1- Day Workshop
Sunday, November 16, 2025
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Instructor: Maddy Conley
“It’s like a mini tv!” “It’s like a moving book!” “How are you doing that?” and “Can I see how it works?” are common refrains from kids when they see a crankie for the first time. Crankies inspire a sense of wonder, magic, and inspiration in all who see them, but especially in kids, who are natural storytellers, artists, and engineers and are always eager to try their hand at this fascinating artform. Check out this video to see a crankie in action!
In this workshop, kids will get a chance to write, draw, paint, glue, construct with cardboard, and, if they want, perform their very own crankie.
In the morning, participants will work on crankie box construction and decoration, and then get right into storyboarding the song, story, or poem they want to illustrate. We’ll break for lunch (students bring their own lunch!), and spend the rest of the afternoon creating the scroll that will become the centerpiece of our crankies. Throughout the day, we’ll sprinkle in short games that encourage creative ideation, outside-the-“crankie-box” thinking, and fun.
At 2:45, families are welcome to join us for (completely optional) crankie performances by the participants.
Tuition includes class time/instruction and all materials.
Students should bring:
A simple story, poem, or a song in mind that they would like to illustrate (don’t worry if you’re not sure yet, we’ll have some folk tales, poems, and other ideas on hand for those who are undecided)
A peanut/tree-nut-free lunch and (optional) snack. Students will break for lunch around 12:00 noon.
This class is open to students ages 8-13.
Skill Level: All levels welcome.
Limited scholarship funding is available for this class. To apply for financial aid, please fill out our Scholarship Application.
Click here to view our Terms & Conditions.
1- Day Workshop
Sunday, November 16, 2025
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Instructor: Maddy Conley
“It’s like a mini tv!” “It’s like a moving book!” “How are you doing that?” and “Can I see how it works?” are common refrains from kids when they see a crankie for the first time. Crankies inspire a sense of wonder, magic, and inspiration in all who see them, but especially in kids, who are natural storytellers, artists, and engineers and are always eager to try their hand at this fascinating artform. Check out this video to see a crankie in action!
In this workshop, kids will get a chance to write, draw, paint, glue, construct with cardboard, and, if they want, perform their very own crankie.
In the morning, participants will work on crankie box construction and decoration, and then get right into storyboarding the song, story, or poem they want to illustrate. We’ll break for lunch (students bring their own lunch!), and spend the rest of the afternoon creating the scroll that will become the centerpiece of our crankies. Throughout the day, we’ll sprinkle in short games that encourage creative ideation, outside-the-“crankie-box” thinking, and fun.
At 2:45, families are welcome to join us for (completely optional) crankie performances by the participants.
Tuition includes class time/instruction and all materials.
Students should bring:
A simple story, poem, or a song in mind that they would like to illustrate (don’t worry if you’re not sure yet, we’ll have some folk tales, poems, and other ideas on hand for those who are undecided)
A peanut/tree-nut-free lunch and (optional) snack. Students will break for lunch around 12:00 noon.
This class is open to students ages 8-13.
Skill Level: All levels welcome.
Limited scholarship funding is available for this class. To apply for financial aid, please fill out our Scholarship Application.
Click here to view our Terms & Conditions.
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2