This week during our summer enrichment program we are exploring famous artists! Through reading books, looking at images of their art, & setting out different invitations of process art, loose parts, sensory, & open ended play will be inspired by their art. Most of us know that art is important for children. But beyond why it is important for them to create art it is just vital to expose children to famous artists. Art connects us all. It can take us through history, introduce us to other cultures, the world around us, and to ourselves. Therefore the more a child is exposed to the arts, the more techniques they are aware of, the more they can problem solve to think critically, the more they can creatively express themselves, the more accepting they are, and the more beauty they can see in the world around them. Art is one of the fundamental components of what makes us ALL uniquely human. Today we learned about Morton Wayne Thiebaud who was an American painter known for his colorful works depicting commonplace objects—pies, lipsticks, paint cans, ice cream cones, pastries, and hot dogs—as well as for his landscapes and figure paintings. We set out two invitations to explore & create: 1. Invitation to Create Ice Cream: With shaving cream, Colorations liquid watercolors, pipettes, spoons, cups, and bowls we invited the children to create their very own ice cream inspired by Thiebaud Ice Cream Paintings. 2.Invitation to Create Desserts with Loose Parts Play Dough: With white play dough, pastel wooden loose part, translucent stones/squares, ping pong balls, textured/regular rollers, we invited the children to create their very own desserts inspired by Thiebaud paintings. Here are other ways to explore famous artists: Painting like Pollock , 7 ways to Explore Frida Kahlo , Andy Warhol Invitations Three Ways , Invitation to Build Waterlilies and the Japanese Bridge' by Claude Monet , Keith Haring DIY STEM , Invitation to Create Just Like Ruth Asawa, Invitation to Frame Kehinde Wiley Art with Loose Parts, Invitation to Create Robert Bradford Sculptures, Simone Leigh Sculptures , Alma Woodsey Thomas Art 3 Ways , Collaborative Circle Collage , Collaborative Invitation to Create Yayoi Kusama , Reginald Laurent Collage Art , Two Ways to Create like Jean-Michel Basquiat , Keith Haring Street Art

This past week my eldest son celebrated his Fourth Birthday Cowabunga Style! With his new found interest in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, all things Turtle Power came to life. Food Table: Doodlecakes Bakery for the Cake, Jordan's Sugar Cookies , and Fruit & Veggie Ninja Turtles. Figurines collected from antique fairs, hand me downs, gifts, and Ross/TJ MAXX/Marshalls were used as decor. Banners ( 2 TMNT / Cowabunga ) from etsy and Cake Sign. Now for the fun part! The invitation stations. Michelangelo's Pizzeria: Since Ninja Turtle's LOVE their pizza, an invitation to create their very own process art pizza was a must. On cardboard round circles, the children were invited to create with loose parts (buttons, bottle caps, pom poms, wood rounds, foam shapes, stickers) and glue! Mutagen Ooze: The glowing goo that created the Turtles and has wonderful effects on any living thing it touches. With sensory tubes, green slime, cylinders, and beakers the children were invited to mix, pour, and create the key part of every TMNT project. Shuriken Stars: The children were invited to build with these linking stars! Past Birthdays: Smash and Crash it’s Cyrus’ Monster Truck Bash Two Fast Birthday Party Two Fresh Farmers Market Birthday one-a-saurus

This week during our summer enrichment program we are exploring our favorite prehistoric animals Dinosaurs! Through reading books, singing songs, and setting out different invitations to explore all things in the land before time through open ended play. Small World Dinosaur Play: This Small World Play was set in our Discount School Supply  Tuff Tray to explore the land of dinosaurs with sand, rocks, wood rounds, flat marbles, dino footprints , plants, and jumbo dinosaurs. Small world play such as this, accompanied with sensory materials are a great way for extending literacy, language, imaginary play, & tactile play. Through this play they can reenact what they see in stories, shows, experiences, & environments around them to deepen their understanding of the world. Invitation to Paint on Dinosaurs: This invitation was set in a Tuff Tray by placing a whole bunch of different types of dinosaurs and the children were invited to paint on them freely with fluorescent paint. So much rich language naturally happens with discussion of what colors they use and create with, the different names of the dinosaurs, and comparing the similarities/differences of the prehistoric animals. The more a child is exposed to different types of art, leads to them seeing the world in different ways, becoming more observant, feeling creative and appreciating the different forms of art. Dinosaurs in Lava: This invitation was set in Tuff Tray by placing a bed of baking soda, volcanoes, rocks, fern, and dinosaurs, as the landscape. In beakers lava colored vinegar and pipettes. We invited the children to create and explore lava just like prehistoric times. The children were able to engage in imaginative small world play and even explore real science through creating chemical reactions! The chemical reaction between the vinegar, which is an acid, and baking soda, which is a base, creates carbon dioxide. As lava is created lots of excitement over the baking soda and vinegar reactions occur, amazing discussions/observations, and such engaging play! Mary Anning Excavation Site:  In the Tuff Tray provide rocks, sand, dinosaur bones + skeletons, fossils, shells, flat marbles, magnifying glasses, paint brushes, shovels and shifters. Before inviting the children to become Paleontologists read the story Dinosaur Lady , which explores the daring discoveries of Mary Anning, the first female Paleontologist. Through this type of hands-on play and exploration they can reenact what they see in the book, build comprehension skills, enhance their language, ignite their imagination, experience various textures through tactile play, and feel empowered to have the ability to discover just like Mary Anning did! Dinosaur Stomp Painting:  Children love experimenting with different ways to paint, so set aside your paint brushes from time to time and let them explore by painting with other materials like DINOSAURS. Provide butcher paper, dinosaurs, and bowls with tempera paint. Invite the children to dip the dinosaur's feet in the paint and dino stomp prints all over the paper! More ways to explore dinosaurs: Dinosaur Dig & Small World Play,   Dinosaur Paint Party,   Dinosaur Cupcake Party .

Children's Factory Bikes makes for some easy amazing outdoor summer time fun! We have loved our MyRider® Chariot for its unique design feature of a cargo bed for hauling which leads to endless play possibilities. Whether it is their friend, stuffed animals, foraged sticks, watering can, loose parts, or even eating a popsicle the cargo bed provides opportunities for a child to use their imagination and be creative to tow whatever they desire. Recently we were #gifted the MyRider® Balance Bike and MyRider® Midi. The MyRider® Balance Bike is designed to help children develop balance and coordination skills. With no pedals or training wheels, it allows kids to focus on learning how to control their movements and gain confidence on two wheels. The MyRider® Midi ( a staple at our centers for years) is specifically designed for little riders, offering a perfect introduction to tricycles. Its features are tailored to provide a safe and enjoyable riding experience for young children. All three bikes have an innovative Vario Seat® and can accommodate children of different sizes. It also includes ergonomic grip handlebars for a more comfortable, safe ride. Did you know that riding a bike is a rite of passage for most children in the early years? When young children ride a bike they learn, develop, and benefit from so many skills. When a child rides a bike it improves their coordination and balance moving various muscle groups, promotes development of hand-eye coordination, and enhances their arm and leg coordination as they maneuver getting on and off the bike. All these gross motor movements are great for promoting continuous physical movement and development. Here are other fun ways we have used our Children's Factory Bikes! Tricycle Action Art Riding a Tricycle MyRider® Chariot

Ocean Life Small World + Water Play//This week during our summer enrichment program we are exploring ocean life! Through reading books at story time and setting out different invitations to explore all things under the sea through open ended play. First we set out two tuff tray small world plays: 1. Ocean Animals: We mixed water with fluorescent bio color paint and cornstarch. Provided shells, coral, seaweed, and sea animals. 2. Mermaid Lagoon: We mixed water with metallic bio color paint and cornstarch. Provided mermaids, sea shells, coral, seaweed, and sea animals. Next we turned our mud kitchen into a sea shell soup station. 3. Sea Shell Soup: We created different shades of blue water with liquid watercolors (blue & turquoise), fluorescent and metallic bio color paint to create more opaque colors! Provided different containers, utensils, beakers, cylinders, bowls, and a variety of shells to explore. When children read books, experience environments, explore freely, or spark an interest in a subject matter, being able to PLAY freely with intentional materials honors their interest, imagination, curiosities, and wonder. Play comes in all different forms, and our core memories are associated with play that was meaningful to us. So let them play wild and free just like the sea! Here are some other ways to explore the Ocean: identifying the Zones of the Ocean , Ocean Small World Play 3 Ways , Little Mermaid Small World Play , Small World Play: Ocean , Baby Beluga Sensory Tuff Tray Play, Invitation to Create Julián Is a Mermaid. , Big Beach Clean Up , The Wave .

Keith Haring was a popular artist and activist during the 1980s. Much of his work responded to social and political events. As an openly gay artist he represented a lot of what the LGBTQ community went through. He loved working with children, admiring their imagination, and encouraged them to collaboratively create art. He believed children were his most important audience. Haring developed an eye-catching distinct pop-graffiti aesthetic with fluid and bold outlines. Many of his paintings often repeated symbols. He believed in the power of love so the hearts, symbols, and human figures portrayed his optimistic beliefs in humanity. Keith believed "Art is for Everybody,' so one of his first chalk subway drawings was in the NYC subway station to make the imaginations of the people dance, prance, roar and soar. His art was seen in galleries, alley walls, sculptures @ parks, toys, t-shirts, posters, sneakers, museums, buildings, and the streets. After reading Drawing on the Walls , Art is Life , and Pop Art Baby, with a black tempera stick we created outlines of his art on our sidewalk. We invited the children to color Keith Haring Street art with chalk to pay homage to his first subway painting. Most of us know that art is important for children. But beyond why it is important for them to create art it is just vital to expose children to inspiring artists. Art connects us all. It can take us through history, introduce us to other cultures, the world around us, and to ourselves. Therefore the more a child is exposed to the arts, the more techniques they are aware of, the more they can problem solve to think critically, the more they can creatively express themselves, the more accepting they are, and the more beauty they can see in the world around them. Art is one of the fundamental components of what makes us ALL uniquely human. Here are two other Keith Haring: Keith Haring DIY STEM Keith Haring Love LGTBQ Invitations: Love is Love Loose Parts Invitation Invitation to Create a Pride Flag Invitation to Create Marsha P. Johnson Flower Crowns Invitation to Paint My Rainbow Love Makes a Family

We have been reading books Pink is for Everyone, Pink is for Boys, & Dolls and Trucks are for Everyone. These inclusive books emphasize the importance of creativity, respect, acceptance and empowers children to embrace anything, to enjoy everything, to love what you love, and to be who you are. Once we read the stories we invited the children to our Outdoor Interactive Painting Gallery . In our paint cups we filled tempera paint with pink, white, red, purple, magenta, black, silver, and gold to create an array of pink shades for the children to create with. We invited the children to paint what they love with pink! Process art experiences such as these not only support their intrinsic form of creativity, it validates their ideas, interests, and work. From all developmental aspects of a child, when we let children learn to make their own decisions, solve their own problems, create so freely they feel empowered + confident, and ultimately honor their creative process by truly letting themselves enjoy everything and anything, love what they love, and be who they are while the create.

Color theory and water play is one of the best ways to explore color. It comes so naturally to children to play and explore with water. When you add a dash of color it makes it such an exciting way to enhance their water play experience. Colorations® liquid water colors, bicolor, and tempera paint, have so many options for children to create new color combinations. When you set up color theory invitations you can explore primary colors (red, yellow, blue), the rainbow, cool colors (blue, green, purple), warm colors (red, orange, yellow). We recently upgraded our outdoor mud kitchen and water play area just in time for summer with some new water jugs, pails, beakers, bowls, cups, labels, whisks, cylinders and these #gifted rainbow buckets. You can purchase these items at Discount School Supply, Target, Dollar Tree, TJ Maxx/Ross/Marshall/Homegoods, Thrift Stores, or your own kitchen cabinets. When children engage in water play children begin to understand & investigate with ideas such as more/less, same/different, many/few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than. This enhances their mathematical and science skills through pouring, mixing, and measuring. Their cognitive skills are built through cause and effect when experimenting with color combinations, ratios, and when they concentrate on mastering their hand eye coordination when pouring the water. The social learnings from water play include collaboration, concentration, turn taking, problem solving, perseverance, self-regulation, & more. Exploring water combined with colors is captivating, engaging, engrossing & absorbing to almost all children. Check out these previous posts with fluorescent tempera paint , Rainbow Pouring Station , primary colors (Red, Yellow, Blue) , Colorful Spray Bath-time, DIY Sensory Foam Paint.

We loved the book All Kinds of Cars by Carl Johanson  which is a fantastic whacky filled visual collection of cars, so naturally All Kinds of Planes has become a favorite too. To explore the world of every kind of air transportation you can imagine flying, a small world play accompanied with sensory materials is a great way for extending literacy, language, imaginary play, & tactile play. To set this small world play in a tuff tray place blue cellophane paper, cotton pads, and an array of air transportation. Invite the children to explore and fly away! Through this kind of play children can reenact what they see in stories, shows, experiences, & environments around them to deepen their understanding of the world. This type of play can be defined as where children accept & assign roles, then act them out. When children engage in small world 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. 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 and manipulate a variety of materials and textures that stimulate their mind & body while deepening their connection & understanding of the world. And for more transportation invitations here are the links: Invitation to Play with Cars Cars Corner Upgrade Invitation to Color Cars Cardboard Ramps LOVE is a Truck Process Art Invitation Workin' at the Car Wash Tricycle Action Art Diggersaurs Dig Pit 3 Ways to do Process Art with Transportation Cardboard Roadway with Magic Drawing Cars Brain Boosting Trike Maze Whatsit DIY Roadmap The Old Truck Small World Play

Magic Drawing Cars inspired by Meredith of @homegrownfriends book Art Play! is simply taping on a marker, crayon, chalk, or tempera sticks (which is what we used) to a car and creating a cool new tool to create art with. We set up a whole bunch of different sized recycled cardboard boxes and placed PlayTape Road Tape to create roadways on the boxes. We invited the children to color the roadways with their magic drawing cars. Cardboard is such a versatile material that provides a great surface to explore. Since it comes in so many different sizes, textures, & shapes it allows the children to explore art in a different medium, use their imagination to think of a range of ways to create and play. This is such a great mixture of action, process art, and play that truly had the children engaged while using their imagination to the fullest. They were in complete disbelief that their cars were able to color, which led to amazing creative play! For more amazing ideas by Meredith check out this previous blog post ! And for more transportation invitations here are the links: Invitation to Play with Cars Cars Corner Upgrade Invitation to Color Cars Cardboard Ramps LOVE is a Truck Process Art Invitation Workin' at the Car Wash Tricycle Action Art Diggersaurs Dig Pit 3 Ways to do Process Art with Transportation

Little children LOVE all things that go! To continue exploring transportation we invited the children to explore process art with three open ended invitations. 1.Textured Terrain Painting: Vehicles drive on all different kinds of terrains so we place bubble wrap and aluminum foil on the table, provided a tray full of tempera paint, and different forms of transportation and invited the children to paint on all the different textured surfaces! 2. Ramp Race Painting:With recycled packaging we made DIY ramps at different heights, provided metallic paint, some cars, and invited the children to experiment and explore by dipping the cars into the paint and letting the cars race down the ramps. 3.Auto-body Paint Shop:We placed a whole different bunch of different types of transportation and invited the children to paint on them with fluorescent tempera paint. Painting in any form provides children with an avenue to express their feelings in a visual way, which further helps their social emotional development. The more a child is exposed to different types of art it leads to seeing the world in different ways, becoming more observant, feeling creative and appreciating the different forms of art. Here are some other ways to explore transportation, stay tuned for more coming your way! Invitation to Play with Cars Cars Corner Upgrade Invitation to Color Cars Cardboard Ramps LOVE is a Truck Process Art Invitation Workin' at the Car Wash Tricycle Action Art Diggersaurs Dig Pit

After reading our new favorite Diggersaurs book by Michael Whaite , we added dinosaurs to our outdoor dig pit to make the story come to life. In the rhyming story there is a mash-up of dinosaurs and trucks who crunch, scrape, chomp, and rumble through as they work on roads and construction sites. In our outdoor dig pit we typically always have gravel, construction toys, way to play roads, and large loose parts (cones, ramps, pvc pipes, crates, gutters, wheels). And to make it similar to the book we added some dinosaur figurines. An area that is often overlooked within outdoor play is integrating loose parts. If you think about it, loose parts play essentially has always been an integral part of outdoor play since nature (rocks, pine cones, sticks, flowers, logs, etc.) provides so many open ended materials. Open-ended materials on the playground such as gutters, pool noodles, cans, bottles, tires, crates, boxes, buckets, cones, pipes, and more provide children with never ending ways to transform things into whatever they can imagine. They allow the freedom to be messy, make noise, move, tote and construct. When loose parts are added, children can create or change a structure to manipulate it in order to meet their play needs. Complexity holds children’s interest and adds to their development as well as their enjoyment. Therefore outdoor loose parts serve as springboards for play and provide essential elements for intense, child-centered play. There is endless imaginative play that occurs with outdoor loose parts. When children are role playing by creating a car to drive, building skyscraper cities, construction sites, they are acting out various experiences they may have had or something that is of some interest to them. They are experimenting with decision making on how to behave and are also practicing their social skills. Children learn from experience: from what happens around them, from what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch. To absorb those experiences and make sense of the world, they need to be engaged in play. The small worlds, cars, robots, ramps, spaceships created with loose parts provide limitless imaginative play while building their brains. Here is the previous post about the importance of outdoor loose parts play that was inspired by a workshop I attended at a past CAEYC conference called Playing It Up: With Loose Parts, Playpods, and Adventure Playgrounds by Joan Almon was the inspiration behind all of this.