Creativity Day: Expanding the Concept Of Choice-Based Art Classroom To The Whole School

Creativity Day: Expanding the Concept Of Choice-Based Art Classroom To The Whole School

Arts Integration - By Ms. Mila Vasconcelos

Creativity Day: An explorative and hands-on event to bring all creative talents together!

When my school released the event calendar this school year and asked us to pick one to be the leader, without a doubt the theme that caught my attention was “Creativity Day”. Considering my role at my current school, teaching Early Years and Elementary Students plus IB DP Visual, I started to envision how a collaboration between all grade levels could benefit my students.

So I started to design an event that could celebrate creativity in its many forms while fostering social-emotional growth, cultural awareness, and literacy connections. I decided to invite guest presenters to participate in an afternoon filled with engaging workshops and interactive booths, encouraging self-expression and exploration. I thought about artists and friends that would be willing to come and share their talents with our school community, but also how our high scholars could participate in a meaningful way. So I decided to outline a few workshops that could work.

Workshops and Activities:

When I invited the guests and shared the activities with my IB students, excitement took over. From planning until receiving them at the event venue, things flowed smoothly.

The event featured a wide range of creative opportunities for students to discover their unique talents and try something new:

Guest-Led Activities:

• Hula Hoop Workshops: These sessions helped children develop coordination, balance, and physical fitness in a fun and engaging way. This activity demonstrated how movement can be a form of creativity, encouraging students to explore rhythmic patterns and body expression. The guest was an amazing artist from the @bamboliricas group, featuring Bia Lume as an artist-lead.

  
  

• Sculpture Painting: Students enhanced their fine motor skills and practiced visualizing three-dimensional spaces while expressing their artistic ideas. Painting sculptures introduced them to the tactile joy of blending colors on unique surfaces, sparking curiosity about form and structure. @naz_events brought to our school student’s favorite pieces, that were covered with lots of colors and creativity!

• Face Painting: This workshop allowed kids to transform their imaginations into wearable art. They experimented with colors and designs, boosting their confidence in creative self-expression. @uzee_facepaintings helped students to express themselves with drawings that kept them smiling during the whole event!

• Pottery: A hands-on activity that encouraged students to shape and mold clay, developing their sensory awareness and patience. It provided an introduction to functional art, blending creativity with practical craftsmanship. Brought by @pottery_abdulrasool this was one of the most popular and interactive booths. It’s impressive how students like to be hands-on!

• Food Art: Guided by the creative hands of Ms. Fatima Thamer, our incredible teacher assistant, students created beautiful sandwiches, snacks, and other pieces using fruits, vegetables, and dairy. They learned how everyday materials can become creative tools, exploring themes like design, color, and presentation in a deliciously fun way. This activity also taught them to think outside the box and appreciate the artistic aspects of culinary creations.

  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  

  IB Student-Led Activities:

• Comic Book Creation: Students combined storytelling with visual art, learning to express narratives through sequences of drawings and text. This workshop highlighted the intersection of literacy and creativity, guided by our incredible student Rayan A.

  

  
  

• Color Mixing: An opportunity for students to experiment with pigments and understand the science behind creating new hues. It cultivated curiosity and opened their eyes to the endless possibilities of color theory, guided by Lana A. and Bahiya A.

• iPad Drawing: With the student Hessa A., the students were introduced to this contemporary form of artistic expression. Merging technology with art, they explored digital tools to bring their creative visions to life. 

• Acrylic Painting: Students worked with this versatile medium, discovering techniques to paint animals. It encouraged them to experiment with color mixing and blending colors.

• Texture Painting: A tactile activity that invited students to explore the interplay of materials and surfaces. Using baking soda and acrylic paint, Dana A. and Ayya A. helped students create depth and dimension in their artwork.

• Nail Art: With this workshop, students had the chance to explore intricate designs and patterns on a small canvas—thei nails! Guided by Zain M., this activity combined precision, creativity, and self-expression, showcasing how even the tiniest details can reflect artistic vision.

  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  

  Interactive Free Booths:

• 3D Pens for Drawing: Students had the chance to explore three-dimensional art in an engaging way, creating tangible pieces that were proudly taken home to show their parents!

• Air Clay Modeling: In this booth, while waiting for the pottery wheel to be available, students were able to compare and contrast the differences and details of each type of clay, using cutters, rolling pins and models.

• Mini Cameras for Photography: Students captured moments from the event, learning to frame and document their experiences creatively.

  
  

  But my favorite moment of this fun event was, of course… Drawing With and On Me!

I was thinking about how to be comfortable during the event, but at the same time let what I was wearing be part of who I am and how I like to connect with my students. So, dressed up in full white, head to toe (t-shirt, shoes, skirt and bow!), I went to the stage to invite the students to give me some colors! Using fabric markers and acrylic pens, every time that I found students not so sure what station to go next, they were invited to sit and paint with me - and on me!

Collaboratively, we also colored and drew on a huge poster board that my secondary students also prepared for this day.

Looking at the end of the event, my clothes, and the posters, it was clear the fun that we all had together while being creative and expressing ourselves.

The Key Moments of the Event

Creativity Day surpassed all my expectations. The collaboration between IB Visual Arts students and elementary students was one of the most impactful aspects. The younger students were thrilled by the guidance and inspiration provided by their older peers. Many of them came up to me afterward, asking when they could collaborate again. These moments highlighted the event’s success in fostering mentorship and collaboration across age groups.

I loved seeing students’ engagement and enthusiasm throughout the day. From giggles over face painting to intense focus while learning pottery techniques, it was clear they were fully immersed in the process of exploration and creation.

Reflection on My Teaching Approach:

Events like Creativity Day reaffirm my belief in prioritizing processes over results. In my teaching, I value the journey of creative discovery and encourage students to find joy in the act of making, rather than adhering to rigid, pre-defined outcomes. While structured lessons can serve as a foundation, imposing strict models can often stifle creativity, instill fear of failure, and limit students’ growth.

Creativity Day gave students the freedom to experiment and express themselves, which, in turn, fostered greater confidence in their abilities. The absence of “cookie-cutter” solutions allowed them to shine in their own unique ways. This day truly demonstrated the infinite possibilities that the arts offer to engage, teach, and inspire.

I look forward to bringing more events like this to life, building on the lessons and successes of this day to continue fostering a love for the arts in all its forms.

Hope to have you all here again in the future, catching up with my new events!

Ms. Mila