CAMPERS MAKE ART INSPIRED BY THE RIVER

SPREE campers became artists this week and created nature-inspired art pieces, from mud art to mandalas. We even met a special guest, local Denver artist Michele Brown, and helped her paint a canvas mural inspired by our waterways. ​​

To start the week, we painted with mud and shaving cream and and did our own color experiments. We even used our handprints, sticks, and yarn to make tree art. Campers had fun making their own unique paint brushes from natural items and you can, too, just read the instructions here. Campers wowed staff and park users with their intricate nature mandalas, using rocks, sticks, and other items found in the park. 

Local artist Michele Brown visited camp mid-week and instructed campers in painting. Campers worked in small groups to add to a canvas mural of fish that will be hung up in SPREE Headquarters in Johnson Habitat Park later this year. 

Later in the week, we made suncatcher wind chimes and our own paper art. Check out this awesome moving paper fish craft here. We also made our own crystals, which was a popular activity with campers. (See the recipe below.) 

We ended the week with a field day where we created our own musical instruments from items found in the park and also wrote poems.

Do these activities sound fun? Join SPREE for our Holiday Camps (when DPS is off school) during the school year. You can see our themes and find out more here.

Make Your Own Crystals- Recipe
Materials: jars, borax, water, pipe cleaners pipe cleaners, string, Pencils or wooden skewers, scissors, liquid measuring cup, tablespoon, heat safe mixing bowl, hot water heater/microwave
Curve a pipe cleaner or half of one. It will need to fit in a jar without touching the sides. Tie  the pipe cleaner to the stick so it can hang in the jar. Pour the solution into the jar to fully cover the pipe cleaner. These will sit overnight as the crystals form!
​**To prepare the borax solution: 1 hot/boiling cup water : 1 tablespoon borax. Stir thoroughly!

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