Creating Rituals

Lately, I've been visiting various Free Arts groups to see how things are going. I am always impressed by the many creative project ideas people come up with for the kids. I am also impressed by how creatively groups construct their time. For example, the Northside Tuesday groups makes an effort to designate who will describe the project, show the example and get things started. They also designate someone to lead a wrap-up session. For the last 15 minutes of each session, the kids sit in a circle and share their work. It was interesting to hear how the various images on the kids' collages reminded them of safety and comfort, which were the themes of the project. One kid, whose collage was mostly composed of fancy cars, talked about how buckling up makes him feel safe. Now there's a kid who can think on his feet!

If your group hasn't already done so, think about how you can begin and end each session in a consistent way.