Busy Bee Academy, the activity centre in AB Block, came alive with colours, laughter and creativity as they hosted a gingerbread house-making workshop that brought together artistes of all ages.
Those above the age of seven took charge of turning simple craft materials into colourful little dream houses. With cardboard as their base, the participants used paint, straws, colourful stones, sticks, cotton and other craft items to bring their gingerbread houses to life.
Airra Jain was happy to decorate her little paper house with ribbons and markers to highlight the windows and roof. “This is a first-time experience for me. I have never made a gingerbread house before. I’d only seen photos, but this is such fun,” said the nine-year-old.
The students were being guided by co-founder of the centre, Anindita Basu, and Anindita Datta, a painter who had come down for the workshop.
Eighteen-year-old Neil Bose was happy to enjoy his break after examinations with the craft sessions. “Art and craft are a relaxing and fun activity for me. And now that I’m done with my exams I am enjoying it more. I like doing craft, but painting a gingerbread house was new for me.”
Aarvi Jain used glue guns to attach the sides of her red-coloured house. “I watched a few decorating ideas before coming here but I am finally creating designs on my own. Previously, I joined a tote bag-painting workshop here, and I am enjoying myself today too,” said the 13-year-old.
Aastha Burman used straws to decorate the windows and cotton on the sides. “Just bringing the whole house together was so much fun. Last year at home we tried baking a gingerbread house but we did not decorate it, and it was messy too. This is more fun as we are decorating the house,” said the 19- year old as her brother Aarav with her help placed straws on the house.
Basu said they always organise some activity around Christmas every year, “as we want them to feel the magic of the season. But we also want them to know that there is more to occasion than the tree and Santa. There are so many rituals that people perform around this time but not many know about them. We tried to share these with the kids and make them feel the community spirit so they would help each other to make the houses,” she said. “It is also such a task now-a-days to keep kids away from phones. These are activities for which they do not touch their phones for hours,” she smiled.