Trapeze Artists

Holy daylight saving time, Batman! Anyone else teaching half-awake today?

Maybe this project will wake you up. It was a Pinterest find (from Use Your Coloured Pencils), and hits a lot of goodies--figure drawing, design, and sculpture, to name a few.

We started out talking about the art of trapeze, and looking at photos and video of trapeze artists in action! I showed a portion of this video clip, which is from one of the Cirque du Soleil shows. Despite discussing why fitted clothing and athletic bodies are important parts of trapeze, some of my kiddos couldn't control their giggles when they saw the tight costumes and muscular booties--but you'll have this with 8-year-old boys.

The kiddos' creativity really kicked in when it came to designing their trapeze artists--they were seriously PUMPED about this part! Reminds me of all the fun I had with paper dolls as a child.

Once the designing was done, the coloring began. Like Use Your Colored Pencils, we used oil pastels-- the kids loved the bright, bold finish. We had some smudges, but from a distance, it's just fine. Coloring took us into the second day. Please enjoy the following: Miss Trunchbull's trapeze twin, a man with jaundice, and Kermit the Frog, also known as a typical day in elementary art.

When the front was colored, kiddos cut out their performers and worked to make the backs match.

Then it was time to assemble (which took some students into a third day)! I showed the kids how to make the trapeze by threading pre-cut yarn through a clear straw. Other than that, they were on their own for figuring out how to get these things together. Staplers seemed to be the number one choice for attaching people to bars--ouch!

Our school's alarm system is highly sensitive (so I'm told) and therefore I couldn't dangle these from the hall ceilings, so they're swinging high in the art room instead!

The third graders LOVED these and my other students remain quite envious!

By the way,  I debated having my third graders trace a figure or make their own, and ultimately decided that drawing their own would be too time-consuming and probably quite frustrating for all parties involved. Instead, I made a stencil that they traced. If you have tried this project or plan to in the future, what route did/will you take?

I think this project is a total keeper. I also think that I need a nap.

Update: As some of the kiddos finished early, I challenged them to design a poster that would advertise and entice people to come to their very own trapeze show. Some of the results were fabulous (and hilarious!) and I cannot help but to share!

From one of my favorite children of all time... what a ham.