Why not? Hats!

We've been on a hat kick. I think hats are such an awesome vehicle for creativity. They are wearable, they are sculptural, and most of all they are fun.

This project was inspired by the "Hats Off!" Workshop at the NAEA conference in New York two weeks ago. I wanted to bring it home to my kids because I had so much fun myself making hats! My third graders had no problem DIVING right in while my fourth graders were really worried about their hat "not looking right." Somewhere in between third and fourth grade, my students have started asking "why" instead of asking "why not." I try to be a "why not" person (this is getting harder with more real world experience!) and I hope to spark some of that attitude through creative exercises like these. I guess I have to get used to the fact that the kids are growing up. In the end, mostly every fourth grade was able to get back into their "why not" selves for a little while and made some really awesome hats. The third graders finished in one day. During dismissal I was surprised to see the fourth graders wearing their hats home. And that's why I love my job.

Using up all the extra paper trimmings from other projects.

Hold some tissue paper around your head.

Have a friend tape it around.

Add height by folding, bending, rolling, smooshing paper. 

 P.S. as closure we compared our sculpture hats to our hat drawings. It took a minute, but all classes finally really understood the difference between 2D and 3D art. Success!