Recently, advanced ceramics students from Shadow Ridge High School visited Kitty Ward Elementary, where they spent time with kindergarteners drawing imaginative and quirky monsters, but the fun didn’t stop there. Back at Shadow, the high schoolers transformed those drawings into 3D clay sculptures, turning crayon sketches into real-life creations.
When the students first heard about this idea, they were thrilled.
“I was very excited,” senior Holly Trapiss stated. “Kindergartners always have unpredictable ideas when it comes to things like art, so I was excited to be challenged with this while being able to meet and interact with them.”
Though the experience was exciting and new, it also came with a bit of pressure.
“It felt like a lot of pressure, but it’s also a really cool feeling to know that I am helping make a vision come to life,” junior Leah Pullins said.
Trapiss actually worked with two students, which added an extra layer of challenge but also more fun.
“Working with the two kids in my group was very fun. They had lots of interesting ideas for their monsters, and they both turned out very cute and fun in the end,” Trapiss stated. “Their drawings being made into sculptures is a surprise that only the teachers know about, so I’m very excited to see how they will react when we surprise them.”
Pullins’s group, on the other hand, was in on the secret- and they could barely contain their excitement.
“They were so hilarious and fun to work with,” Pullins said. “Once they found out we were going to be making their monster, they went crazy and wanted to add a bunch of details.”
Like many meaningful experiences, this project also came with some takeaways.
“This project helped me realize that everything I design does not have to be perfect on the first try and that going wild with design choices can make it more challenging but also more fun to work with,” Trapiss stated. “This project will continue to inspire me with more wild ideas for design, and it’ll help me realize I can make things for me, and not something that only others will enjoy.”
But perhaps the best part of the day was the memories the students made. For a moment, they got to feel like little kids again.
“My most memorable moment from this day was when we all went outside for recess. My two kids wanted to play tag most of the time, so I was doing a lot of running with them,” Trapiss said. “It reminded me of when I still got recess in school and would play with anyone who was open to random games. It was very fun and cute to see and be a part of.”
As students get older, it’s easy to get sidetracked by the challenges life throws at them. So, being part of a day where they could embrace creativity, joy, and connection with younger students was a refreshing reminder of the magic in small moments.
At the end of the day, this wasn’t just about clay and crayons- it was about connection, imagination, and the kind of joy that sticks long after the monsters are molded. Something to remember forever.
