The Canopy
installationsAll Ages
Anchor two big birch branches upright in a tall cardboard drum or sturdy planter, weighted at the base with bricks or sand so they stay put when little hands grab on (and they will!).
Tall leaves to walk through, vines to duck under, an orangutan watching from the trees. A week of immersive jungle making.
Introduction
My most favourite themes to run at Smudge are the immersive ones, where we transform the whole studio into somewhere else entirely. Jungle is at the top of that list. Tall leaves to walk through, vines to duck under, rich greens layered with tropical pops, plant on plant on plant, and soft toys watching from the trees. Once it's all up, walking into the studio feels like walking into a different place.
And kids come to a jungle already half-knowing it. Books and movies and songs and artwork have all built one in their heads long before the cardboard trees go up. A jungle is genuinely magical, the kind of place where anything could happen. Bringing some of that magic into our studio for a week has been such a joy.
What's in this guide is what we ran across the week. Some of these activities can squeeze into an afternoon. Others (the canopy installation especially) take more setup, but they're worth every minute. Do them all, do a few, or pull one out as a rainy Saturday rescue.
From Smudge to You
Below you'll find the collection of creative activities we've used to bring this theme to life at Smudge. Each one is an invitation to play, experiment, and see where the materials take you. Pick and choose what excites you and adapt them to your own space.
Anchor two big birch branches upright in a tall cardboard drum or sturdy planter, weighted at the base with bricks or sand so they stay put when little hands grab on (and they will!).
Cork circles are the trick for the base.
For the animal photos, raid your local op shop.
Lay out a generous spread of mark-making tools across a long table.
Pour green rice across the base of the tray, generously enough to cover the bottom in a deep layer.
Choose a base that suits the scale.
Set out a stack of safari animal reference photos so the artists can pick the one they're drawn to.
Fill a clear tub with water.