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WonderWorks Pigeon Forge to Offer Educational Opportunities for Fall 2020

PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee – (August 19, 2020) – WonderWorks Pigeon Forge is offering a range of new educational opportunities for the fall of 2020. With both in-person and virtual options, WonderWorks is expanding upon current programs and adding new ones to be a part of the new education “normal” 2020 is bringing. These programs come at a time when many parents and teachers are searching for additional educational opportunities for their students, to help enhance the virtual and homeschool learning environment many families are opting into.

“We understand the educational experience this year will look different, but we want to be a place where education meets entertainment,” explains Ed Shaffer, general manager for WonderWorks Pigeon Forge. “We’re excited to offer our new virtual Learning Labs, as well as the Sm-ART Art Contest.”

Educational opportunities being offered by WonderWorks this fall include:

SM-ART Art Contest – WonderWorks Tennessee is launching an annual Smoky Mountain art contest for local student artists. All semester long, students can submit their artwork to be featured in the iconic upside-down house. This year’s contest theme is “Time to Think.” Submissions will open on September 8, 2020. Selected winners will receive four free tickets to WonderWorks to be able to see their artwork on display in the gallery. Additional information and submission forms can be found online: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/art-contest/.

Virtual Learning Labs – New this year, WonderWorks will offer Professor Wonder’s Virtual Learning Labs which cover in-depth explorations of topics such as the principles of pressure, the states of matter, severe weather topics, the water cycle, adaptation, and more. This program was developed as a way to meet the needs of teachers and students looking to enhance their distance learning experience during these unprecedented times. More information can be found on their website: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/virtual-labs/.

Homeschool Days – WonderWorks expanded their Homeschool Days for the fall. This event will run every weekday in September through November, excluding holidays. Homeschool Days include reduced ticket prices of $12 per person for homeschool families, or $10 for groups that book ahead of time. Additional classroom activities, lesson plans, and scavenger hunts are available upon request. More information on Homeschool Days is offered online: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/homeschool/.

“Engaging the community while meeting educational needs is something that we’ve always strived to do,” added Shaffer, “and we’re not going to let these unprecedented times change that.”

WonderWorks has adopted new COVID-19 safety protocols, including reduced hours, enhanced cleaning efforts, social distancing measures, employee health screenings, and employee personal protective equipment (PPE). Guests are encouraged to review all safety procedures prior to their visit: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/covid-19.

WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge offers 35,000 square feet of “edu-tainment” opportunities, billing itself as an amusement park for the mind. It offers over 100 hands-on exhibits covering natural disasters and space discovery, an imagination lab, a physical challenge zone, a far out art gallery, and a light and sound zone. WonderWorks is open daily 365 days a year. For more information, log on to their website: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge/.

About WonderWorks

WonderWorks, a science-focused indoor amusement park, combines education and entertainment. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, there is something unique and challenging for all ages. Feel the power of 71 mph hurricane-force winds in the Hurricane Shack. Make huge, life-sized bubbles in the Bubble Lab. Get the NASA treatment in our Astronaut Training Gyro and experience zero gravity. Nail it by lying on the death-defying Bed of Nails. Conquer your fear of heights on our indoor Glow-In-The-Dark Ropes Course. For more information, visit their website: https://www.wonderworksonline.com/pigeon-forge.

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Keep Kids Smart with ART

Starting this Friday, March 20, the Boca Raton Museum of Art is launching a new series of free Online Community Art Initiatives for all ages at this link. Featuring the new Keep Kids Smart with ART series to help parents and their children who are home from school.

The Museum has always provided the community the added benefit of an Art School campus with an innovative art faculty, since its very beginnings in 1950. These art educators are using their expertise to develop online resources using the power of art. Also for seniors who are keeping social distance and who might feel isolated.

This series will provide art-oriented ways for people to creatively utilize their new free-time at home. Online art lessons, tips for parents to use art-making and creativity with their kids at home, and activities for all ages.

The resources on this landing page will evolve as time passes, as the art teachers receive feedback and reactions from families about their needs. It will also branch out to the Museum’s social media channels for ongoing activities — #BocaMuseumatHome.

Mirror, Mirror; Mulatta Seeking Inner Negress II – Alison Saar

New Exhibit: The Ultimate Collection of “Selfies” by America’s Leading Artists: from 1901 through 2015.

The term self-conscious takes on a whole new meaning in today’s social media era.

At a time when millions of selfies are posted every day and identity is proving to be more fluid, this exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery shines a new light on self-portraiture and representation.

The show was created to commemorate the National Portrait Gallery’s 50th anniversary, celebrating the artists who make the NPG Collection so extraordinary.

Eye to I brings together the work of major artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. The powerful works are from every decade, starting in 1901 and continuing through 2015.

The Museum is launching a new series of free Online Community Initiatives for all ages, including Keep Kids Smart with ART that will aim to help parents and their children who are home from school.

These free Online Community Initiatives will also reach out to seniors who are keeping social distance and who might feel isolated.

Starting on Friday, March 20 the Museum’s website will provide regularly updated links to new ongoing activities here, including live interactive streaming and tips for parents.

The Museum has always provided the community the added benefit of an Art School campus with an innovative art faculty, since its very beginnings in 1950. These art educators are using their expertise to develop online resources using the power of art.

Quote from the Museum Director:“Art, culture, and creativity have always made a difference in powerful ways, especially during challenging times,” said Irvin Lippman, the executive director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art. “While the Museum is temporarily closed, we will continue to give back to the community. Being inspired and creative have not been canceled. These artists in our new exhibition, “Eye to I: Self Portraits from the National Portrait Gallery,” made a lasting mirror effect of themselves, cutting across time and creating a very personal art that engages us – the viewer.” adds Lippman.

According to the National School Boards Association, kids who study art are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.

Studies show that art helps kids earn higher report card grades because skills developed through art lead to better learning in other areas.

Tips for parents and students on using art in your home:

  • Provide a special “creative zone” at home.
  • Make sure that your “creative zone” is mess-friendly and able to stand up well to spills and art-related fun.
  • Focus on the fun process, not on the outcome.
  • Create a special area to showcase your child’s artwork.
  • Watch and encourage your children as they work on their art.
  • Ask them questions to engage them while they create.

Check out Boca Raton Museum of Art’s online art today!

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Ellie Claire Art Journal Review

I love lettering and I am thoroughly enjoying these 3 lovely art journals! Thanks to Ellie Claire Art for providing these 3 journals for me to review.

The covers are beautiful. The paper is nice and thick and easy to write on. And the ideas and inspirations in each book are perfect for getting me drawing. I love lettering and I love art but I’m often so busy with the kids and life that I fail to take time for myself to just sit and relax and enjoy life.

Having to review these, forced me to use them, and I’m so glad I did. I’m enjoying every minute, and it’s so relaxing to just take a little time for myself and do a little art.

There’s 3 books “Faith & Lettering”, “The Illustrated Word”, and “Illuminate Your Story”. I’m enjoying all 3 but “Faith & Lettering” is my favorite. I did Calligraphy is High School and I’m finding all the lettering practice to be so much fun. And I feel like as I’m practicing I’m getting inspiration for future projects!

Aren’t these so beautiful looking! They’re such a pretty addition to my bookshelf. And then I can pull one down whenever I have a few minutes and spend some time drawing. I haven’t pulled out my calligraphy pens yet but there’s definitely some letters and embellishments in these books that I’m wanting to do with my pens. They’ll be so beautiful! And this paper is thick enough I can use my nice inks directly in the books and not have to worry about them bleeding through.

I’m loving every minute of using these and I have several people in mind that I’m going to get these for for Christmas this year.

Want to purchase your own copies of these amazing Art Journals? You can purchase them on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

FAITH & LETTERING
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

THE ILLUSTRATED WORD
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

ILLUMINATE YOUR STORY
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

* This post does contain affiliate links.

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N is for Notes

Ah, handwriting. Some kids love it, and some kids just don’t. Actually, some adults are great at it, and some just aren’t. Of all the subjects, I find this one to be one of the most difficult to teach, for a variety of reasons.

Creativity does not translate into neatness

My kids love to draw, paint, scribble, cut, fold, tear, etc. Creativity has never run low in my family. There’s always markers, glitter, crayons, paper, glue, and just about any other mostly child-safe art supply available to my kids. And the only reason we might not have something is because they used it all up. We actually ran out of markers last month!

But, lots and lots of creativity means nothing when it comes to handwriting. I naively assumed that because my children like to draw and color and can stay in the lines (when they want to) that teaching handwriting would be a breeze.

I think the opposite is true. They find the structure of handwriting confining and feel the need to embellish and decorate everything on their page. Even on their math pages. 9’s turn into people, and 1’s must be decorated to the nth degree.

IMG_20160411_224349150Uneven

I just assumed that by 2nd grade keeping letter all the same size would come naturally. Apparently, that’s a learned skill. I remember struggling with this when I was a kid, well into 4th grade. For some kids, it doesn’t matter how many lines you give them, it’s just so hard to keep those letters even.

Grip

I have worked and worked with my kids on how to hold a pencil but it seems to do nothing for their handwriting. I mentioned this to my art teacher when my oldest was in 1st grade and she wasn’t at all surprised that I was still having trouble teaching this. She said that in her experience, kids are usually between 7 and 10 before they’re actually physically coordinated enough to hold a pencil correctly and write with perfect, even penmanship.

I’m so glad my teacher told me this. I was getting frustrated with my 1st grader and she was getting frustrated with me. So, I backed off. I still make her practice handwriting, but I make it easier and less time-consuming. We started cursive in 2nd grade and I used a K4 Cursive writing book for her. Long pages of writing means that I get really poor penmanship. Short pages means that she actually tries. And I’d much rather see 5 correctly formed words than 30 illegible words. She has a long way to go on her cursive, but we got a great start this year, and she’s still wanting to improve.

What’s actually interesting to me is the less I push my oldest, the better her penmanship gets. She’s entering that age where she wants to write her own notes and stories, and her penmanship just improves as she goes.

I haven’t given up on penmanship, I’m just allowing my children to learn at their own pace. Next year I have a Kindergartner and a 3rd grader and I’ve already looked at curriculum and picked out their handwriting. They’re both going to learn manuscript and cursive together. The younger child needs to learn, and the older child needs to improve. And hopefully, with some sibling competition, they will both improve faster than if either was working alone.

Plus, let’s be honest here. While I have great handwriting (manuscript, cursive, and calligraphy), I despise writing out pages of random words or sayings. So, why would I expect my children to like this?

Really, it’s just good to know that if I want my kids to have great handwriting, I need to plan to be teaching this all the way through middle school. Because perfection takes practice. Lots of practice.