The Best Part of Me

This art project was inspired by the book "The Best Part of Me" by Wendy Ewald. Ewald, asked children the compelling question - what is the best part of you? Then paired their answers with a photograph of the part they described - Camila likes her hair because "it's wavy like the ocean." Colette likes her hands "because they turn the pages of a book slowly and magically." Andrew likes his legs because "they carry me a long way." It's a beautiful, funny and poignant book.

Supplies:

Camera
One piece of writing paper
Pen

Directions:

1. Ask your child what is the best part of her body. Try not to be too directive. If direction is needed, have her think about a particular skill or activity she enjoys.
   If your child is not using words yet, you can write a story about something she is proud of or does well (using her hand to scoop up cereal or her big toe to dig in the sand) and photographing that part of her.
   
   
2. Have her write or dictate a story or poem about why she chose that part.
   
   
3. Photograph her favorite part to display with the story. You can talk with her about how she wants to compose the picture. If you are photographing her back does he want she hair pulled back or covering part of it? Which side of her hand? What angle of her foot? The story should influence the composition of the photograph.

TIP: For best results, take the picture in the shade outside or near a window inside and turn off the flash.

This project encourages self-awareness, self-expression, creative writing and photographic composition. It would also make a great page in your child's memory book, or framed on her wall. You may want to repeat the project each summer or every few months, as your child develops and gains new experiences, abilities and perceptions. It will give your child a sense of pride to focus on the strong and beautiful parts that may not always be recognized. We would love to see the results as well.

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