SUGGESTIONS FOR SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE ARTS

1. Encourage role playing. Students can better understand a story, character, or event if they are able to

physically act it out. Family can have a movie night where children and parents take turns reciting scenes of

movie clips.

2. Nintendo Wii has a video game Just Dance. Choosing songs from different genres would be a fun way to

expose children to diverse cultural styles of music.

3. Another fun way would be to take teenagers to an improv class. It not only provides entertainment, but it

affords a creative outlet for those who might not be professional performers but want to hone their skills.

To improvise is to completely make something up on the spot, whether it be a song, a character, or in some

cases, an entire movie. Improvisers create entire scenarios and shows from audience suggestion.

Nothing is predetermined, and the performers must support each others reality through a course of scene

work.

4. Having kids write songs and video record them is another way for them to have a creative outlet.

Allowing them to then post the videos on YouTube allows them to get the attention form others in their age

group.
 The book Before John was a Jazz Giant, is a valuable resource for students interested in music. This

accessible book about the history of jazz great John Coltrane, provides children with insight into how

environmental sounds can be used to influence artistic decisions in compositions. The book encourages

children to use all of their senses and ask, is that music?

5. Crocheting is also a fun way of doing something artistic in childrens leisure time. They can choose their

own creative patterns and the finished product gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment.

6. Watching the cooking channel and developing interesting and exotic food is another way to expose

children to different type of art form.

7. Weaving In the Arts: Widening the Learning Circle offers new ways for classroom teachers to broaden

the definition of literacy to include music, dance, poetry, and the visual arts. The authors share what they

have learned from incorporating the fine arts into the daily curriculum: how teachers can help students use

the fine arts as a bridge to reading and writing, and as valid ways of interpreting the world around them.
 Drawing on the work of Howard Gardner, Elliot Eisner, and others, this book offers an inspired look at a

curriculum where the fine arts are viewed as a "methodology" for helping students interpret what they know

8. Taking a young child to the Please Touch Museum is an effective way to expose young children to

different forms of art and broaden their imagination. For older children, I would recommend taking them to

the African American Museum, where they can also see different forms of pottery and paintings.

9. Cinderella Outgrows the Glass Slipper and Other Zany Fractured Fairy Tale Plays: 5 Funny Plays

with Related Writing Activities and Graphic Organizers ... Kids to Explore Plot, Characters, and

Setting. I like this book because it increases childrens imagination and also help with their cognitive

development. It also includes reading and writing assignments which will help them stay sharp mentally

while they are on their summer break.

10. How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare is a great resource for parents to involve their children in

drama and introduce them to the arts. It is especially helpful because it outlines and walks you through the
 steps for teaching them Shakespeare without you having background knowledge in it. The author created an

easy-to-master method beginning with memorizing short passages. This technique exposes children to

cultural references that will give them a greater understanding of vocabulary in different time periods.

11. Five Fabulously Fun Plays for Kids is another helpful resource for parents who want to give instruction

into the arts. I really like this book because like the others it gives specific instruction on what to do even if

you dont have experience in drama. Each play can be performed in almost any environment and the

characters can be played by any gender or age, allowing adults to join in the fun.

The Big Book of Therapeutic Activity Ideas for Children and Teens: Inspiring Arts-Based Activities

and Character Education Curricula. Working in the field of autism and behavioral disorders, I wanted to
 include books that address this population in relation to the arts. For difficult or challenging children and

teenagers in therapeutic or school settings, creative activities can be an excellent way of increasing

enjoyment and boosting motivation.

12. Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Practical Resource. This is another resource not

only for instructors of individuals with special needs, but also for the parents and families of these

individuals. This book equips parents and educators with understanding necessary to implement teaching

ideas into the domains of cognition, communication, behavior, emotions, and physical and sensory needs.

13. Drama 3-5: A practical guide to teaching drama to children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

(Essential Guides for Early Years Practitioners. Another book outlining how to introduce the arts to

young children.
14. Shakespeare For Dummies. This book is specifically made for the individuals with absolutely no

experience with theatre and arts, specifically Shakespeare.

15. Playwriting for Dummies. This book outlines all of the steps for successful playwriting, from

crystallizing story ideas, formatting the script, and understanding the roles of the director stagecraft people.

Playwriting for Dummies helps any writer at any stage of the process hone their craft and create the most

dramatic and effective pieces.

16. Macbeth In Plain and Simple English: A Modern Translation and the Original Version. This book

really appealed to me because of how young children can translate Shakespearean language to their current

vocabulary.

17. Teaching Little Fingers to Play: A Book for the Earliest Beginner (John Thompsons Modern Course

for The Piano. The only downside to this book is you would need to have a piano, or at least have access to
 one. There are lesson plans that a young learner could use an electronical keyboard, making this book

applicable to all kids.

18. Music for Special Kids: Musical Activities, Songs, Instruments and Resources. I chose another text that

specifically targets individuals with special needs. Music is a powerful means of engaging children with

developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down's Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy. This

lively music activity book shows how music can be an effective and enjoyable way to enhance the

education and development of children with special needs.