Kids and Adults get crafty together at The Yard, Riversands

I’ve just finished reading a brilliant post by Belinda over at Making Mountains about resilience, and a quote she had at the beginning really seemed to sum up my appreciation for this workshop we went to at The Yard at Riversands.

“When your heart is broken, make art with the pieces.”

Shane Koyczan

I love arts and crafts. I always have. I’ve taken it to a whole new level with my job, where we spend a lot of time crafting fun items for the kids to do. I recently spent an evening making a whole lot of planes from plastic bottles. Rockets too! You can read more on Children’s Kickstart about what we get up to.

But I digress.

There is something very therapeutic about working with your hands. Apart from keeping busy and distracted and making something beautiful, I think it’s helpful to put something together that you can be proud of. Something you can accomplish when other areas of your life are just awful. So while my husband lay unconscious in hospital, my mom and I folded papers at an origami workshop. My son created a stunning owl with pieces of glass mosaic.  On some level, while other parts of my life are spinning out of control I find peace in simple crafting activities because it creates a ray of light for me in a dark situation.

Studies show arts and crafts are excellent for kids too. They are perfect for midline crossing and fine motor co-ordination. Because there are several steps involved in an activity, you have to develop some self regulation. The mosaic Nicky did was a series of numbered steps and he had to apply the glue each time for each section. We took it home to do the grouting (which The Yard provided) and he was super proud of his work. It was a great self esteem booster for him. The reason I am most proud of him is because he kept pace with the group of older kids, and I know that working up to speed has been a challenge for him this year. I think the glasses have made a huge difference. Even at home he recognises now that his eyes “get tired” and he needs his glasses for more intricate work.

 

For the Origami workshop we did a number of folded activities: a pipecleaner flower, a peacock and snap hexahedron. We also folded two napkins: one into a waterlily and one into an easy table setting.

I will say that Origami is quite an art. You really have to follow those steps but if even someone like me and my mom can do it, you can do it too. Cheryl Gibbs is such an expert and she did stop every time we got stuck to help.

I really liked her approach to her work which she obviously has a passion for. I think most of all I liked the way she is very forgiving of any mistakes you make along the way. You can just unfold and start again. Or have some food, or a good night’s sleep and look at it again. I think it’s a useful philosophy you could use in other contexts as well.

Talking of refreshments they did have some coffee and bottled water on hand which we did have. There were also some yummy cookies for the kids.

And you can also browse their lovely store for a host of African themed merchandise. Take a peep at these pictures. My mom found the perfect silver candle stick holder.

 

 

 

Do you need a morning away from it all where you can sit on one side with adults and your kids can sit on the other side doing their crafty thing as well?

Take a look at these workshops coming up. The Yard at Riversands is a short distance from Fourways in Johannesburg, so it isn’t so far, even though it is technically in Midrand. I allowed 45 minutes to get there from Randburg and got there 10 minutes early, so it wasn’t as far as I thought it was. I can totally recommend these workshops: they are good for children and adults alike.

Here are some of their upcoming activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The adults get to have fun with mosaic next time, and you can choose whether to do a photo frame or a mirror frame. Take a look at the upcoming workshops to see which ones you and your child could enjoy.

Workshops to look out for in the future are: Ottoman Making, Candle Dipping and decorating for kids, Soap making, Emoji cushion making for kids, Cake decorating, Ironing Bead crafts for kids, T-shirt painting and so much more… they are trying to source a framing company to run a Frame making workshop too. So, lots to look forward to! (Soap making has been postponed for now)

As you can see by the map, it’s just off William Nicol, and once you get through all the traffic circles and enter the relevant Riversands complex, drive all the way around to the back where you’ll see “The Yard” at number 40. You can also find them on your Google Maps. (The Yard@Riversands)

For more info on the Riversands Incubation Hub see their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.