Teamwork, problem-solving, creative thinking, tenacity and hard work are just a few of the reasons we have such a heart for DI. It is about the process and growth while striving towards your goal.
This year brought new challenges as we took on another season for Destination Imagination. The main reason it was more challenging is that we feel strongly that our kiddos should not be on the same team. What does this mean for our family? It meant Brad needed to coach Makin's team and I needed to coach Lorelei's team. Brad basically had a part-time assistant in Brittany (meaning she could help most Thursdays after school but not the workdays or any extra...) and I didn't have an assistant at all, so we became each other's assistants in many ways. This also created a lot of extra time figuring out how to make workdays doable with two teams at our house. The fellowship time we had last year didn't happen, and Brad and I were pretty stressed to get enough hours in to accomplish what we needed to.
We were excited that the school had four teams this year! We also continued the Rising Stars group (Christine took over with this age group since I needed to move to coach a competitive team) of around seventeen 1st and 2nd graders. Love how many kids can grow through the program!
I thought it would be helpful to have a somewhat quick description of each team's challenge this year.
Super Solvers (Lorelei's team) - chose the scientific challenge, it had a story about an outsider species (a real animal) and habitat and had to include an outsider species morph and a habitat morph (which had to include a technical element), research about the species and the habitat was incorporated, along with the added challenge of performing in theater in the round (audience on all four sides) - they chose a sloth in the ocean and their team choice elements (showcasing talents of the team) were origami (over 100 pieces) and hula.
Appleanchers (Makin's team) - chose the engineering challenge, it had to include a bridge made of only playing cards and duct tape - the shortest way to explain, the lighter the bridge and the heavier the weight to go across the bridge, the higher the score. The story had to have an unexpected connection and technical element as well as integrating the bridge test into the story - the connection they chose was space and apples, their team choice elements were the mountain they built and the apple mascot song.
Work Days
(I just put these in time order, so they are a mix of both teams.)
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| Lorelei and Jaedynn used paper mache to make the sloth claws. |
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| Styrofoam makes a great astronaut helmet. |
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When you are a coach's kid you put in a lot of DI over time. :)
Working on layering the paper mache. |
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| Makin working on building the car that would drive across their bridge. |
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| Writing the script proved to be one of the biggest challenges...sometimes it helps to stand on your head? |
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| Lorelei and Jaedynn used sewing glue and yarn for the sloth's fur. |
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| We found an awesome store with supplies for cheap! |
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| Cutting up cardboard for part of the technical element. |
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| Making the apple mascot costume. |
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| Cutting pvc pipe for their backdrop. |
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| Working on their technical element. |
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| It takes a while to get all that sloth fur done. :) |
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With the plan of the "front drops" as we started calling them, we also needed a way to be able to see the kiddos.
Boxes with styrofoam coolers in them worked well! |
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We had instant challenges every Thursday. Super Solvers usually rocked the building ones!
This one was building a tower using only paper. |
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| Working on a Thursday at school to incorporate research into the script. |
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The morph included the sloth getting elephant ears.
Their first attempt looked too much like mouse ears so they had to keep going and problem solve! |
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| One of MANY bridge-building brainstorming sessions with these two. |
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| How many of you get to say you built a mountain on a Saturday? :) |
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They came up with the idea that the apple mascot got covered in apples.
This was a pile of apples painted on cardboard. |
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| Painting their boat. |
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| Brainstorming the "morph" design. |
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| Painting the front drops. |
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| Cutting the cards - glad to use those creative memories products again. :) |
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| We participated in an instant challenge scrimmage this year and were very thankful the students could test out their skills and get feedback. Brad was great at team pep talks! |
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| They used splatter paint for the stars in their space scene. |
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| Working on how to add the "glass" to their astronaut helmet. |
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| Old tulle put to use as fire coming from their rocket ship. |
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| Instant challenge discussion. |
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| Another evening bridge session. |
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Drawing the outline of "The Ocean Of Wonders." (their underwater city)
Times four. Turns out doing everything times four takes a LONG time. |
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| Painting The Ocean Of Wonders. |
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| Painting till the sun goes down. |
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| Brainstorming exactly how they will add origami and other decor to the front drops. |
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| Cutting the "sand." |
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| So much hot-glue used this year! |
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Painting again!
(Did I mention doing everything x4 takes a LONG time?!) |
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| More evening bridgework. |
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| More hot glue. :) |
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| Measure, crease, cut etc. |
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| Instant challenge happy faces! |
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| Trouble-shooting the technical element/scene change. |
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| Trouble-shooting the technical element/scene change(morph). |
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| Our mountains of coach paperwork. |
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Measuring the weight that would go across the bridge - they knew exactly how much they wanted each to weigh.
Each piece could only weigh 175 grams and it could be up to three parts.
They had three parts so that they could get as much weight as they could. |
Regional Competition
We worked really hard to get the kids excited to do their best but also not have them expecting to make it to state because we didn't want everyone as disappointed as they were last year. We were completely ecstatic when three of the teams from GCA finished first - So proud! State here we come!
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| Appleanchers reading and waiting to go. |
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I liked how this shot showed the skit going on while the bridge was being put together.
The bridge could be between 2-18 parts and had to be assembled during the skit.
Each piece could only weigh 75 grams or less. |
Bridge pics to be added later...just in case. pic 1143
I liked that this picture showed their car falling off.They had to reassemble and try again.
Bridge pics to be added later...just in case. pic 1144
| Load test successful! (It made it across!) |
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| Each team gets sticky notes - these are the positives the appraisers write down. |
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| Super Solver girls face painting their sloth. :) |
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| Setting up the front drops - Lorelei had to make sure the corners were secure. |
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| Lorelei and Savannah (other corner) came up with a hula dance to perform. |
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Lorelei also played the girl who was asleep having a wonderful dream.
Then she and the sloth both woke up at the same "TIME." |
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| Super Solvers sticky note. |
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I have loved watching Brad coach.
This shot is when he was helping talk to my team before they went in to do their instant challenge. |
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| Hanging out between watching other teams perform. |
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We love our tradition, even though its only the second year,
of all going out to supper between the last performance and the awards ceremony. |
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| Super Solvers waiting for the awards to start. |
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| Appleanchers waiting for the awards to start. |
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DI coaches this year.
So, so thankful for this group.
They were so encouraging and kept me laughing throughout the whole season. |
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| Receiving medals. |
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| So proud of them! |
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| So proud! |
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A few kids had left already, but took a 1st place GCA teams pic!
State here we come! |
