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In keeping with its dual function as an art gallery and a yoga studio, Amara Yoga and Arts is adding interactive art workshops for kids to take while their parents are in a yoga class. Kathryn Fitzgerald, Art Director and co-owner at Amara, described the workshop as a “stimulating and creative” activity for the children.

“[The parents] can be taking a yoga class while the kids are being watched in here, but it’s more than babysitting because the kids are actually making art,” said Fitzgerald.

Although Amara has not specifically offered workshops like this in the past, Fitzgerald explained that the idea for the workshops came to her as an extension of what was already happening at the studio. “I teach kids yoga and part of that class at the end is usually making art or drawing, or something that comes out of their resting time, which is creative visualization,” said Fitzgerald.

Rebecca Flores, a Waldorf-trained art teacher and doll maker, will be teaching the “Fairies and Fairy Houses Playshop for Kids,” the first of what Fitzgerald hopes will become a series of workshops. Flores will structure the workshop around Rudolph Steiner’s Waldorf approach to education. Waldorf education stresses the role of the environment and its power over a child’s imagination.

Flores was exposed to Rudolph Steiner’s educational philosophy when her son attended the Chicago Waldorf School. “Waldorf education strives to educate the head, heart and hands of the child. It’s very holistic and it comes out of Steiner’s view of the human being as being a spiritual being,” said Flores. Flores explained that the imaginative process can be stifled with certain environments. “A lot of kids today, from the time they’re infants, are bombarded with a lot of loud toys that make tons of noise,” said Flores.

In this first workshop series, the children will construct fairies and fairy houses from all natural materials such as wood, bark and moss that they have gathered outside from their own yards. “They take the shape of the stuff you’re working with, and it’s all organic,” said Flores. “They’re all going to be totally different.” Flores explained that this vision is consistent with the Waldorf philosophy and will “give space to children to play imaginatively and show that natural materials resonate.”

Fitzgerald explained that these workshops have added relevance in our technologically dependent society. Fitzgerald said the workshops are important, “especially right now – because so many kids are parked in front of computers or television sets and they’re not engaging in their environment as much, or having fantasy play as much as they used to.”

Fitzgerald remarked that she has heard from interested adults as well, and said such adults are welcome to attend the workshops because it brings back a familiar creative process. “Why is it that adults feel that they can’t engage in these fun, playful, creative things?” said Fitzgerald.

Beginning in January, Fitzgerald and Flores will offer additional workshops for kids and people of all ages. Possible ideas include toymaking, dollmaking, and knitting. The fairy playshop is for ages 6 and up and will run from Nov. 7 through Dec. 19.