Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Make the Best of It

We all make mistakes, but sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest accomplishments. Wrong turns may take us to wonderful places maybe we never thought we would go. Adding an incorrect ingredient to a recipe may create a new culinary experience. An uncomfortable situation may allow us to handle things we never thought we could. The wrong brush stroke on a painting may create the next artistic masterpiece.
I incorporate a lot of art into my Alluem Kids classes because I believe it to be a needed expression for the developing child. Many times I have seen a child get very upset when they misspell a word or color outside the lines. I often remind them that they can make no mistake when creating a piece of art, and while I appreciate a good spelling bee, there are no grades in yoga - so don't stress over the little things.
In reading the book Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg, the Alluem Kids were reminded that "a smudge and a smear can make magic appear" so "when you think you made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful!" You can find beauty in everything if you take the time to look! We began by ripping up paper (aiding in mental development) and then letting the imagination run wild! The goal: Create a mess and then make the best of it!!! Making pictures, scenes, designs, whatever we could think of! So much fun! At one point one of my 6 yr old students walked up to me and said, "Miss Karen, I kinda messed up over here...ehhh, I'll just make the best of it!" Namaste, little guy, namaste.

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