Rotorua Children's Art House holiday programme a big hit

(From left) Glenys Courtney-Strachan, Reone Allen, 8, Leon Smith and Isaac Caird, 6, working on art together. Photo/Shauni James

Rotorua kids have expressed their creativity in a school holiday programme where they made shields, weapons, dragons and more.

Rotorua Children's Art House co-ordinator Maria Marshall says this was the third week of the school holiday programme and the theme was Knights of the Round Table.

She says they were looking at all aspects, including shields, weapons, hats, and flags, as well as making a castle and a dungeon.

There were books the children could study to get ideas and help them build their own project.

On Tuesday 10 children were taking part, and they could take up to 14 at a time.

Helping out Maria were three volunteers - Eden Large, Leon Smith and Glenys Courtney-Strachan.

Maria says the children's art is always beautiful.

"I love the fact that they study their own individual projects and can do whatever they want to do to progress that forward.

"You find out so much about how they think and develop their ideas."

She says she also loves the children's sense of humour - "it's fantastic, they are great kids".

Maria says the holiday season is long for the children and parents go back to work, so sometimes they just need more to do.

She says the holiday programme is not a pressurised situation.

"It's just art so they can relax. We have breaks, they go outside and play sports, and then come back in have a bit more art."

Isaac Caird, 6, says he has been working on making a dragon, and he likes dragons because they breathe fire.

He says he has been enjoying making it, though doing the paper mache was a bit challenging.

It feels good once you have completed your art work, he says.

Reone Allen, 8, says he enjoys creating armour and making things from "the olden days".

He says he likes going to the Children's Art House because they do heaps of arts, drawing and making things out of cardboard.