Children were invited to explore watercolor at the semi-annual Pomegranate Festival, held in the courtyard of the Sonoran Desert Inn.

Rootworks provided the children's activities for the Festival of Lights, a winter holiday gathering at the Sonoran Desert Inn. Four stations with broad appeal to children of many ages were created.

 1) A light lab, in which children were invited to play with light and shadow. Loose parts, reflective materials, and different sources of light (including a projector, light table, and flashlights) were provided.

2) A reading nook, in which children could read books with their families. The books provided were about light, night, the desert, and festivals of light. Books were in English and Spanish.

3) A writing station, in which children were provided with high quality art materials and writing prompts, including an invitation to write a letter -- many children chose to write to Santa, others chose to write to relatives. Stamps and ink were also made available.

4) A lantern making station, in which older children decorated glass lanterns to take home.

An appealing and inviting children's corner was created for attendees of a wedding at the Learning Center in Ajo. Books on weddings, the desert, and family were displayed, alongside comfortable spaces to read. Blocks, figurines, vehicles, and open ended, low mess art materials were provided. Child sized tables and chairs were made available for children to comfortably enjoy their meals.

An open ended invitation to work with clay was set up at the Plaza during the annual Loveworks Music Festival. 

Children were offered two different types of clay to work with, alongside a variety of real ceramicist tools, including rolling pins, ribs, scratch wire brushes, wooden carving tools, metal shape cutters, wooden and plastic knives, and wire. Loose parts such as sticks, seashells, wooden peg dolls, and wine corks were also provided, as well as textured elements like crocheted lace and stamps.

Over 50 children ranging from infants to teenagers spent time in the space, many of whom worked with clay for several hours.

Working in conjunction with the Ajo Community Clay Studio, Rootworks helped facilitate clay programming for children 4-13 years old as part of Bonzai's annual summer services. Invitations to work with clay included the opportunity to create a self portrait, creating a coil pot, and figurative work.

Family Saturday was held at the Ajo Community Clay Studio and was open to the public in October 2023. Families were invited to come create and explore together. More than a dozen people attended.

First printmaking experiences were offered at the Book Fair and Night Market "Block Party" on Pajaro Street. Children were invited to work with watercolor to create a background, then to imprint a design into a Styrofoam plate using dull pencils. These imprints were then cut out, inked, and placed onto the children's backgrounds. The children then burnished their prints using river rocks. In addition to the extensive art making area, a reading nook was also provided.

Pinch pot sculptures and open-ended clay play were once again on offer at the clay studio this summer.