09/30/2026
🎪 “What’s a circus?”
That was an actual question one of my students asked during this lesson — and it was such a good reminder of why I love bringing history, culture, and the wider world into the art room. 💜
For this ArtsyFartzy Club project, we stepped back into Florida’s circus history and learned about the Ringling era and the spectacular circus parades that once announced the circus’s arrival. We looked at how animals were displayed in elaborate, decorative wagons and gilded cages as part of the spectacle of the parade. ✨🐘🦁
Then it was time to become printmakers! 🎨 Students learned the printmaking process and created their own animal prints. They made multiple impressions and traded prints with their classmates, so their finished artwork could feature a variety of circus animals.
Finally, each animal print received its own elaborate gilded cage, inspired by the ornate circus parade wagons we had learned about. ✨
One of my favorite things about teaching art is that a project never has to be just about art. A child can walk into class not knowing what a circus is and leave having experienced a little piece of Florida history, learned an entirely new artistic process, collaborated with their classmates, and created something that connects it all together.
Art makes history tangible — and gives kids another way to discover a world bigger than the one they already know. 🎪🎨✨
CircusHistory TheRingling Printmaking PrintmakingForKids ArtHistory ArtHistoryForKids TeachingThroughArt LearningThroughArt YoungArtists CreativeKids ArtTeacher FloridaKids ProcessArt CollaborativeArt
