DIY Circus Lab for Kids by Jackie Leigh Davis
From skills to props, DIY Circus Lab for Kids teaches you and your family everything you need to know to produce your own circus.
Davis is a long-time circus instructor and her experience is immediately evident in her clear instructions, which are broken into written steps with photo illustrations featuring actual youth circus artists, while website links provide video demonstrations of prop/apparatus construction and the skills themselves[. . .] A niche but exemplary resource. * Booklist, starred review *
Davis notes that the “circus is for everyone”—an inclusive message echoed by the activities, which align with different ability levels and interests, from tight rope walking to designing T-shirts. * Publishers Weekly *
DIY Circus Lab for Kids is a perfect circus classroom resource and also a tool for children who are interested in learning circus skills but who live in places where there is no access to circus classes. * Fiona Bradley, Circus Talk *
A well-conceived how-to book [...] ideal for collections where tweens and teens want to learn how to put on a show. * School Library Journal *
This is an excellent book, expertly done, and deserves a place on the bookshelf of any child interested in exploring the circus arts. * International Jugglers’ Association *
A hands-on, step-by-step guide with easy instructions and clear photos that demonstrate each juggling, balancing, clowning, and show-making activity. -- Vivian Kirkfield * Picture Books Help Kids Soar blog *
The book allows children to learn the basics of juggling, balancing, clowning and show-making, each skill paired with tutorials on how to hand-make props they might need at a cheaper cost than purchasing ready-made equipment. Whether it’s juggling balls from tennis balls filled with sand and covered with colorful balloons suitable for kids of any age, or a plywood tight-rope frame that may need some adult assistance, the idea is to create an environment of inclusivity. * Monadnock Ledger-Transcript *
A great reference book for school libraries [. . .] It’s also a great hands-on gift for adventurous youth, and for video game-obsessed or artistic youth who need to know that not all physical activity is highly competitive or sports based! * CircusTalk *
Davis notes that the “circus is for everyone”—an inclusive message echoed by the activities, which align with different ability levels and interests, from tight rope walking to designing T-shirts. * Publishers Weekly *
DIY Circus Lab for Kids is a perfect circus classroom resource and also a tool for children who are interested in learning circus skills but who live in places where there is no access to circus classes. * Fiona Bradley, Circus Talk *
A well-conceived how-to book [...] ideal for collections where tweens and teens want to learn how to put on a show. * School Library Journal *
This is an excellent book, expertly done, and deserves a place on the bookshelf of any child interested in exploring the circus arts. * International Jugglers’ Association *
A hands-on, step-by-step guide with easy instructions and clear photos that demonstrate each juggling, balancing, clowning, and show-making activity. -- Vivian Kirkfield * Picture Books Help Kids Soar blog *
The book allows children to learn the basics of juggling, balancing, clowning and show-making, each skill paired with tutorials on how to hand-make props they might need at a cheaper cost than purchasing ready-made equipment. Whether it’s juggling balls from tennis balls filled with sand and covered with colorful balloons suitable for kids of any age, or a plywood tight-rope frame that may need some adult assistance, the idea is to create an environment of inclusivity. * Monadnock Ledger-Transcript *
A great reference book for school libraries [. . .] It’s also a great hands-on gift for adventurous youth, and for video game-obsessed or artistic youth who need to know that not all physical activity is highly competitive or sports based! * CircusTalk *
Jackie Leigh Davis, EdM., is a circus education pioneer, teacher, and advocate. She was a founding member of the American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO), the first national youth circus advocacy organization in the country. Founded in 1999, AYCO hosts biennial national festivals and educator conferences to promote the participation of youth in circus arts.
In 1995, Jackie established the circus arts curriculum for grades 1-8 at the Pine Hill Waldorf School in Wilton, NH. The program culminates in the annual Hilltop Circus, created and performed in collaboration with Pine Hill’s middle school students. Jackie also founded the Silver Lining Circus Camp (1997), a summer day camp for children ages 7-14, and the Flying Gravity Circus (1999), a teen troupe that brought performances and workshops to school communities from Pennsylvania to Toronto. Jackie has coached juggling, balance skills, and performance/clowning at the Circus Smirkus summer camp in Vermont.
She merged her interests in circus arts and academics to become a circademic, earning a Master of Education degree in Human Development & Psychology in 2009 from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. At Harvard she identified circus as a vehicle for physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development and constructed her theory of developmental circus arts (DCA).
Prior to her teaching and writing careers, Jackie was a professional mime who studied with Marcel Marceau, performed for nearly 4 years at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center, and taught at New York University. She currently resides and writes in New Hampshire. Her adult daughters, Erin and Ellie, live nearby.
In 1995, Jackie established the circus arts curriculum for grades 1-8 at the Pine Hill Waldorf School in Wilton, NH. The program culminates in the annual Hilltop Circus, created and performed in collaboration with Pine Hill’s middle school students. Jackie also founded the Silver Lining Circus Camp (1997), a summer day camp for children ages 7-14, and the Flying Gravity Circus (1999), a teen troupe that brought performances and workshops to school communities from Pennsylvania to Toronto. Jackie has coached juggling, balance skills, and performance/clowning at the Circus Smirkus summer camp in Vermont.
She merged her interests in circus arts and academics to become a circademic, earning a Master of Education degree in Human Development & Psychology in 2009 from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. At Harvard she identified circus as a vehicle for physical, social-emotional, and cognitive development and constructed her theory of developmental circus arts (DCA).
Prior to her teaching and writing careers, Jackie was a professional mime who studied with Marcel Marceau, performed for nearly 4 years at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center, and taught at New York University. She currently resides and writes in New Hampshire. Her adult daughters, Erin and Ellie, live nearby.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781631593475 |
| ISBN 10 | 1631593471 |
| Title | DIY Circus Lab for Kids |
| Author | Jackie Leigh Davis |
| Series | Lab For Kids |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc |
| Year published | 2018-02-15 |
| Number of pages | 152 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |