True Treasure by Elenor Stephenson, age 11

True Treasure 

Treasure seeker by Lilly Blue

Azure seas stretch out before me,

Forested hills rise and fall,

Wild winds howl in a ghostly rhythm

I feel the call.

The spirit of greed sings, “Come,”

The lure of treasure beckons,

I will search forever,

For all my living seconds.

I journey endlessly,

Not learning,

Never thinking,

Just yearning,

For something non-existent,

For something that’s not there.

Riches. The rest?

I do not care.

The seas?

They are of people.

The hills?

They are no more.

The wind is just the sounds of cars.

The ‘call’ had a flaw.

I see now.

Treasure. Nature. Find it.

by Elenor Stephenson, age, 11

I am eleven years old and will go to high school next year. I have three siblings: Anna, Ingrid and Gabriel. I am very interested in volcanoes, the environment and socialism. I like school and my favourite subject is Human Society and Its Environment and Science, because learning about your surroundings helps you to make the world a better place. My favourite colour is blue like the sea after a storm or green like the leaves of a snow gum. My favourite place on earth is Mt Ngauruhoe in New Zealand which is a volcano I visited when I was ten.

BRAVERY is facing your fears and standing up for what you know is right even if it is hard, 

never being discouraged just because you do not feel like you fit in.

IMAGINATION is the essence of creativity and the fuel of wonder. It is being able to create pictures and stories in your mind and to make other feel them too.

GENEROSITY is giving things up, even when it is a big sacrifice, or when no one is there to see.

The BIG Force - LAST DAYS to submit to Game On!

The littlest BIG boy is home sick with a 'massive virus' as he says. He is going through a serious Star Wars stage in great hope of meeting a scientist who will make him a light sabre that can go through things and we thought to blog this gorgeous contribution today just for him x

We have had a wave of responses in the last few days and a couple of requests for a day long extension. SUNDAY night is the definitive GAME OVER for contributions so SUBMIT now.

May The Force Be With You!

This awesome game was invented by Trinity, age 9, Annabelle, age 7 and Joanna from Kansas, USA

You can now pre-purchase Game On! and SUBSCRIBE to Issues 2 and 3 HERE Please tell your friends :)

'Budding Artists'

I am very much looking forward to 'meeting' the young artists who responded to my work to win the Artbuds 'Budding Artists' competition. Aimee from Queensland, was awarded the winner of the 2-4 age category with her beautiful response to my work 'Embracing all that is precious'. She will receive a giclee print of her work from Artbuds and a chance to 'meet' me via Skype, as will the 10-12yr old winner, Stephanie from Melbourne. Get your questions ready girls :) It was also lovely to see BIG Kids contributor Tejjas from India in the mix with his great response to the work of Nathan Spoor. 

Embracing all that is precious
By Lilly Blue

Winner of the 2-4 age group, Aimee from Queensland

Winner of the 8-10 year old age group, Stephanie from Melbourne responded with a self portrait.

Beyond The Frame - A BIG idea from Art in All of Us

 We greatly admire the vision of Art in All of Us in reaching 100000 children through art activities in schools around the world since its inception in 2005. Founder Anthony Asael instigated the program to promote tolerance and cultural exchange through art to stimulate the creativity and the curiosity of children.

This latest project is the most beautiful response-based idea connecting children from different countries in a visceral and immediate dialogue about the way they see the world around them. Children are given photographs from a particular place (not theirs) and asked to imagine beyond the borders to continue drawing the map past the edges of what is 'seen'. In this way,  a new work of art is created extending the original image and provoking ideas of the continuing links between people and places.

Children working on Beyond the Frame in Brazil

Art in All of Us - Beyond the Frame Beyond the Imagination project: 

Stick a photograph in the middle of a very large sheet of paper. Look carefully at the image and discuss what is in it. What might lie beyond its borders? After discussion, each child in the group can help to draw on the paper, around the image, what the group has agreed lies beyond the frame.

Topanga children create a village of Grumpi ladies

We were so excited to receive such beautifully responsive work from far across the oceans. Sandy Savas runs art classes out of her home in a small town called Topanga in the mountains of California, a stones throw from the sea. 

Hallelujah, age 7

'My home is my studio.  I teach out of my back yard, living room, kitchen and dining room.  I keep my classes small - no more then 8 students and they are with me for 3 hours in the day.  Everyday, they go home with an incredible art project.  We do all types of arts and crafts.  I like to say "everything from feathers to cement".   We paint a lot.  So when I found your web-site and saw Grumpi, I knew they had to do her.  She is beautiful.' Sandy

Lilly Blue, age 41

'Grumpilotta gives up the sorrows from her skirts for
the stars to burn as fuel to flame
the sky' Jo Pollitt, age 38

Grumpilotta is a grumpy girl who is really kind. She tells stories to small children and tells them it's ok to be grumpy sometimes, that doesn't mean that you are a mean person. The children have fun listening to Grumpilotta's stories and always look forward to more. Kylie, age 7

I call her Grumpolina.  Her real name is Grumpilotta. I was in my art class with five other girls and my teacher Sandy.  We sat down and she told us a story about Grumpilotta. Grumpillotta is a grumpy lady who is actually very nice.  She tells children wonderful stories.  If I met Grumpilotta she would say, “Hello little one.  Would you like me to tell you a story? I would curtsy and say, “Yes, please.  Thank you for asking.”She might look down at me and say “Are you always so kind?” “Well, I try.” She would smile at me and say, “Trying is good enough.”  SummerAnne, age 8                                                                      

Gaelyn, age 4

Mackenzie, age 4

My Grumpilotta is grumpy because a bird is sitting on her heard.  It won't get off even when she says "shoo!"  It's ok to be grumpy with a bird on your head. Zara, age 4

A beauty of birds in incredible Kindy colour

The kids at Lady Game Kindergarten in Sydney have been responding to the BIG pages in flocks. Here they have collaged photographs of birds onto large pieces of paper and completed the images in crayon and coloured wash with beautiful results. Their class is now in the running for the BIG Giveaway! You have till tomorrow night to email us your creative responses to your favourite BIG pages or upload them to our facebook wall...we know so many kids have been writing/drawing/colouring and creating on the pages - they just need a grown up to take a quick photo and send it in OR comment on facebook or below with a description of your/your child's response.