The Muscatine Art Center is kicking off the school year with some changes to its "For Tots" program. In August, a group of parents and caregivers met with Art Center staff to discuss ways to strengthen the program which targets children ages 2 to 5. High on the list were offering different times of day so that children in morning preschool can continue with the program during the school year and occasional evening classes to accommodate work schedules.
Starting in September, the Art Center will now offer the "For Tots" program on the first and third Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m., every Thursday at 1:30 p.m., and the first Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to making changes to the schedule, the Art Center staff has fine-tuned the program with a new recurring structure for each class. When children arrive, they will begin an introductory activity such as sorting objects from a sensory box, building towers with multi-shaped blocks, and creating flowers from tissue paper. The introductory activities vary each week and tie with the theme of the day. Following the introductory activity, children will listen to a story that connects to the theme of the day. After the story, children will then complete the main project of day and later receive a supplemental project as a take home activity or to complete at the Art Center, should the child finish ahead of the group.
Each month will also have a different theme. In September, children will focus on a different artist each week. In October, they will explore the five senses. Principles of art is the theme for the month of November so students will explore line one week, shape in the next, and color in the third week.
The staff at the Art Center is excited about the projects for this fall. "There is a wide variety of activities ranging from painting with shaving cream to exploring optical illusion and making a sculpture with fruit pieces to creating paper cuts in the style of Henri Matisse." There are also some terrific children's books, such as "Lines that Wiggle", "Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli", and "Duck! Rabbit!", included in the fall sessions.
The new fall class brochure is now out. To request a copy, contact the Muscatine Art Center at 563-263-8282.
The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.
