{"id":451,"date":"2025-09-04T13:02:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T17:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu\/angelina-matos\/?p=451"},"modified":"2025-09-07T12:04:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T16:04:47","slug":"not-a-box-project-ece211-fall-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu\/angelina-matos\/2025\/09\/04\/not-a-box-project-ece211-fall-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"“Not A Box” Project ECE211 Fall 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNot a Box\u201d Project Description<\/b><\/p>\n

For my ECE 211 seminar project, I collaborated with my 4-year-old daughter to create a whimsical and imaginative art piece we call the “Hanging Magical Box That Can Fly.”<\/b>\u00a0 Inspired by the book Not a Box<\/i>\u00a0by Antoinette Portis, we explored the idea that a simple box can become anything with creativity and imagination.<\/p>\n

We started with a basic paper box structure and used a variety of open-ended art materials, including paint, glitter glue, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, stickers, foam letters, and paper scraps. These materials were intentionally chosen to support sensory exploration, fine motor skill development, and creative expression. The use of a handle made from pipe cleaners turned it into a “hanging” piece, which my daughter proudly describes as a “magical box that can fly.”<\/b><\/p>\n

Throughout the project, my daughter made design decisions, painted, glued, and decorated with great enthusiasm. It became an opportunity for us to bond while encouraging her language, imagination, and storytelling skills. Her choice of the word \u201cSASSY\u201d on the front reflects her personality and growing sense of identity.<\/p>\n

This project demonstrates the power of process art in early childhood \u2014 valuing the experience over the final product \u2014 and how even the simplest materials can become a platform for big ideas and magical thinking.<\/p>\n