A few years ago, while I was working as a nanny, I made a dollhouse with the little girl I was looking after. Actually, we each made one. Complete with colourful beaded curtains, chandeliers, and wired with Christmas lights, the houses we built were unique and a source of hours of imaginative play after they were completed. I always wanted to make more, and this winter, I had 3 eager little girls who wanted to make dollhouses of their very own.
I had to prepare the girls by letting them know that this was going to be a lengthy project, and each week we would have to work very hard building, painting, decorating and accessorizing. I was prepared to help with much of the execution, but the planning and choices were strictly up to the girls.
Young children often don’t have the stamina or attention span required to tackle a huge, multi stepped projects on their own. They are much more comfortable with quick, instantly gratifying dabblings into different ideas and activities. I think that guiding children through complex projects, scaffolding them by presenting each task step by step, has huge potential for learning and development. I talk about learning potential in my Studio Priorities, in the first priority specifically, to facilitate positive growth.
As for these dollhouses, I allowed the girls to put as much detail into their projects as they desired. Unsurprisingly, the level of detail they went into directly corresponded to their respective ages. The 5 year old’s house is completely different than the 7 year old’s house, but each completely charming in their own ways. I wondered if the 5 year old would look at the finer details and feel envious, but each of the girls were deeply involved in their own houses, and completely lost in developing their own unique imaginative worlds.
Nobody fussed, or became frustrated over small details; they all seemed to approach the houses with a very easy going attitude. They learned patience, persistence, and got to experience the pride of accomplishment. The best part is, the dollhouses will continue to inspire, engage, and evolve in their relationship with each girl. Making art that they can interact with, and engaging in longer projects, is a wonderful way to empower children, raise their self-confidence, and show them the value in hard work.
Every so often, I get to do another dollhouse project, with a new student. Winter 2011 brought another student, who wanted to do just that. Her name, coincidentally was also Rachel, so the two of us namesakes set out together, to build her a dollhouse too.
Rachel knew from the start that she wanted to do the dollhouse project. She learned, week after week, the amount of work and steps involved in a project of this scale. Adding the finishing details was something that she continued to look forward to as we worked together each week.
Choosing which room would be which, what wallpaper to use, what kind of furniture she wanted, and what to make it out of, were just some of the choices Rachel had to make. As her vision unfolded, her excitement grew and grew, and now that it’s all complete, the possibilities for further creativity and imagination are just beginning.