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The Story of Salt
Thursday, May 2nd, 2024
Mill Valley, CA
Salt has always been extremely valuable, helping shape societies since ancient times. Used as a preservative, to season food, and even for religious purposes, salt was once worth its weight in gold! SEEDS returns for their 6th Full Steam Ahead collaboration, as we learn where the salt we use comes from by reading the book, The Story of Salt: It Starts with the Sea by Lisa Owings. Children will get a chance to enhance their social skills and learn a calming breathing exercise in addition to creating beautiful raised salt paintings.
Yoga and Mindfulness Outdoors
Friday, June 14th & Friday, August 9th 2024
Mill Valley, CA
This outdoor experience under the trees will take children through traditional yoga poses (asanas), stretches, creative movement, guided breathing techniques (pranayama), storytelling, games, and coloring. Participants will have the opportunity to move their bodies outside while connecting themselves with nature and with each other. Children become more mindful of their sensory experiences and more present to themselves, their emotions, and their surroundings, all while increasing their confidence, self-esteem, and openness.
Creative Crafts - Walking Stick Making
June 24 & 25th 2024
Mill Valley, CA
This group will enjoy the process of making their very own hiking companion that will last a lifetime. Every stick will be individually cut with holes drilled by the leader. Participants will safely sand their sticks using different grades of sandpaper before using stains and shiny coatings to waterproof their sticks. We will then add stickers, glitter, leather handle straps, rubber stoppers, compasses, and jewelry to really make these pieces of art shine! Our goals during this confidence-building workshop are to bond with peers, learn new coping strategies, and regulate emotions in a variety of ways; all while making this one-of-a-kind beautiful piece of heirloom art that can be passed down for generations.
This is a two-day activity.
Inside Out, Outside In
Wednesday, July 10th & Monday, August 5h, 2024
Mill Valley, CA
Creating a meditative drawing practice that integrates the natural surroundings can be a deeply enriching and calming experience. Program Leader Nancy Elkus opens this activity with breath awareness, drawing, and mark-making to the sounds of the stream. We then move into observational drawing and integration of our emotions — our focus moving from the nature of our environment to our inner selves. Lastly, we will combine the two sensibilities into our drawings.
River Rock Painting and Strategy Building
Friday, July 12th 2024
Mill Valley, CA
Led by Walker Elkus, kid master strategy builder for social and emotional intelligence, this activity will explore tools and strategies that can be used to manage and regulate a variety of emotions, including frustration and anxiety. Participants will have opportunities to activate their creativity, socialize with other children, and improve their fine motor skills - all while creating beautiful river rock art!
Drawing Upon Nature, Wonder, and Art
Friday, August 2nd 2024
Mill Valley, CA
Artist Stefanie Schwartz will guide participants through an exploration of the ways in which we can use our bodies to see, sense, and listen among the redwoods. Together, we will experiment with immersive sensory experiences that deepen our bond with nature and enhance our emotional well-being. We will then create an art project that will be a reflection of our personal connections to the redwoods. Finally, we will share our observations and artwork to help us connect with others and build relationships.
The Sibling Space
Wednesday, August 14th, 2024
Mill Valley, CA
This activity is meant to give the siblings of children with special needs a fun, supportive environment designed just for them. Program leader Anya Ryan engages participants in exciting crafts, from creating support trees to making their very own stress balls. They will also have the opportunity to connect with other siblings by playing different team games. These activities will empower siblings with tools to help them cope with their experiences and build self-confidence, all while getting some much-deserved time in the spotlight!
Every Day Chemistry (Invisible Ink)
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Mill Valley, CA
Chemistry is all around us! Full Steam Ahead welcomes SEEDS back for our 5th Community Engagement Series collaboration. In this event, we will read the book, Every Day, Chemistry by Julia Sooy. Participants will get the chance to socialize, learn calming strategies, and use homemade invisible ink to create our very own hidden art!
Music and Emotions
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Mill Valley, CA
This group will explore how music can be a useful tool for regulating our emotions and bodies. There will be activities for interacting with music in various ways, including examining different musical genres, drum playing, and even learning to read and play basic rhythms. And much like all of our activities, there will be plenty of opportunities for participants to socialize and develop friendships!
Picture Perfect Plants
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Mill Valley, CA
Plants are the life force of the world, providing our planet with everything from food and energy to the air we breathe! In this activity, we will learn about the amazing power of plants and read the book, How I Grow, by Natalie Anne. Participants will create beautiful flower pot art and plant their very own succulents so they can enjoy the wonder of plants for years to come.
Scribble Stones
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Mill Valley, CA
Have you ever thought about the many ways people use rocks? From jewelry to buildings, rocks have always been an important part of people’s lives. In this activity, we will read the book Scribble Stones by Diane Alber and work together to turn simple river rocks into hand-made masterpieces. Participants will get the chance to socialize, learn calming strategies, and take home their very own works of art.
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Nature is Art!
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Mill Valley, CA
Join us as we learn to observe our surroundings as both artists and researchers. After reading the book Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert, we will learn to be mindful of the space we occupy and the nature around us, focusing on the vital role of trees and plants. Led by Anya Chytrowski, we will work in teams to find different natural materials to create beautiful plant prints, creating a tactile experience and a way to document what we have found.
Biomimicry and Art
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Mill Valley, CA
Biomimicry is a way of studying nature to come up with new ideas. Led by artist Stefanie Schwartz, we will learn about how inventors and artists like Leonardo DaVinci were inspired by nature and explore our environment to spark our own art projects. We will learn focusing techniques that will help us regulate our emotions and stay in the present moment. Working together and sharing our art will help us connect with others and build relationships.
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