Art Feeds, a local non-profit organization geared toward providing therapy for children through art, hosted an event at Missouri Southern on Tuesday Oct. 9.

The event was a part of the Connect 2 U (Mental Health Awareness Week) at MSSU. It was held in the Billingsly Student Center Ballroom and focused on creating “calming jars.”

It was also a chance to learn about volunteering at Art Feeds.

Many children and parents came out on Tuesday to get crafty and make personalized calming jars.

“It’s a mason jar filled with glitter, corn syrup, and then the kids get to decorate the outside.  

“The idea is that while they’re creating it, we tell them, ‘draw things on the outside that calm you down, words you find calming, or pets, or people that you find calming.’

Then they use the jar if they’re upset at any time, shake it, and while they watch the glitter fall it calms them down,” Art Feeds founder and Executive Director Meg Bourne said.

“We do research all the time for projects we could be doing in the class and we usually put our own twist on it.  

One of us had done some reading up on how a snowglobe calms kids down by watching it so we came up with this idea … it’s something tangible and positive they can go to.”

Children of all ages gathered around a big table in the BSC ballroom and had a blast creating their jars.

Elyse Quattlebaum, sophomore English major, said, “The kids really enjoyed it.

“I work at Miracles Daycare and I think they will be good for calming down the kids.”

Persons who weren’t able to make it to the event but who would like to make a calming jar may review the directions below.

What you’ll need:

• Mason jar
• 3 ounces of glitter: fine glitter floats better
• Half tablespoon of corn syrup
• Sharpie paint pens to decorate the outside
• Enough water to fill the jar

First, decorate the outside of the jar. Then add glitter, water, and corn syrup in that order. Finally, put the lid on and shake.

Persons interested in volunteering for Art Feeds may visit www.artfeeds.org.