Pointillism Painting

7 kids + 1 huge canvas + 500,000 fingerprints = Pure awesomeness

Have you ever heard of Destination Imagination?

No?

Well, let me tell you.

It's a creative academic competition for kids around the globe.

I coach a team comprised of various home schooled friends and church friends.

"Coaching" is a generous word to use. 

Sometimes it's more like trying to quell uncontrollable chaos.

Sometimes it gets pretty crazy. That's when I pull out our Mighty Pipe of Power.

No one can talk unless they wield the Pipe of Power. 

(It's really just an old piece of PVC pipe that was left over from one of our projects.)

The kids actually really love this thing. I should spray paint it gold or something so it looks more impressive.

Anyway, back on track. 

I train the children how to think outside the box and creatively solve challenges as a team. 

Then I tell them to invent a  unique piece of kinetic art and build it. 

Then they are asked to write a play that incorporates the kinetic art and an invisible character.

They are on their own to write the script, but they get more points if they also write a song to fit in the story.

Then we ask them to build their own costumes (thank goodness both girls know how to sew!).

And they must make their own backdrops and scenery.

And don't forget, the more creative they are, the more points they'll score. 

Parents and coaches are NOT allowed to touch any of it.

The kids make it up and build it on their own.

I personally love this program: it encourages all the creative thinking that public school squelches.

When public school says 2+2=4, 

Destination Imagination says otherwise.

2+2= 22 or a ballerina tutu or the Star Wars robot R2D2 or any variety of answers.

It's very fun! 

I love seeing their minds work.

Well, during Christmas vacation we invited our team over to work on one of their backdrops.

They decided to paint this one with the pointillism approach, to rack up more creativity points.

They worked for  hours, carefully placing paint one dot at a time.

While they painted, we laughed, told jokes and wrote songs for the script. 

When it was finished, they stepped back and had a moment of silence. 

The painting looked so impressive.

 They were so proud of their work!  

They envisioned it, they created it, they loved it.

I'll post pictures later of the finished project.

Until the competition, it's a bit top secret.

The regional competition is in 6 weeks, so coaching will be taking up more and more of my time as we enter the home stretch.

Just in case you wondered what we're up to.

We still need to design and build our kinetic art. 

And build a unicorn out of cardboard and cans. 

And sew a costume for Death.

And teach the kids how to face paint for their stage makeup.

And paint a village.

And not go insane before it's all over.

Wish us luck!