It has been another week in Innovative Activities and this week, each group presented their small activity to the class. My group, group 2, could not present this week because one of our members was sick. We are allowed to present ours instead at the beginning of class next week. Each group’s small activity was creative and different in some way. They all did a good job of considering the populations they could present these activities to and any precautions or safety measures that might need to be taken.
The first group did an activity involving paint and other objects, besides paint brushes, to apply the paint with. The idea was to get people thinking creatively and use other everyday objects that you wouldn’t think to use for painting. They had sponges, feathers, small wooden balls, artificial leaves, and soft fluffy art balls. Some people used the objects to create pictures such as scenery with trees or clouds, while others used them to create more abstract paintings. They talked about how the project could be used with many different populations such as youth at risk, people with cognitive disabilities, or even geriatrics. People may need assistance with getting paint or knowing what and where they can paint, however, so supervision is needed.
Another group also brought several everyday objects but had us use them as musical instruments to create a song. There were books, rubber bands, pots and pans, bottles and many other things. The idea of this was to use creativity to come up with a unique musical ensemble that can either express one’s thoughts and feelings or just be a fun activity to use everyday objects in a new way. This activity could also be used for many different populations. The third group used a combination of music and art. They had six different songs and gave everyone a piece of paper and a colored marker. We were to all close our eyes and the lights were turned off as they played the first song. We were then supposed to draw whatever we liked based on the emotions and feelings we were getting from the song that was playing. Once the song ended, we passed our paper to the person next to us and the next song started, again drawing whatever we choose inspired by our thoughts and emotions from the song. By the end of the six songs, you should have six different pictures drawn on a piece of paper. Each picture is in a different color, since it was drawn by different people, and represents different thoughts and emotions. Happier, upbeat songs had pictures of people, rainbows and fireworks. Slower songs had pictures of “zzz”s representing sleep or pictures of sad or soothing objects. This project was supposed to get people’s thoughts down on paper and inspires people to show their emotions in different ways. This is another activity for people of different populations but can be modified for each. If it were used for people with autism, the group talked about maybe shortening the length of the songs so the participants don’t get bored or become uninterested.
Another group had us all sit in a chair and did chair yoga with us. We did several different stretches and movements, all while sitting in and using our chairs. Their activity also used a simple, everyday object and turned it into something new and innovative. Anyone can do chair yoga to some degree, whether they be in a wheel chair, elderly, cognitively disabled, or just someone at work or school who needs to relieve some stress. The final group did an activity that involved us creating something to protect an egg from breaking when being dropped from the second floor. We were given straws, tape, and newspaper and could use them in any way we wanted. My group first wrapped and taped straws around the egg for support, then wrapped it in news paper a few times. We then placed the wrapped egg on a protective platform created by straws. When our egg was put to the tested and dropped from the second floor, it still managed to break. Three group’s eggs did not break however, proving that their protective barriers were constructed well. People were very creative in their building ideas and showed why this could be a good group activity for people. It requires team work and brain storming to come up with a creative and durable object to protect an egg.
In the end, all the groups did a good job coming up with short activities that they could facilitate for people of different populations. They combined different things such as creativity, recreation, relaxation and team work to come up with something that someone would both enjoy and benefit from. All the activities also had some precautions that need to be taken and the teams did a good job of presenting and evaluating those as well.
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