Kids get crafty with Easter-themed classes
Samantha Karam/For the Observer-Reporter
Casey Clark, owner of Off the Wall Arts in Charleroi, leads the children’s Easter painting class on March 31 in the 4-H building at the fairgrounds. The kids painted an Easter bunny, while enjoying snacks provided by the Department of Recreation.
Samantha Karam/For the Observer-Reporter
Ashlee Grandstrand of Washington taught the adults to make either an Easter bunny out of a glass block or an Easter wreath.
The Greene County 4-H building warmed with glee on the chilly March 31 afternoon as artists conducted craft classes for both children and adults. Traci Sokol, recreational associate and day camp coordinator for the Department of Recreation planned the event.
The children’s class, in which the kids painted an Easter bunny, began at 2 p.m. in the upstairs hall. Casey Clark, owner of Off the Wall Arts in Charleroi, taught the class.
The age range was 5 years old and up, Sokol said, with the oldest child to register being 12. Nineteen kids pre-registered, but Sokol also accepted walk-ins.
“I didn’t want to turn any kids away,” she said, noting she asked Clark to bring 10 extra canvases.
Upon arrival, kids received snacks and water to enjoy while they painted. The food and painting supplies were included in the $25 fee to participate. Parents sat off to the side and chatted or colored drawings supplied by Sokol. Some parents joined their kids in painting during the 45-minute event.
Heidi Hedge of Carmichaels found the event on Facebook and immediately registered her 6-year-old daughter Savanna.
“It’s nice to have something to do that’s different,” Hedge said. “Savanna’s excited (to be here.) She’s talked about it all day.”
Lisa Reed of Holbrook said she attended one of Clark’s adult classes in Charleroi and loved it. So when she saw a kid’s class she signed her step-daughter up.
Reed’s step-daughter, Lindley, said she thinks art is pretty and also fun. Lindley, 8, said she loves painting and loved the class.
Reed said she wishes there were more events like this for kids in the county.
“It’s really good for kids,” she said. “It gets them out of the house.”
Ashlee Grandstrand from Washington, who crafts as a hobby and teaches classes all over Washington and Greene counties, taught the adults. Participants could choose between two crafts: a light-up Easter bunny, made from a glass block, or an Easter wreath.
The adult craft class cost $35, Sokol said, because it required more materials than the children’s class.
Sokol said approximately seven adults attended: She had two possible attendees and five who were for sure attending.
“I’m most excited about how many we got,” Sokol said. “There was so much interest in it.”
This event was the first of its kind, Sokol said, but because of the positive response she plans to do it every season, with a Halloween-themed craft event in the fall and a Christmas one in the winter.
“It’s important for all kids to have something extra-curricular to do,” Sokol said. “I think it’s important the county offers programs for both adults and kids.”
To register for future events or to learn more, call the Greene County Deptartment of Recreation at 724-852-5323.