Eli Whitney Museum

Dragons are made of parts borrowed from birds, reptiles, mammals and imagination. Assemble two: from the old Norse traditions that Hiccup so carefully describes. Or from the now 15 year-old Pokemon traditions of Japan. Make your dragon match your favorite or look like a beast no one else has ever seen.

Yoga is a tradition of mental and physical exercise that comes from India. Elephants come from India. Is it a surprise to learn that Babar* does Yoga? Construct an amazingly limber elephant. Learn the basic Yoga positions as Babar instructs. Then stretch yourself. Monica Debenedet, RYT, the principal of yogabody Studios will introduce you to the stretching that your elephant has learned.
*Babar® is introduced as a literature source. This class has no connection to his publisher, author or illustrator. Babar's Yoga for Elephants © 2010 is available in bookstores and online.

Our annual tribute to the Japanese origins of our Whitney Relay. Construct a Bento Box, a carrier to hold in careful order: tracks, blocks, marbles, and essential parts. Invent your own Rube Goldberg style constructions. Then work with the entire class and a team of 5 apprentices to construct a 100 track relay. A study in planning, precision, discipline and teamwork.

A small group of students will construct screens that will become part of ArtSPACE's Exquisite Corpse Project. The students will learn to drill, countersink, square, screw, and sand frames that will be both functional and attractive. Their work will be credited in the February 2011 SCRAWL event and may fulfill a community service requirement. It takes a community to create art.

On our pre-warped two harness table looms, (or on the one you got as a gift), weave a warm winter scarf for yourself, your parents or for a friend. Under the direction of master weavers Martha Burns and Myra Serrins, design your scarf using various colors and types of yarn we supply or that you bring with you. How many can you do in a day? That all depends on how elaborate your design is or how quickly you weave. (An extra materials fee may apply for multiple scarves.) You might even decide to buy your loom when the day is done. (Call for details.)

Vacuum Bazookas, Electric Rainbow Jelly* is Neil Downie's first volume of brilliant designs for experimental science. Make three of his experiments dance. Construct Flying Pulleys that tumble a cadre of acrobats. discover the wave forms in a whirling dervish's frock. Master the improbable propulsion of a vibrating brush. Developed with the permission of the author.

*Available at the Museum. Retail $27.95. With this class, $20. A great holiday gift. A libretto to the math and science of our winter science series.