C losing out Ocean Week with 3 invitations to explore mermaids lagoons.  Childhood can quite possibly be some of the most magical years, by inviting children to PLAY, imagine, and create, we provide an environment where core memories will stay with a child forever! Since mermaids are magical ocean creatures loved by littles, we invited them to explore three different mermaid lagoons.  1. Seashell Mermaid Lagoon: I n our Discount School Supply Tuff Tray we placed iridescent cellophane as the based, poured water +  splashes of Colorations liquid watercolors. Provided mermaids, sea jewels, & seashells 2. Coral Reef Mermaid Lagoon: In our tuff tray we placed water mixed with Colorations Metallic Liquid Paint. Provided mermaids + sea animal figurines, coral, & aquarium seaweed. 3. Seaside Mermaid Lagoon: We placed water mixed with Colorations Fluorescent Paint + Cornstarch, mermaids + sea animal figurines, volcanic rocks, seashells, & aquarium seaweed.   When children see movies, read books, experience environments, or spark an interest in a subject matter, being able to PLAY with intentional materials that honors their interest, imagination, curiosities, and wonder makes that much more meaningful & engaging.

The book Once Upon a Mermaids Tail by Beatrice Blue is about a boy with a big passion of collecting fish. One day he finds a tiny creature in a beautiful shell & takes her home to add to her collection. In the tank the creature gets weaker and weaker and the boy has to learn that she belongs in the ocean before it is too late.  To recreate this story, in a tuff tray we set out fish + mermaid figurines, aquarium seaweed, seashells, rainbow aquarium rocks, volcanic rocks, plastic fish bowls, and provided water mixed with Colorations Metallic Paint to make the water magical!  The children were invited to pretend they were the little boy in the story and recreate the story through sensory materials, figurines, and loose parts.  This type of play is an integral part of the developmental learning process by allowing children to develop skills in such areas as abstract thinking, literacy, math, & social studies, in a timely natural manner. They are able to play & manipulate a variety of materials & textures that stimulate their mind & body while deepening their connection & understanding of the book.

One of the best childhood treasures are sea shells & the book If You Spot a shell by Aimee Sicuro is the perfect story that showcases that these little magnificent unique things can be turned into anything with a little creativity & imagination. The book inspired us to create invitations to explore, create, & play with the wonders of sea shells. 1. Invitation to Explore Seashells + Pearls: In a tuff tray we placed clear water beads mixed with Colorations Metallic Silver Paint to give it a pearl effect + seashells in different sizes & shapes for them to explore. 2. Invitation to Paint Seashells: We provided Colorations Metallic Paint, Brushes, & Seashells as the canvas to paint! 3. Fine Motor Seashell Transfer: In a bed of sand we placed seashells in the center, provided Learning Resources tweezers & invited the children to place the shells in the sea shell molds. 4. Sea Shell Soup: Mixed Colorations Fluorescent Paint with water + provided different containers, pots, pans, utensils, cylinders, bowls, & a variety of shells to create shell soup! When children read books followed by being invited to explore, play, create with intentional materials that connect with the stories we read, their imagination, curiosities, & wonder blossom even more. And just like the story we spread the magic turning childhood treasures into magnificent things!

Eugenie Clark grew up spending her weekends at the aquarium. Wandering around the aquarium, Clark developed a love for all things ocean & wished that she could swim with the sharks in the glass tanks. As an adult, she brought this dream to life & conducted 72 submersible dives & countless more using scuba gear, where she studied marine life, including sharks. She was one of the only ichthyologists, or fish biologists, of her time to study living specimens in this way. At the laboratory, Clark was able to further engage the public. She spent a good amount of time teaching about sharks, & tried to clear them of their bad reputation. She gave lectures to the public, taught at the University of Maryland, & even swam on the back of a 50-foot whale shark. She didn’t slow down either, completing her last dive at 92 years old, the year before she died. After reading the inspiring story Shark Lady: The True Story of Eugenie Clark Became the Oceans Most Fearless Scientists by Jess Keating, we set up a small world play invitation. In our tuff tray we placed Colorations Shiny Tempera Paint to make magical water, shells, aquarium seaweed, sharks, & a scuba diver + the gear. The children were invited to explore in the ocean & sharks just like Eugenie. Small world play accompanied by sensory materials are a great way for extending literacy, language, imaginary play, & tactile play. Through play, they can reenact what they see in stories & deepen their understanding of the concepts of the book. This type of play can be defined as where children accept & assign roles, then act them out. When children engage in play they break through the walls of reality, use their imagination, pretend to be someone or something different from themselves, explore different worlds, & have actions to go along with the roles they have chosen to play. This type of play is an integral part of the developmental learning process by allowing children to develop skills in such areas as abstract thinking, literacy, math, & social studies, in a timely natural manner. They are able to play & manipulate a variety of materials & textures that stimulate their mind & body while deepening their connection & understanding of the book.

A couple of weeks ago I came across an unbelievable account @joshglucksteinartist which became the point of inspiration for this invitation. He created the most beautiful recycled cardboard coral reef ever, and since we love to repurpose recyclables over here we set out to make our own rendition for the children to paint during Ocean week.  To create the coral reef I used recycled boxes as the base and wrapped it with the packaging brown butcher paper. To create seaweed, coral, sea anemones, shells, etc I used egg cartons, drink holders, pool noodles, coffee filters, paper straws, cupcake liners, paper tubes, and more packaging materials. Behind the coral reef I placed white butcher paper and recycled clear & silver bubble wrap to create an ocean.  After reading books about coral reefs we invited the children to paint the reef and ocean with Colorations Tempera Paint from Discount School Supply.  The combination of the 3-D and mixed media textured surfaces makes for an engaging process of art & creative exploration. Experimenting with different surfaces and varying textures always brings a special spark of interest and engagement because of the open-ended unique process for children. Process art such as this lets a child experiment and interact with art materials through an enhanced sensory exploration. With a variety of textures, heights, materials, children began to discover that by using different techniques with the paint on top of the textured surface will produce varying outcomes and a different perspective of art. This is definitely a process-not-product invitation, it is very exploratory, creative, messy, and open-ended.

Discount School Supply Sand and Water Ki t #gifted is an innovative collection for water and sand play, that is skills focused, offering a rich variety of possibilities, & truly iterative where children can experiment and explore for some major summer fun. The 21 piece ergonomic design set has 2 Extra Large Pots, 2 Large Pots, 2 Medium Pots, 2 Small Pots, 1 Canopy Circle, 2 Sieves, 4 Tweezers, 2 Scoops, 4 Ladles that is made out of BioPlastic in soft, natural shades. Unique, skills led, ergonomic design.  The first set up we did was with water. To add some shimmery magic to the water we added Colorations Shiny Tempera Paint #gifted.   The second set up we did was   Excellerations® Spectacular Sensory Sand™ #gifted.  Invitations to explore such as this, aids children to understand capacity & investigate with ideas such as more/less, same/different, many/few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than. Not to mention cognitive skills through cause and effect as well as hand eye coordination when manipulating the materials. This type of learning through play by doing the "work", helps their brain engage and create and expand their neural pathways since so many of their skill sets are being used and further developed. Hence why play builds brains. The more children are given opportunities of open ended play such as this the higher their level of thinking will grow and develop along with continuing to build life skills.

Engaging children with a combination of art, science, and action while learning about the artist Jackson Pollock is a dynamic way to teach and expose them to a style of painting where there are no mistakes. Jackson Pollock, was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting. "It doesn't matter how the paint is put on as long as something is said." Jackson Pollock is such an amazing artist to highlight how it’s the process not the product when creating art. Today we invited the children to Paint like Jackson Pollock in 3 different ways. 1. Invitation to Paint Pour: Using the Colorations Silicone Mixing Cups filled with Colorations Paint, the children were invited to paint pour and drop.  2. Invitation to Splatter Paint: We set out similar tools Pollock used himself: string, kitchen utensils, brushes, along with paint + butcher paper. Children were invited to use the tools & flick paint onto the butcher paper.  3. Strainer Drip Painting: Provided Dollar Store strainers, diluted Colorations paint with water , and poster paper. We invited the children to pour paint into the strainer and drip paint. When children use various tools and engage in different ways to paint they become more thoughtful and creative about the techniques they use as they experiment. They flick, splat, drip, swift, squirt, and move through so many different movements which enhances both their fine and gross motor skills. Through the process of experimenting and exploring these kinds of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) invitations the child is using creative and critical thinking skills. Scientists, mathematicians, engineers and artists all use the same critical thinking skills to find new and innovative solutions. Developing a skill like painting provides the stimulus children need to be successful in all aspects of life. Here are two other ways to explore Jackson Pollock: Invitation to Drip Paint like Jackson Pollock & Painting Like Pollock.

To celebrate another amazing school year & kick off the beginning summer we had a fun filled magical day!  We set out invitations to create, explore, & paint ice cream + popsicles galore.  1. Invitation to Create Soft Serve Cream// We provided shaving cream, ice cream cups, scoopers, spoons, & provided Co lorations Metallic Paint that we mixed with water so they use pipettes to create their very own flavors.  2. Invitation to Paint Ice Cream Cones// We provided 3-D DIY Ice Cream Cones +  Fluorescent Paint & invited the children to paint the ice cream cones.  3. Invitation to Create Shaved Ice// We provided Insta Snow as Shaved ice, ice cream cups, scoopers, spoons, & provided some fun toppings to create an icy treat. 4.Invitation to Explore Dippin' Dots// We provided water beads, ice cream cups, scoopers, spoons, +  bowls, & invited them to explore through sensory play. 5. Invitation to Paint Popsicles// On poster paper we glued epsom salt & provided liquid watercolors & twisty droppers for the children to paint the popsicles. 6. Invitation to Paint with Paint Pops & Chalks// We invited the children to paint & draw on butcher paper with paint & chalk popsicles. Lastly we had also had blast jumping around in our cute n' cozy pjs in the jumpy house, getting tattoos & face painting, and getting to eat a treat with our friends!

Pride month is an important opportunity to not only expose and teach children about what it means but also share the history behind the month-long celebration. This celebration exists to foster a sense of community, appreciate differences, and cultivate diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging for all people around the world. During the month of June we have been reading so many books about Pride. Throughout the stories they have learned about being kind, accepting, and understanding towards people who are different from them. Helped them see that love comes in many forms and that everyone deserves respect and equality. It also exposes them to becoming allies who stand up against bullying and support equal rights. They also had the opportunity to learn about important activists, artists, etc. in history who fought for LGBTQ+ rights. All while helping children understand their own identities better and feel more accepted. Ultimately the message through reading these books is that together we can create a world where love and acceptance are celebrated by all.  Whether you are an educator, parent, family member, caregiver, or anyone engaging with children it is necessary to create environments that reflect and support the diversity among us. Inclusive practices such as this, are an integral part of teaching children to be proud of themselves and their families, as well as educating those around us to be more understanding, tolerant, and loving to all people. Children need to know that they & their families matter both in and outside of their homes, no matter what the family dynamic consists of. "The knowledge and respect that you foster when you have these conversations helps create a safer, more inclusive community for everyone," Planned Parenthood. Today we set out a #STEM & #SmallWorldPlay invitation to let the children create their very own Pride Parade. With wooden rainbow arches, translucent wooden blocks, potion bottles, flags, diverse + inclusive figurines, and music...the children built and created their very own community celebration filled with love, acceptance, and inclusivity all through the power of play!

The story  Julián Is a Mermaid  & Julián at the Wedding, both written & illustrated by Jessica Love, introduces children to a world of freedom of individual expression. In the first story Julián is so enamored by the glimpse of the three women dressed up in the subway, as soon as he gets home he is filled with the wonder of the magic he has seen by dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous way. In the second story Julián goes to a wedding & during the wedding he has a new friend named Marisol. Sure enough they set off for an adventure & make some magic. This story of friendship explores individuality, imagination, identities, love, different family dynamics, & wonder. Both books are amazing to bring to life through inviting children to recreating the book through playdough loose parts play & story sequencing. To set this invitation in we created a shimmery playdough by mixing in the new Colorations Shiny Tempera Paint into the water while making our homemade playdough. Provided loose parts (sea shells, flat marbles, mermaid + sea life figurines, fern leaves, felt fabric, mosaic tiles) in our Inspire My Play Tray. I also placed the laminated characters that I painted a while back here ( mermaid & wedding ).  Integrating stories through another medium in order to extend the experience strengthens literacy skills as well as fostering creative thinking. Books related to the concept explorations are motivating, inspiring, and appealing to children. Stories can impart a lot of meaning and new information to help the children learn more about a topic, interact, relate their own experiences, be exposed to new concepts, and guide the children's inquiry and curiosity. By providing materials like playdough and loose parts  to extend the literacy experience, you provide the opportunities for creativity, problem solving skills, exposure to new language, fine motor skills, and endless sensory play. As they play in this open-ended way the child will subliminally practice story sequencing which teaches the children the ability to observe, recall, and sequence events within the story. In sequencing the story as they play, children learn about patterns in relationships and they learn to understand the order of things. By learning to sequence, children develop the ability to understand and arrange purposeful patterns of actions, behaviors, ideas, or thoughts. Ordering stories and directions helps children develop necessary skills such as reasoning and inference. It also helps them become better writers later down the line as they learn there is a logical sequence of events in stories and life. All that to say, the magic in the story and the power of play provides so many rich opportunities for curiosity, wonder, and imagination just like Julián!

The book The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be by Joanna Gaines & Julianna Swaney celebrates how creativity & acceptance can come together to make for a bright & beautiful adventure. A group of children build their very own hot-air balloons & work together, leaning into their own skills & processes, they discover that the same is true for life—it's more beautiful and vibrant when our differences are celebrated. After reading this book we set out to get creative by painting 3-D floating hot air balloons with the new Colorations® Simply Shiny Washable Tempera , that was #gifted from Discount School Supply.This different art experience lets the children paint through a type of art called Action Art. The process with this type of invitation involves a lot of layers of their development enhancing. The child will use their cognitive skills to figure out how to manipulate the lantern to stay in place in order to paint. They began to observe & ask questions to strategize how to effectively paint the lanterns. With the canvas being out of the norm, the child's  fine & gross motor skills were challenged. All aspects of this process, from painting on different media, standing upright to using small & large muscles, trying to manage the movement of the lantern, gives the child an opportunity to be completely immersed in the process of creating in a unique way! Exploring art, color, gravity, movement, media, will only enhance a child‘s way of thinking creatively. Every time we provide children with the opportunity to create art all on their own, we are reminded of how engaging and important process art is.

Andy Warhol was one of the most prolific & popular artists of his time. He ventured into a wide variety of art forms, including performance art, filmmaking, video installations, & controversially blurred the lines between fine art & mainstream aesthetics. Invitation to Paint a 3-D Banana The “banana cover” Warhol created for the self-titled debut of the band The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) was one of his most widely known works like the career-making Campbell’s soup can. The banana cover was part of his agenda for turning everyday images into artistic statements. This banana was a pool noodle wrapped with recycled materials & then covered by butcher paper as the canvas to paint. 2. Invitation to Paint Andy Warhol's Happy Bug Day, 1950s. After reading the Andy Warhol Happy Bug Day Board Book we created bug inspired art. First we painted butterfly cut outs with the new Colorations® Simply Shiny Washable Tempera , that was #gifted from Discount School Supply. Next they did stamp prints of bugs on poster paper. 3. Invitation to Create Andy Warhol's Flowers, 1964. Instead of observing flowers in nature, Andy Warhol found his botanical inspiration in an issue of Modern Photography. He transformed a photograph of hibiscus blossoms into a technicolor series of silkscreens, simply titled Flowers. The children to sprayed green fluorescent tempera paint that was mixed with water into spray bottles onto black construction  paper. After it dried we invited them to make sponge prints of flowers all over the butcher paper.