From a CANVAS Facebook post

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In October, we held an art program (provided by the Fukasawa Art Institute)!

https://www.canvas.ws/kenkyujo/report/2020919in.php

Do you know what a broom is?

What is it used for?

Amid the shouts of “Clean up!”, one child even yelled, “The witch is flying!”

There are all kinds of brooms—they come in all sorts of shapes, don't they?

This time, I'm going to make all kinds of brooms myself and try cleaning with them.

What should I make it with?

How do you make it?

■ Take it apart and rebuild it into something else

Today's materials are a straw hat and a twig.

How can I make a broom out of a hat?

I'm going to "take apart" the hat and turn it into a broom.

What does "disassembly" mean??

Break it down!

Smash it!

Won't that squish it flat?

Do I cut it into thin strips?

All kinds of ideas are flying around.

It's really wonderful to hear all these different stories.

Here's how to wear a hat!

Then, when I cut the hat in half to show them…

Wow!

There were even some kind voices saying, "Poor thing" (lol)

From the half-hat, I smoothly pull out the straw one by one.

Some kids even come running to tell me, looking really happy, when they manage to pull out a loooong piece of straw.

■Natural Materials

Choose a branch to use as the handle of a broom.

sniffing around

I'd prefer a long one.

This looks good!

Look, touch, and smell.

Which one should I choose?

■Quiet Work Time

The hat I took apart

I attach them one by one to the tree branches with tape.

Silently and carefully.

Even the kids who struggled at first to put them on

Little by little, I’m getting the hang of it, and time passes as I take my time crafting it.

If you have a little time, try cleaning up a bit.

Maybe something sturdier would be better?

How can I make cleaning easier?

I want to wrap yarn in different colors around the handle!

It's just the same old cycle of making it again and again…

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It’s been a while since we all got together for a workshop!

It was a real pleasure to meet all of you.

A child who takes their time and works carefully, and in the end, happily shows their work to their mother.

A broom that comes with a strap so you can hang it around your neck and carry it with you to clean up anytime.

To make it easier to put away, I tied a string to the end of each branch so it could be hung up.

You can even see them working together and giving it their all while cleaning!

All kinds of creations were being born.

See you next month!

*The tree branches were ones we received from Niwa no Mochiden!*

This is Professor Mochida from last year’s (June 2019) “Mysterious Walk at the University of Tokyo.”

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Here are some comments from participants.