Let's Do the Twist!
Twist the day away with this "retro" project based on a popular dance of the 60s. Do the Twist with Crayola® Twistables™!
1. In the late 1950s and 1960s, teenagers danced to a revolutionary new sound made popular by the popular musician Chubby Checker. Although Checker didn't write "The Twist" (it was originally written by Hank Ballard in 1958), he made it famous. "The Twist" changed the sound of popular music forever.
2. Young people danced to "The Twist" by twisting their bodies to the music, with the motion of their hips and the motion of their shoulders going in opposite directions in time to the music. Although this dance seems tame by today's standards, it was shocking to adults at the time.
3. To create your own artwork to celebrate the Twist, begin by asking family members or neighbors about trends in the late 1950s and early 60s. You will find that music was an important part of the youth culture of those years just as it is now. Find the names of some popular song titles. Ask about what teenagers wore then. Better yet, look at some pictures!
4. People used to listen to popular music on records, which were the sound recordings of the time. Records were made on vinyl (plastic) disks. They were played on turntables (record-players), that had speakers, just like contemporary CD or tape players.
5. Records were played by placing a mechanical arm with a small needle in the end on top of the spinning vinyl disk. Single, popular songs were made on 45s, a small record (about twice as large as a CD) that contained a single song on each side. The 45 referred to the number of rotations the record made per minute on a turntable.
6. Have fun making replica records of your own. Cut several black circles (for records) from construction paper. Cut a very small hole in the center of each circle.
7. Records had paper labels at the center of each disk. Cut small circles of paper in contrasting colors to make labels. With a Crayola Glue Stick, attach each label to the center of a record. On labels, use Crayola Twistables™ to write the names of the songs and the artists who made them.
8. Glue your records to a pink background paper. Make an interesting pattern.
9. Use Twistables to draw dancing teenagers on white paper. Dress them in clothes from the 1960s.
10. Cut out your dancers, then twist them in the middle, so their bodies seem to be dancing the Twist. Glue your dancing teenagers to the record background. Dance along with them to your favorite music!
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.
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