News from the Creativity Studio!

Mobiles

Did you know that artist Alexander Calder invented the mobile?  The term was coined in 1931 by

fellow artist Marcel Duchamp to describe Calder’s revolutionary sculpture, which utilized ideas of

motion. During Mobile Building week in the Creativity Studio, we took our inspiration from Calder’s unprecedented sculptures, now commonly referred to as Mobiles, and created our own!  Mobile construction allows us to explore ideas of art, design, engineering, and motion.  Children were provided with a range of papers, scissors, wire, string, and rods and were encouraged to design their own unique mobile.  Some kept their mobiles' shapes geometric while other mobiles were thematic and explored ideas such as sea creatures or types of trains.  Everyone constructed their mobiles in a unique manner, with some children using pipe cleaners and string and others sculpting wire.  Don’t forget all the threading of small holes and knot typing that this activity utilizes. We definitely strengthened our fine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination and continued to master the skill of knot-tying! 

 Blogger Katie Fodor is a Program Developer at DuPage Children's Museum. Katie has an MA in Art History and Museum Studies from Case Western Reserve University. Katie joined DCM’s team in the summer of 2013.