On Saturday 17 March, Westbourne House School hosted around 250 local parents and children for the school’s inaugural Creativity Fun Day.
Children, aged from 2 to 10, took part in various creative workshops across the school. These included cookery workshops, from which the children left with freshly baked banana and chocolate chip muffins and massive smiles on their faces! Over in the art room, children made funky bags using printing techniques and were taught to use hot glue guns to attach the felt shapes they had created.
Next door in Design Technology, teams of children made boat hulls by vacuum forming plastics and then embellished them with sails and flags flying from the mast. Over in the main school building, children were introduced to music from around the world and put together a brilliant Samba beat finale.
Meanwhile, in the Pre-Prep, Mr Bubbles entertained younger children, helping them to make wands and their own giant bubbles and other children created beautiful spring paintings, practised new dance steps and discovered newfound talents in drama.
While most of the children kept warm in their indoor activities, a group of brave children (and a few parents!) embarked on a series of drama challenges that took them exploring the school grounds in the snow, from the boarding houses to the Millennium Hall and art block.
Victoria Homewood, Head of Westbourne House Pre-Prep said, “We really have enjoyed bringing the local community together today and witnessing the joy children experience when they create. As a school, we believe in giving children the opportunity to experience all the creative arts including drama, textiles, food technology, ceramics, art and music. With this kind of exposure from a young age, children tend to develop an enthusiasm for new challenges and a wonderful ‘can do’ attitude.”
Throughout the morning, Westbourne House pupils from Years 7 and 8 were on hand to help in the workshops and offered tours to parents interested in seeing the school. Ludo Kameen, aged 7, who took part in the funky printing workshop, said, “The older children helping were really nice and fun.”
Pupils from Year 6 and Year 7 children also entertained the parents and children during lunch. In full costume, they acted out excerpts from Singin’ In The Rain and an upcoming show, A Fawlty Towers Restaurant Experience, as well as poetry and music. Ed Cousens, Head of Drama, said, “It was really good experience for the children to be performing to a new crowd in a day-time atmosphere. There were lots of laughs from the crowd as the Year 7s performed their comedy. It has boosted their confidence enormously.”
A father who brought his two daughters along remarked, “We had a wonderful day. I was blown away by all the art rooms; what an inspiring space to breed creativity!”
