Kids draw the darndest things

In October,  the Greenway Conservancy took to the classrooms to learn from our best carousel customers, the children. As part of the Conservancy’s feasibility study, we visited four local schools – James F. Condon School (South Boston), Roger Clapp Elementary (Dorchester), The Eliot School (North End), and The Advent School (Beacon Hill) – to gather ideas about what children would like to see in a custom carousel.

Children from the Eliot School in the North End with their carousel design.

After learning about the Greenway Carousel project, each child was encouraged to draw a character and add it to a three dimensional “carousel of children’s ideas”.

Asked to think about “what makes Boston special to you” and “what do you think of when you think of the Greenway”, many children gravitated to the city’s connection to Boston Harbor, including real sea creatures and imagined ones. Proposals included a Dolphin, a Seahorse,  a “Lobster Shark”, a half-frog half-fish, and quite a few sea serpents! Also present, but in the minority, were historical characters such as horse with Paul Revere, and a car with 1950s styling recognizing the history of the Central Artery. Flowers, land animals and birds also made appearances on the over 100 characters collected.

A "Lobster Shark" created in Ms Greene's class at the James F. Condon School in South Boston.

Many of children enhanced their designs with lights, buttons, and interactive detailed features such as blow holes on whales and dolphins that shot out water.

Children at the Roger Clap school in Dorchester spin their carousel.

Please join us on Wednesday the 27th at The Boston Children’s Museum (308 Congress Street ) from  5 – 7PM for our second carousel community meeting and to see more of the children’s work. No reservation is required.

Can’t make the meeting? We still want to hear from you. Write [email protected] with your thoughts and suggestions.