Our new favourite programme on CBBC is TOTALLY RUBBISH. Except it’s really utterly brilliant, it just happens to be called that. Hosted by Michelle Ackerley and Nigel Clarke, each episode is filled with wonderful ideas to turn rubbish into fun art.
Like many television programmes, a lot of their ‘rubbish’ looks a little too clean to be true and there are projects that aren’t particularly practical. But unlike many kids’ art shows, most of the projects are things that are possible to try, and we actually have a lot of the materials easily to hand.
Again, unlike many art shows for kids, although the adult presenters show a lot of the projects, when the children are involved they are actually involved and one project per episode is presented entirely by children. There is a giant artwork per episode, segments on famous and new artists plus animations and humour. We really like this show, and MG asks to make several projects from each episode!
Which leads on to the decorated shoes! In episode 2, there is a section on an artist who paints shoes as inspiration for jazzing up some tired old trainers. To be honest, the ‘tired, old trainers’ looked a bit too white to have ever been used but MG and I took the idea and got a new pair of white plimsoles (pretty cheap to buy in many stores) which she decorated with her oil pastels (her current favourite art material, a Christmas present.)
This makes them “indoor only” shoes but it was great fun for her and such an easy craft that we’ll be doing it as part of her birthday party this year. Hugely scaled back from last year’s rainbow party, MG will be having half a dozen girls (her choice!) from her class after school on a Friday. I must be crazy… 
We’re asking for shoe sizes in the invite, and will then get a batch of cheap white plimsoles in the right sizes for them to decorate. We’ve got some fabric pens somewhere from last year’s party or I can buy some fabric paint. I’m also planning to get some stick-on diamontes or similar so they can make their shoes sparkle. We think it will be a lot of fun, and gives each child something useful to take home in their party bag too.
Love this idea
) Will you post a picture of all the finished shoes?
Catherine recently posted..Dinosaur Dig by Penny Dale
I will try to get a picture, but depends on time. Seven girls aged 5-7 plus a 3-yr old. In a confined space. With cake. Panic!
That’s such a great idea! …Good Luck with the party (gulp)
Polly Faber recently posted..Cool Science Tricks
That’s a BRILLIANT idea! I may well have to steal it for future birthday parties
Looking forward to hearing how it all goes xx
storyseekersuk recently posted..‘Just Imagine’, by Pippa Goodhart, illustrated by Nick Sharratt
Wow that is a really great idea, I think that will go down very well. I agree that a lot of these ‘art’ programs are not very easy to replicate so we will have to look out for that one.
Nikki Thomas recently posted..Project 365 – Week 4
Looks quite funny to do! I think I’m going to organize a shoe painting session with my children aswell…. sound like fun to me aswell!
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