Bill Jennings's Photoblog
Summer Begins !!!
Posted by Bill Jennings ((Bay Area Northern Calif), United States) on 21 June 2009 in Art & Design and Portfolio.
Our kids celebrated the start of summer by designing their own stonehenge: first making their playdough from salt, flour, water, oil, and cream of tartar. Then they collected rocks from a nearby creek - and assembled the model here in this photo.
Gordo, Sweetpea, and Toto brought their stonehenge model to a friend's summer solstice party on Saturday: for a table centerpiece.
Enjoy the longest day of the year today !!!
Just made it home after a month of travel - posted a few photos from my journey to within 48 miles of the antartica circle: at nearly the longest day of the year: hence, there was 21 hours a day of sunlight...
Thank you for your patience while I was out of touch.
I do hope you followed Bob Kelly's blog (my roommate) while he is still traveling - he is now on Easter Island - and will be updating his blog for some time to come - please check it out!
@rem_la: happy summer!
Dulcie from Danville, United States
And here you are celebrating the longest day of the year with a highly original photo. Good One!
21 Jun 2009 7:00am
@Dulcie: Enjoy your start of summer!
@zOOm: Merci
Marie-Hélène Ammor from Casablanca/Paris, Morocco
Great idea this stonehenge ! memory of summer games !
21 Jun 2009 11:19am
@Marie-Hélène Ammor: it was a great way to introduce the kids to the seasons, and how the days are not all the same length of time - and how the sun moves across the sky from different angles depending on the day: a great math lesson, art project, and a little etiquette for parties all together in one stroke!
Judy from Brooksville, Florida, United States
What a terrific idea ....... and a bit of a history lesson to boot!
Happy Father's Day ..... while enjoying this longest day.
21 Jun 2009 11:39am
@Judy: Thank you Judy on the Fathers Day wishes : it will be a full day for us - we have visiting Abuellos later this morning... The lesson was the prime purpose for the art project for the kids: we sneak in some learning while they play however we can.
Sarah from Suisse, Switzerland
A beautiful construction in honour of the solstice!
21 Jun 2009 11:59am
@Sarah: Thank you Sarah. Hope your sunrise this morning was special.
B. Thomas from Arlington, Texas, United States
Happy solstice and Father's Day to you!
BTW - heading to Triple D in 3 weeks!
21 Jun 2009 1:05pm
@B. Thomas: THank you Barbara - I'm sure you'll enjoy triple-D, they have some great staff and animals there.
Mobius Faith from Akron, Ohio,, United States
Great shot. My first thought was Stonehenge even before I read the description. Nicely photographed.
21 Jun 2009 1:52pm
@Mobius Faith: That's great - I'll tell the kids, they will be thrilled.
@Loner: thank you Loner...
@john4jack: Thanks Jack
dkc from Xanthi, Greece
Stunning composition and idea by your kids...You must be proud of their achievement...
21 Jun 2009 6:30pm
@dkc: for how young they are (six, five, and two) - I think they did a great job on the own, and learned the importance of not going to a party empty handed as well. The photo isn't that great, but I was proud of the kids, and wanted to remember it.
LauraS from Chico, United States
Fabulous! What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
21 Jun 2009 8:44pm
@LauraS: Hope it inspires some others - glad you liked the idea.
@Dawn: I was impressed myself, had to grab the camera just before we left for our party - it was quickly photographed as a result.
Nina from Hamburg, Germany
A fantastic image, very interesting and so creative ... what a great idea, my compliments to your children.
21 Jun 2009 8:59pm
@Nina: they are the creative ones in the family for sure, we only nurture the idea - and they ran with it !!!
Lambspun from Madison, Maine, United States
That is the coolest idea that I have ever heard of! Great idea for the kids at school! Yours is especially perfect for your summer! ;)
21 Jun 2009 9:35pm
@Lambspun: thanks Lambspun - the kids all want to visit the real stonehenge now! sounds like the lesson was a success.
Viewfinder from Bradenton, FL, United States
Wow! A truly creative way to celebrate the start of summer. Happy Father's Day to you, Bill.
22 Jun 2009 1:23am
@Viewfinder: thank you for the fathers day wishes, and the comment on the craft project.
@Terry: thank you - looking forward to it with the kids.
@Sugata: thank you Sugata - kids loved it.
jamesy from christchurch, New Zealand
hehehe well done kids its great. It is the shortest day off the year here!!!
22 Jun 2009 6:40am
@jamesy: Of course, how could I be so cruel to rub it in to those living in the southern hemisphere. I guess it's OK, only in that stonehenge is in England, in the northern hemisphere. Glad you like the kid's project.
@Tracy: Yes, the children enjoyed their play on saturday afternoon building this !!
@Steve Rice: Yes, I'm a lucky parent !!
@Ajay: thank you Ajay, it's fun to encourage this - and see them play.
Barbara from Florida, United States
I really do find this an exceptional project, right down to the homemade playdough. With all that children are given now this form of creativity and learning combined is often forgotten.
In addition taking it to a party as a centerpiece made this even more special.
As you mentioned once before, except for the battery operated camera Sweatpea was using toys are kept basic. Which I can admire.
23 Jun 2009 5:45am
@Barbara: Yep, amazing that kids only really need very little - and they fill in the rest. I'm happy to see my children learning that. We showed them a picture of stonehenge, to get ready for the solstice party, and they ran with the idea to create this project.
Canon EOS-1D Mark III
10 second
F/22.0
ISO 200
105 mm