Balloons Float Over Parliament Place

Third graders at Parliament Place Elementary School brought creativity and innovation together through an exciting cross-curricular collaboration between the art and library departments. 

Students have been working in groups to prepare for a special robot-led parade, combining research, design, engineering and artistic expression. In library class, students learned about Tony Sarg, the engineer and puppeteer behind the original Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats. They also practiced programming Dash robots, learning to control their movements and guide them along a designated route.

In art class, students applied their research and planning by selecting a character, sketching ideas and designing decorative floats to be carried by the robots. On Nov. 19, after weeks of teamwork, drawing, building, coding and refining, they proudly showcased their creations during the first Balloons Over Parliament Float Parade.