With social distancing measures in place, AA Members got to spend some quality time with their kids creating mini clay dinosaurs.

Throughout Phase 2 of the Circuit Breaker, AA Singapore has been organising an array of creative activities for its Members, ranging from art jamming to paper-quilling. Implementing all necessary safety precautions, the organisation’s workshops are safe and enjoyable experiences for the whole family.

As a part of its ‘Dinosaur’ theme, AA Singapore held a Dinosaurs Clayart workshop on 17 October 2020 (Saturday). Prior to the session, tables were arranged with a one-metre gap between them to fit the families that had signed up. Each family comprised of up to three children aged six to 12, together with mother. The social distancing measures were of no hindrance to the lesson; in fact, the small group size allowed the instructor to engage much more personally with each participant.

Once all the participants arrived, the instructor began with a short demonstration. She showed them the shapes of clay they needed to make, techniques to roll the clay, and how to attach them together with toothpicks. Then it was the participants’ turn to get to creative. With all the materials provided, they worked on two different types of dinosaurs: the “long-neck” and the “short and fat”, as the instructor described them. With a range of colours to choose from, everyone could personalise their creations.

As the session progressed, everyone got into the zone, intently focused on forming the correct shapes. Although some of the children struggled at first, the instructor assured them not to worry, and to simply “fall in love with the clay”. From all the laughter and chatter that took place over the course of two hours, it was clear that everyone had an enjoyable time — even if they had trouble perfecting their clay dinosaurs.

As testament that the session had been an enriching experience, one mother commented that she was pleased to pick up a new skill from the workshop. With both her son and daughter busy with school, she remarked that it was a great opportunity for them to let their creative juices flow without having to commit to regular art classes. Other mothers agreed that the workshop gave them the chance to do an activity they wouldn’t normally have tried with their kids.

After completing their clay dinosaurs, everyone had a wide smile on their respective faces when they proudly posed for photos with their artistic endeavours. The participants were also each given a display box to house their hard work as a memento of this workshop.