This month in the School-age after school program, the children showed a great interest in the magic of Harry Potter. Although Educator Tracy has never watched any of the movies, she was eager to learn about what the children loved most about them. “Wands” replied the children. With this we quickly started planning a wand making adventure! We decided to use chopsticks as the base which were a great size and shape for a wand. The next step was to use a hot glue gun for design and texture on the chopstick. In the program we have various ages and Tracy was apprehensive about allowing the children to use a hot glue gun on their own. We discussed safety rules and what not to do before we began. Most of the children felt quite confident about using the hot glue on their own and the few that weren’t asked for help. One of our older friends offered their help with no hesitation. Once the glue was dry, the children were given supplies such as paint, sparkles and twine to decorate their wands as they saw fit. When they were completed, we brushed them all with Mod Podge to give the wands a shiny look. Now the magic began when Tracy asked the children what magical powers their wands can do. One child replied, “immortality!” Another child replied, “I can make myself invisible!” Another child said, “I can teleport!” Such incredible imaginations our group has and what an amazing experience this was for all!
This was a child-led experience where the children could use their imaginations and creativity especially when they're interested in what they are doing. We can expand on this activity by exploring more about what the children know about magic and letting their imaginations run wild!
