Panoply teaching kids about sustainability

Panoply is going green this year.

The Arts Council announced Friday that the hands-on children’s art activities will all be made from recycled or pre-used material.

“We hope this will trigger ideas in children’s minds,” said Julie Hornstein, marketing manager. “We’d like to get back to do-it-myself creativity.”

Hornstein said the council’s aim is to not only teach about sustainability, but to send a message to kids that not everything has to be brand new.

“It’s a trend and it’s a good one,” she said. “They can go ahead and make something creative out of what they’ve got on hand. It taps into their creativity and imagination.”

Below is a list of kids activities that have “gone green” this year:

Dance and Theatre Zone

• Creative Capes – Children will use recycled t-shirts to design their own imaginative super-hero capes.

• Panoply Power Bands – Recycled toilet paper rolls will be decorated to create super-hero wrist bands.

• Face Painting – With their super-hero Creative Capes and Panoply Power Bands, children can complete their Panoply costume at the festival’s Face Painting tent.

Music Zone

• Panoply Percussion – Ordinary paper plates will become tambourines and recycled toilet paper rolls will magically become maracas in Panoply’s Music zone.

Visitors to the Panoply Music Zone will also get into the action at the Get Rhythm! interactive drum circle and the Huntsville Symphony Guild’s “Discover Music” tent featuring a virtual petting zoo of musical instruments.

Visual Art Zone

• Easel Art – This popular Panoply activity provides budding artists with a blank sheet of paper and a water-side easel to create their own artistic interpretation of the festival.

Global Zone

• Masks Around the World – A basic stick mask will be transformed into a creative face covering as children travel through Panoply’s Global Pavilions.

• International Pavilion Activities – Each of the seven international countries and regions represented in Panoply’s Global Village will help children take an artistic world tour through hands-on art activities.

Food Zone

• Panoply Posies – Children will grow new flowers out of coffee filters or recycled plastic water bottles as they enjoy the culinary arts featured in the festival food zone.

The Panoply Arts Festival will run from April 27 to April 29 in Huntsville’s Big Spring International Park. Daily admission is $5 and weekend Panopasses are $10. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge.

For additional information visit Artshuntsville.org.