Artistic activities
Throughout October, MFL MarMac high school art students painted around a half-dozen interactive activities on the elementary playground, including this rocket ship hopscotch game. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
High school art students make recess more fun for kids
By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor
Recess got a little more inventive for MFL MarMac elementary students this fall, as the blacktop in their playground area transformed into a colorful network of games and activities, thanks to two high school art classes.
Art teacher Michelle Meyer said elementary teacher Heidi Meyer approached her with the idea earlier in the school year. Throughout October, the high school students in Meyer’s drawing and painting classes made the idea a reality, taking class time to paint around half a dozen activities.
“My art students and I looked into a variety of interactive games that the elementary students would be interested in doing,” Meyer explained.
Some of the ideas they came up with included a beanbag toss dart game, a rocket ship hopscotch, a snail with numbers on it, a caterpillar with the alphabet, a finish line for small cars to be driven on, a jump line and foursquare.
Meyer said the classes will create more activities in the spring, once the weather gets warmer. One large undertaking they have planned is a map of the United States.
“The map will be large and will be in the center of the blacktop,” Meyer said. “Each state will be painted using bright bold colors.”
Meyer said students used interior/exterior porch and floor paint for the project, to make the activities more durable. They will perform touch-ups as needed.
The collaborative experience has been good for both age groups, Meyer noted.
“The high school students enjoyed seeing the children light up and get excited about the different paintings,” she said. “The elementary students love the artwork outside and they enjoy talking with me about it in hallways or in my elementary art classes.”
