Art invites us to let out our creativity and imagination. Throughout life, creating marks, writing, drawing, and putting together art pieces to create a masterpiece represents what we think, feel, or have inside. Artsy Thursday gives you the opportunity to do just that—explore materials, get inspired, and work with your children to create a unique art piece.
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FunShine Tells: Setting Up Learning Stations
While every day in a child’s life is one of learning, and everything around them is part of that, providers can offer safe and constructive learning opportunities with “learning stations.”
Learning stations are designated areas of the classroom where children play freely, with little to no direction about how to use materials, while having playful and engaging interactions with the adults around them.
The way learning stations are organized and the materials offered play an important role in inspiring imagination, learning, and play. There isn’t just one way to set up and organize learning stations, but I can offer some guidance to help you get started.
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Teacher-Directed vs. Child-Directed Art
by Katie Brazerol
Teacher-directed vs. child-directed art has long been a hot topic in early childhood. Teachers and providers usually understand the importance of keeping art projects age-appropriate and child-focused, but many parents pressure them to offer crafts that are cute, theme-related, and showcase-worthy. Some teachers avoid all mass-produced crafts while others struggle with freestyle art because some children do not stay engaged long without specific instruction.
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Red-Eyed Tree Frog Math
by Katie Brazerol
Create handmade red-eyed tree frogs for some math fun. While frog counters would work just as well, we offer this alternative for those who may not have counters on hand. Remember that children have fantastic imaginations; it doesn’t take much to turn an everyday item into a theme-related prop!
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The Wonder of Wordless Books
by Katie Brazerol
A wordless book is any book that contains pictures with few or no words. I never really understood the appeal until I was a parent. My son had just turned one year old and I was in my first year of doing child care. I had only a couple of wordless books in my library.
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