I know I’ve recommended this one before but it was pre-book chain and I really want you to enjoy it at home, so it’s making a comeback this week.
A kid told me recently that they're glad when they make mistakes in art. "Oooh", I thought. "This kid already knows about ‘beautiful oopses', my job has been done for me."
But wait, no, that wasn’t quite it.
It was because they already think their work is rubbish. So that mistake is a relief. A legit excuse to chuck it and check out of whatever creative task they’ve been annoyingly instructed to complete.
That really stayed with me.
Not because I think every kid should be striving to be the next Picasso. But because playing around with a bunch of art materials and creating should be fun, not a case of right or wrong.
We read Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg this week. It's a tiny, brilliant book about how every mistake - a tear, a smudge, a wonky line - is actually the start of something. Not the end of something. Sounds good, right? I knew you’d want a copy this week!
In my Easter workshops this week, the kids made their own. Ripped paper became crocodile mouths. Blobs became monsters’ eyes. Wonky lines became necklaces.
And somewhere in all of that making, I could see the little somethings shifting.
That's what this is about. Not one magic moment. Not one book. It's about planting a seed. Saying the same things in different ways. Letting it land slowly, over time.
Which is why I'm starting after-school clubs next week. Six weeks. Same kids. Same ideas. Building week by week.
Does that sound like something your child would love? There's still space.
Register here 👈
Want to read Beautiful Oops! at home first? Hit reply with your address and I'll add you to the book chain. ⛓️💥 💃
Enjoy the last of the holidays!
Becca x
PS: Three prompts for after you read this book:
How can we turn this into a beautiful oops?
Can you help me turn my mistake into a beautiful oops?
Can you think of something good that started with a mistake?
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