Arts- September

Every month, your child will dive into a new hands-on art adventure! Guided by our art teacher, students transform everyday materials — cardboard, tubes, buttons, fabric, and more — into one-of-a-kind creations, building creativity, confidence, and fine motor skills along the way. Art supplies are included in the cost of this course but we do appreciate any clean, recycle materials your child can bring to add to their projects. (Things like a cartons, paper towel rolls, bubble wrap, are great.)

Schedule and Themes:

“Fun Fridays” - 2PM-3PM

• September 11, 18

  • September: Alien Creations Lab
    3… 2… 1… blast off! Your child becomes an intergalactic inventor, designing and building their very own alien creatures from an out-of-this-world assortment of art materials and recycled treasures. They'll dream up their alien's home planet, invent its story — maybe even its language! This class launches imaginations into orbit while blending art, science, storytelling, and creative problem-solving.

• October 2, 23

  • October: Wiggly Worms & Creepy Crawlies
    Just in time for Halloween! Spiders, bats, wiggly worms, and monster bugs come to life as your child crafts creepy crawlies from fabric, string, bottle caps, and other everyday materials given a spooky second life. Creations can be as spooky or as silly as they like — there's no wrong answer, only endless possibilities. A perfectly playful way to celebrate the season!

• November 6, 13

  • November: Desert Discoveries
    Right in our own backyard lies one of the most fascinating landscapes on Earth! Your child will explore the amazing plants, animals, and landforms of the Arizona desert, then bring it all to life by designing and building their own three-dimensional desert scene from repurposed and natural materials. Saguaros from cardboard tubes? Javelinas from bottle caps? Art meets science as young explorers discover the wonder of the world around them.

• December 4, 11

  • December: Puppet Palooza — A Winter Holiday Journey Around the World!
    Pack your imaginary suitcase — the semester finale is a magical trip around the globe! Your child will discover how families in other countries celebrate winter holidays, then become designer, artist, and performer as they craft their own unique puppet from fabric scraps, buttons, and found materials to bring those traditions to life. Students learn real puppet-making techniques and finish with a festive puppet show celebrating everything they've created this fall. A joyful, confidence-building way to end the year!

Grade Levels

• Grades 2-8 (younger/older students allowed with permission - email Inquiries@TheGiftedCollective.com)

Fees

$30 per student per class or part of the Fun Friday all day program.

Fun Fridays allow children to participate in as many classes as they would like. If you would like your child to take this class, along with all of the other classes on Fridays, please register for the Fun Friday All Day Course. That bundle, of all of the classes, includes a supervised lunch and break time from 11AM-12PM each day. During that time children will be able to eat, relax and play board games in their downtime. If they would like to participate in less than the full schedule of courses, please sign up for each class individually.

Instructor

Mrs. Linda Henley-Smith is an educator, speaker, and author with a lifelong passion for helping children discover the joy of learning. She believes that learning should always be an adventure and fun! One of her books is for teachers and is titled, “Making Learning an Adventure.” Drawing on her years of teaching and love for her home state, she wrote a comprehensive curriculum book, “The Adventures of Kyle Oty,” that brings to life the wonders of Arizona’s history, geography, wildlife, and culture. Kyle Oty’s Arizona adventures continue in a story book series, in which his adventures take him to different areas of Arizona where he meets new friends and learns more about the Grand Canyon State. Through her writing, Linda combines her passion for education with her love of storytelling, creating engaging and educational experiences for children and families. Whether she’s in the classroom, on stage, or writing, Linda’s mission remains the same: to ignite a lifelong love of learning.