Bringing Imagination To Life | Melissa Adey
Almost every child at one point in their lives, or another, has an imaginary friend. Someone they can confide in, go on adventures with and to even blame for their mischief! For many children these friends will remain locked, out of sight, in their imagination. But for a lucky few they will be brought to life thanks to ‘Make with Grace’.
More than simply a bespoke toy shop that transforms children’s drawings into toys, ‘Make with Grace’ is all about nurturing children’s imagination and bolstering their self-confidence through a combination of art and exercise. Allowing them to express themselves in an environment where all children are considered artists and there are no creative rules.
Founder of ‘Make with Grace’, Melissa Adey, felt the need to give children a really different creative experience to those they get at school. “Too often schools give the impression that there is a right and wrong way of expressing yourself artistically, that art should look a certain way and this can put children off. This is a huge shame as art is an important way for children to express themselves and helps stimulate their imagination. At ‘Make with Grace’ our philosophy is let go of colouring within the lines and allow the magic of your child’s world to come out to play” says Melissa.
We joined a group of 3 to 7 year olds in Nelspruit’s Botanical Gardens as they took part in this magical experience, which started with a spot of yoga. As Melissa explains, “By making the body active, we relax our minds. Activities like yoga, dance or simply running around allows the children to be physically active and eventually a little tired. This is when they start to relax mentally and are best able to tap into their imagination”.
Purple unicorns, two headed dragons, miniature birds, circular monsters and detailed butterflies came flowing out…
I admit to being slightly dubious about the idea of toddlers doing yoga. But as I watched our merry bunch performing various classical poses, like downward facing dog, with great smiles on their faces and the flexibility most yoga instructors could only dream of, my scepticism quickly faded. As another mother perfectly put it “I love the idea that yoga would inwardly stimulate Moya’s imagination and it was an eye opener how she just gobbled up the experience”.
After a good bout of yoga, dancing and general fun our motley crew settled down as Melissa started the visualisation exercise to stimulate their imagination. She first asked the kids to imagine a beautiful place, filled with their favourite sights, smells and sounds. After a few giggles, it’s clear that even the youngest in the group were really getting into it, especially when Melissa introduced the idea of an imaginary friend joining them in their special place. Excited squeals and blurted descriptions interrupted Melissa as she got the children to visualise their friends, from the colour of their toe nails to the size of their eyes, every detail was covered.
Then it was time to capture their creations on paper, and this they did with gusto. Purple unicorns, two headed dragons, miniature birds, circular monsters and detailed butterflies came flowing out of our mini-Picasso’s under Melissa’s expert guidance. Her philosophy that there is no wrong way to express yourself artistically, gave confidence to even the most hesitant child and resulted in almost every mother remarking how their child never drew that well at home!
Three hours of fun in the Botanical Gardens was definitely worth the token fee Melissa charges for the ‘Yoga and Art’ experience. I couldn’t put it better than four year old Morgan who described it as, “10/10 fun!” But the real magic happens a few weeks later, when the beautiful handmade toys arrive and our childrens’ imaginary friends are brought to life before their eyes.
For more information about ‘Make with Grace’ visit their website: www.makewithgrace.com
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