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Entries in creative fun (7)

Fri, January 22
12:00PM

Bangalore: Dance Little Lady, Dance.

Creative Dance and Movement for Children

We are a culture that lives and breathes cinema, so when we see our kids gyrating like Shahid and Kareena to ‘Mauja hi Mauja’, it shouldn’t surprise us, as I myself love to emulate an item number from Bollywood or even better, a Tapanguchi song. But it would be a pity if dance meant only this. When it comes to dance in the pure form, there is so much that our children stand to gain when taught by experienced and insightful teachers.

Brinda Jacob Janvrin’s Creative Dance and Movement for Children is one such wonderful opportunity for children to use their senses and their bodies to feel and imbibe their surroundings, to express and create freely. Sounds like I am reading from an exotic Indian novel? It is perhaps because Brinda herself evokes that sense of the wonderful and exotic.

A trained dancer, choreographer and dance therapist Brinda describes her creative dance experience as ‘one in which you create and communicate your own movements. Creative dance promotes coordination of thought, feeling and action because it is developed from the inside of the child outwards instead of being imposed from the outside in. The creative dancing process not only helps to develop a clear body image and an acute kinesthetic sense, but it also helps develop musicality, a sense of rhythm, imagination, creativity, the arts of listening and observing, and the skills of communicating and co-operating. ’

Give your children the joy of dance and when they come back so alive and happy, you’ll be glad she has classes for adults too.

Her classes are for children aged from 5 to 14 years. You can learn more about the classes from Brinda Jacob-Janvrin 9845236242, The Studio for Movement Arts and Therapies

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AuthorSwati | CommentPost a Comment | | |
Tue, January 19
11:00PM

Tiles of Fun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am always on the look-out for interesting puzzles, art & craft ideas, board games, sit-down activities…well, generally anything that can bring two mini tornadoes to a stop for a while and guarantee me at least half-an-hour to forty-five minutes of peace and quiet (and if the activity is really interesting, then one WHOLE hour!! Yippee!)

I came upon this rather appealing activity for the five-plus age group that involved bright colours, fun themes and lots of glue, which, as we all know, is the equivalent of making a bit of an icky-sticky mess which kids always like.

MOSAICS from Toy Kraft are available in all leading toy stores. Priced at Rs. 149/- a pack, they are worth every rupee. Each pack comes with four templates and differently coloured mosaic chips that have been made from foam. The templates are numbered and each number corresponds to a colour, so that acts as a guide. The themes available are ‘In the Jungle’, ‘At the Farm’ and ‘Under the Sea’.

The activity requires patience and concentration and it also provides stimulation for good for hand-eye co-ordination. And the best part about this activity is that they get to proudly display their artwork. The pack includes some twine with which you can string the pictures and once they are done…voila! They have created a work art to be proud of!

Rs.149 and available in most toy stores.

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AuthorBaisali | CommentPost a Comment | | |
Mon, January 4
4:00PM

Unique, interactive, kids birthday party entertainment.

Favourite hobby presented as party entertainment - Hobby Ideas style.

If kiddy birthday party brainstorming = stress then a good place to head to is Hobby Ideas – India’s first craft and hobby store. They have party supplies, options for giveaways, themes and even an in house birthday party consultant.

My chat with Rita the consultant at the head office revealed a gem of an idea. They offer a one hour workshop that can be conducted during the party for kids aged 3+. The type of project can be based on what your child fancies and you need to head to a store to view the entire range and choose a favourite.

Some of the interesting projects are photo frame making, decoupage, fabric painting, puppet making, bead craft, moulding and painting, paper craft, origami, canvas painting and scrap book making.

Ideally you should fix the workshop 2 weeks before the party date. Hobby Ideas provides all the materials required for the workshop and one teacher attends to 10 kids. You will need to supply water for painting, newspaper and other odds and ends. Clarify all these nitty, gritty details when you place your order so you don’t have to run around at the last minute. These fun hobby workshops can be conducted in store as well.

Hobby Ideas - Mumbai, Kolkata, Baroda, Surat, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad
www.hobbyideas.net.
Mumbai - Rita – 022 23522466.
In store workshop minimum amount Rs. 5000/-
House workshop Rs. 7,500/- minimum + Rs. 150/- child.

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AuthorPriya | CommentPost a Comment | | |
Mon, August 17
3:00PM

Clay Play

Claytopia


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now which kid (or grown up? Admit it!) wouldn’t love to get their hands dirty with clay or paint and enjoy finger licking yummy food while at it? Come on down then to Claytopia - a concept restaurant where you can satisfy your stomach and soul.

The soul food is painting on bisque ware or clay modeling. You choose from a variety of bisque or biscuit ware such as tiles, plates, mugs, fridge magnet animals and many more. You then paint your chosen object with the special non-toxic paints provided, get it glazed and fired and Voila! - your own masterpiece in ceramic! The environment is soothing and there is no time limit except your own.

Kavita and Shani whose baby this is, are always wandering around making sure everyone is well looked after. Beats painting at home any day, with me screaming at my kid about not touching the wall and the bed sheet or whatever else with his paint smeared fingers. And the best part? No clean-up after!

Now coming to the stomach part which I believe is equally important as feeding your soul. The food at the bistro is scrumptious. Very few places have a menu that is kid and gourmet friendly and this is definitely both. Yummy Burgers (lean meat), hot sandwiches, subs, salads, pasta and Coffee that can stand its own er - pardon the pun - ground.

Go on and have a family day out - the kids will thank you for it.

 Prices start from Rs.150 to Rs.600 for your masterpieces. Ideal for fabulous birthday or classy kitty parties.

Address: Claytopia, 318, 6th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore 560 038
Tel:080 412 67163
Email: claytopia@gmail.com

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AuthorSwathi | Comment1 Comment | | |
Sat, August 1
12:00PM

Petit Picassos 

Managing my pre-schooler without the school bit is proving to be quite harrowing. That’s what summer vacations are, heaven for kids and not as pleasant for the parents. It’s unimaginable for me to send her for camps and classes in this weather, she is only 3, yet she is active and smart enough to want more than just cartoons, reading sessions and home play. So how do I combine activity, fun, comfort and a level of imagination and innovation into my daughter’s week? ‘Color Factory’ has the answer!

Colour Factory is India’s first Paint-Your-Own-Pottery store and I‘m so glad it is in my city. Here both kids and adults can flex their creative muscles and showcase their painting and design skills across various products like plates, platters, mugs, vases and even photo frames. The process is simple, choose a product, take a seat and start painting. The store provides ample seating space with table and chair setups for parents to work with kids or for friends to work together. The in-house staff is always available to help with your new creation. Once you’re done, the store will pop in your masterpiece for a quick bake and glaze (sadly the process can take a couple of days). Once done, there you have it, your own custom made coffee mug.

This place is very special for kids interested in the arts since there is plenty of creative freedom, aprons to avoid a mess and a whole hour to enjoy the activity. They also have a cafe in the store, so your kids don’t go hungry while they play Picasso.

All the unpainted ceramic pieces are priced individually and include instructions, painting at the time of purchase, glazing and firing. Clay pottery on the wheel is priced at Rs.225/- per item. Creating items on the slab will cost you Rs.175/-. An additional Rs.125/- is charged if you want to paint the item you created on the slab. Charges for Mosaic are based on the item you choose to do mosaic art on, as that will determine how many mosaic tiles you will use.

120, Ist Floor, DT Mega Mall,DLF-Gurgaon;
Timings:Weekdays- 11 am to 8 pm,Weekends- 11 am to 9 pm;call Jagjeet at +91-124-4370958

2nd Floor, Select Citywalk Mall,Press Enclave Road, Saket, New Delhi – 110017;Timings:Every Day- 11 am to 8 pm;call Amit Dwivedi at +91-11-40597515

Colour Factory can also be found in Bangalore- at Doodle Den, No. 3 Curley Street, Richmond Town. Call +91-80-41240090. Open between 11 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. 

Check out www.thecolourfactory.in to see whether its in your city

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AuthorParul | Comment3 Comments | | |
Fri, July 24
10:00AM

Knock Knock ! Who’s There? Doctor! Doctor Who? It’s Dr. Seuss! 

Children’s Books by Dr. Seuss

Everyone who has shopped for children’s books has heard of Theodor (Ted) Seuss Geisel or more simply, Dr.Seuss. His most amazing quality is to be able to imagine like a child and express that in the form of wonderful stories and rhyme.

Each of his many books deserve a review by their own merit, but before I get carried away, I’ll list just a few favorites. “My Many Coloured Days” is a beautiful book illustrated with paintings that I could print and hang on my walls. This book introduces moods to children, a hard to grasp concept even for adults and ends on a wonderful note –“And I go back to being me” (good way to explain why Mommy has her grey and black days too). Then there is “Horton Hears A Who” which is a truly wonderful story in prose poetry about an elephant named Horton who hears a noise from a small creature that nobody else can hear, as the ‘Whos’ are very small. But Horton saves them as he thinks, “A person’s a person. No matter how small”, which is only one of the many messages that are imaginatively put across (this story has been made into an animated movie with Jim Carrey as Horton). Then there are the famous classics such as “Cat in the Hat” and “Fox in Socks”, a collection of tongue twisters that is a fun exercise for young kids. You can’t go wrong with any of them, honestly, this is creative genius with so many values, concepts and real issues woven into them.

I love them so much, I fight with my son over which ones to read, and I continue reading even after he’s fallen asleep.

Available at most bookstores and you should check out their website for fun and more titles.

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AuthorSwathi | CommentPost a Comment | | |
Wed, July 1
6:00AM

Let me hear your Body Talk

Body Talk - creative dance classes for 3-5 year olds

Don’t you often wish you had the energy of your little ones? Of course sometimes we make them run around just to tire their little bodies out, so they will discharge their batteries and maybe hit the sack early… so you can get a bit of that wine chilling in the fridge :-). What I am getting to, is a savvier way to achieve this; a method that does wonders for their developing minds and bodies. I put my son into ‘Body Talk’, a creative dance workshop that nurtures the child’s creative spirit through movement, music, storytelling, rhythm work and improvisation, when he was just turning three.

Anita Santhanam who runs ‘Body Talk’ has a wonderful way with kids and no, she’s not sickly sweet or kiddishly cute. She is different and treats them in a way they want to  be treated (like little adults) and knows just how to push their buttons. As she puts it “Using both bodies and minds and their Kinesthetic intelligence, the children find unique ways to create, collaborate and communicate with confidence”.

Anita is a dancer who has studied Physical Theatre from LISPA, London, and trained with ARTIS and JABADAO, both creative learning companies, which are designed to  deliver comprehensive Arts-in-Education programs. In a breath, she is a wiz with creative movement for very young children, so you can rest assured that’s one area you don’t need to cover. Even supermoms need a break!

Hers is a creative dance class, ‘creative’ being the operative word as she gets them involved in creating the dance experience. It’s definitely not a “1,2,3, lift, 4,5,6, bend aannd reepeeat” class. So get your kids to hang up their dancing shoes, let their bare feet hit the floor and you will hear their Bodies Talk!

Body Talk has classes in the Studio for Movement Arts, at Doodle Den on Curley Street,Richmond town, Bangalore. Rs.1,000 pm and classes are on tuesdays and thursdays 4-5 pm.

Also at Whitefield - Neev Pre School, Saturdays 10 - 11 am. Fresh Batches in Active Canvas, Jayanagar on Saturdays from October.

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AuthorSwathi | Comment2 Comments | | |