I have found construction of an armature, especially for large pieces, to be
the most difficult part of sculpting for many folks. For most of the "projects
with kids" I constructed the armature in my studio and brought it to the site
on which kids applied the desired medium through to the finished product.
Furnishing the armature provided a good sense of an armature's importance but
allowed them to see success relatively quick without the frustration. This
seemed to work well for projects where a specific end result was desired and
the time line in which to work on the project was limited, such as Easter
Island head, sitatunga, alligator and octopus. "The
Aliens" was an exception. Here the kids of Orchard Hills Elementary School
constructed most of the "The Aliens" armature as well as the papier mache work.
Making creatures where there is no clear preconceived image seemed to free the
kids from the pressure of "getting it right" (yet the results were "so right"--smile).