Arlington Community Education

Favorite science lessons will come to life as we explore a number of nature’s wonders. We’ll get up close to crystals, minerals, superabsorbent polymers, and more. We’ll delve into the secret defense systems of tropical rainforest mammals and act out their creeps, crawls, and stings. We will put on engineer hats and build an action figure abode, a balloon car, and tops that spin—and spin some more.

Learn to hand sew three-dimensional ‘‘puffies’’ out of felt—everything from food, animals, shapes, and even emojis. We’ll sew and stuff our puffies, then embellish them with sparkles and embroidery. Bring your own designs and ideas or find inspiration from the class.

How would Cinderella go to the ball if the fairy godmother never appeared, and what would her sisters do? We’ll create and collaborate as an ensemble as we reimagine our own versions of classic tale-as-old-as-time stories. Learn what a good story needs, practice creating interesting characters, and play theater games. We’ll make our own costumes, props, and set pieces out of recycled materials we find at home to bring to life our remixed tales.

In a one-of-a-kind experience, explore community, art, and self-discovery by becoming your own personal hero in an interactive world of Live Action Role Play (LARP). Through themed games, art projects, and interactive theater, create a world of magic and wonder, go on fantastic adventures, and discover magical mysteries.

Artificial intelligence, climate change, and interactive robots will change life on Earth. Imagine smart homes, driverless cars, robotic chefs, self-sustaining skyscrapers, and more. Through research and examples, as well as brainstorming sessions and planning meetings, we will dive into a week of innovation and design. We’ll draw up our plans and then you’ll create your own LEGO house, solar and rain collectors, space-age furniture for every room in the house, and a futuristic vehicle for the garage. Even the family pet will be considered.

Learn to draw animals, vehicles, plants, ocean creatures, and more, using a combination of basic shapes. Pick your favorites and combine them to make a scene that you will color with a variety of media. Each day we will focus on a different theme, and build on our drawing knowledge to make more elaborate pictures. There’s no right or wrong in this class—drawing is all about having fun!

Spend your vacation making a movie trailer or shooting a commercial. Working in small groups, you will script, storyboard, rehearse, and film while learning techniques like script writing, rule-of-thirds, and mise-en-scene. We'll import our footage into Final Cut Pro and learn to edit as you add titles, sound effects, and music. You'll fine tune your overall look and have a finished film by the end of the class.

Explore the world of making things. With a slew of materials in all shapes, forms, and colors you will build an assortment of projects that include cardboard, clay, mixed papers, and found objects. We will also paint, draw, and decorate our projects in order to take them home.

Known for its fun games and teamwork-oriented environment, Nathan’s Ninjas is a mix of traditional Kempo Karate with elements of sport karate, tumbling, and grappling. This class will give you a true self-defense perspective, all while having fun and building confidence.

Take an art and science adventure in nature. We will observe and consider what we see as we draw trees and leaves, gather ingredients from a wooded walk to assemble mixed media collages, make rubbings, and create animal homes. You'll explore natural objects from a variety of perspectives, note your findings in a nature journal, and make a group mural that demonstrates how interconnected nature is. Mornings will focus on the animal kingdom, and afternoons will focus on botany.

Always a blast, Sports of All Sorts will get you playing many active and exciting gym games cooperatively as teams, and as individuals. Activities may include Castle Ball, Messy Backyard, Capture the Flag, Tic-Tac-Toe Relay, and Monster Ball. With unique and sometimes crazy spins on traditional sports and gym games, this class is guaranteed to get you moving, and having fun.