!....." and the bear does, not knowing that it's the rabbit's safe hideaway.  I can tell you that IF you were able to get into these bushes, you would never get out...they were the thorns from hell and I picked them with gloves on!  I seem to have two varieties. One is now almost through producing. The other, the one with killer thorns and huge berries is in the midst of producing.

Rosie the Corgi following the path around the thorny bush

So why go to all the trouble to pick berries such as these when they are obviously a lot of trouble?

For the TASTE! How can it not be inspirational to head out on an early morning, before the summer heat sets in and, followed by happy dogs (who also like the berries!) spend a quiet hour communing with nature? I mean after all, plucking nature's free harvest is....liberating!                                                                                

Thorns from hell from a 10 ft high bush!

 But it was not just for the immediate gratification of eating the blackberries-it was for the later treat: Blackberry cobbler!

Now I confess that the image below is not mine but the cobbler is identical in looks and OH SO EASY!' What my mother used to make!

Preheat oven to 375.

4 cups black berries

1 TB lemon juice

1 cup flour (reg)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

6 TB melted butter

Lightly grease bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 pan/baking dish

Add 4 cups blackberries, sprinkle with lemon juice (1 Tbs)

In an medium bowl, mix sugar, regular flour and one egg until mixture forms a crumbly mix. Scatter over blackberries. Dribble melted butter over flour/sugar mixture. Bake 35 minutes until brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving! Sure you can add ice cream or whipped cream and it is good hot or cold!

Blackberry Cobbler!

And what does any of this have to do with art? Let's just say that cooking is an art so I have, in onefell swoop, captured ALL the sensory elements of art :-)