By Whitney Donohue
Moapa Valley Progress
Clark County Parks and Recreation’s held the last session of its summer long Art in the Park Program last week. Sixteen children were registered for the series, which was held at the Clark County Fairgrounds every Wednesday morning.
Each week, participants had the opportunity to create a different art project, ranging from sun catchers to pine cone bird feeders.Leaders incorporated more than just art into the lesson, also explaining about the why and how of each project – why they were making it and how it would benefit them.
During the final session, participants learned about a variety of bugs. The children were asked to draw a picture of their favorite bug, which they then colored in vibrant colors. The most popular bug was the ladybug, but there were also spiders and bees.
After each child drew their favorite bug, they had an individual ice cream cup that served a dual purpose – partly as a snack, and partly as a future building in the bug houses that were to be created next. The bug houses were created from plastic bottles cut in half. The children placed dirt or sand, their building, and sticks and grass into the bases of the bottles, then the bottles were sealed with clear tape.
At this point, it was time for the kids to gather their bug catching nets and start catching bugs. The children all stated what fun they’d had at this summer’s session of Art in the Park, and how much they look forward to next summer’s version.
