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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Another round of Shrink Plastic Holiday Workshops with kids in Melbourne

 This holIdays I have been in Doncaster, Braybrook, Footscray, Ferntree Gully, Armadale and Brighton. If it wasn't for the Google Maps app on my phone, I might still be looking for some of these venues!

The Shrinkibits Shapes holiday program workshops are always very full-on, with group after group of 15 to 20 kids busily making their two shapes each. Most of them have never used shrink plastic before and are very excited. 


Tracing and decorating the shapes

The room quietens as everyone becomes totally absorbed in the activity, but that all changes when I start putting the shapes in the little portable oven for shrinking. 

There are shouts of "it's magic!" and "how does it do that?!" In the last workshop, one l little boy stood there calmly with his arms crossed and said "such amazing technology" 

The kids are delighted when they see their creations start to crinkle up and shrink, and I find myself reassuring the first-timers that their Shrinki shapes aren't ruined - they will sit flat again in just a moment, when the shrinking is complete.


Although I encourage kids to do their own drawings - and some do - most kids prefer to use the tracings (see below). But I love that no two results from the same tracing will turn out the same.

This skull tracing is a favourite with boys, but the results are so different every time
The variations created from one tracing go way beyond anything I could dream up, and the creativity and imagination of the kids always delights me. 


I think that is one of the reasons I enjoy these workshops so much. 

That and seeing how much the kids love it. :)

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