Woodworking camp wrap up and reflections

At the end of most 3dimensional projects I usually have the kids look at their sculptures and draw their completed work. It gives them time to stop, deeply look and really take in what they have made as well as enhances their observational drawing skills ;).

 

I also took a few snapshots of some of the reflections in their woodworking journals.

 

 

 

Doesn't get any better than that last answer!!!!

Gumball machines complete!!!

We wrapped up an awesome week of woodworking camp! As I look at these final pictures it fascinates me to remember all of the work I saw that led up to the completion of these machines. Watching the kids set up crazy towers of supplies to hold a piece into place that they wanted to glue, watching them make their preliminary sketches and seeing how they had to modify their idea (or not), the layers of paint they added, gluing details on the last day when I could see that at the end of the week they were starting to get tired ;)- SO much went into these.

 

I said in my last post how impressed I was at this group of kids and I'm going to say it again- AWESOME group of creative little minds!!! Plus my sweet middle school students who helped me as counselors during camp. I'm blessed to have been with you all this week!!

 

 

Woodworking camp-building

 We wrapped up day 3 of woodworking camp. The kids were very excited to build! I heard a lot of them figuring out ways to solve the problem of making their machines look like their sketched ideas or finding ways to modify. I love watching them start painting!!!!

Beautiful character sketch!

Adorable puffer fish- her actual machine looks so much like this sketch.

Man, there is a lot of stuff on those tables! This class cleans up great though ;).

Woodworking Camp!

:) Woodworking camp started this week! My class is so precious!! They make all of the planning I have done to make this camp possible worth every second!!

 

You might not be able to tell from these pictures but we are making wood, fully functioning gumball machines. I can't take credit for the design- I found the instructions on Instructables posted by a high school shop educator. Genius!

 

 Because my kids are elementary aged they certainly couldn't operate a drill press and scroll saw so I prepped all of the gumball bases for them before camp started. Depending on the age level I'm teaching them beginning woodworking skills with a variety of tools. We are also working on understanding simple machines, developing well thought out characters and personification.

 

The first two days of camp have been a lot of prepping, brainstorming and writing. Watching them develop their ideas is always very interesting to me.

 

The following pictures are from Monday's class. The kids designed a woodworking art journal to record their sketches and reflections. They also (very patiently) worked on sanding their gumball machine bases with sandpaper as well as files.

Doing a great job getting the sandpaper in the gumball holes!

Beautiful journals!!

Clever, this student layered the stickers to make those little flowers.

All of the stickers I passed out were a hit ;)!!