November 12, 2023 I love the protective gesture of this poem and the images it conjures for the imagination. It has a light and delicate cadence that lends itself to moments when we need a bit of soothing. It also serves as a sweet juxtaposition to this simple Autumn wall hanging craft. …
September 24, 2023 Monarch by Pamela C. Perkins 2023 Tiny egg all yellowy-white, Its’ secret hidden out of sight. Then pop! It opens, and I see A caterpillar, striped and wee. Caterpillar, not a sound, Creeping, creeping all around. Down each branch and up each leaf: Munching, munching ! Eat! Eat ! Eat! Caterpillar turns …
June 11, 2023 Today we focus on the living art of Creative Exploration that we created in my Wind Rose class shortly before the school year ended. These watercolor banners would also make a lovely project for summer afternoons. The banners worked well as a sort of “culmination” of the children’s experience with watercolor …
May 28, 2023 Last month I wrote about Creative Exploration through Storytelling, and the opportunity for my rising first graders to participate in our final puppet show of the year. They each created a bendy doll for their puppet, and I adapted “The Golden Fish” by Cynthia Aldinger for our show. While it was tricky …
January 22, 2023 Today we bring you a little inspiration for the Creative Arts. This is a simple seasonal craft for Autumn through Winter that my youngest son made in his kindergarten years at my Waldorf-inspired school, City of Fountains in Kansas City, Missouri. It is appropriate for all ages, and especially good for the …
December 25, 2022 May your Christmas be abundant with love, peace and hope obtained through the gathering of good company. May you imagine these gatherings the world over, simultaneously centered upon love and good will, and be imbued by the warmth of this imagination. May you be changed by the extraordinary light that is …
November 27, 2022 Our children first encounter Creative Exploration through play. It is how they grow and how they learn about the world. As parents, we can support this explorative process by providing ample time for uninterrupted play within our daily rhythms and by creating a nurturing environment that includes appropriate toys. In this article …
October 23, 2022 We just completed another offering of our online course, The Living Arts: Cornerstones of Care. We explored the topic of make-and-take art projects. They are prevalent in homes, day cares, and schools nation-wide, with the effect of valuing quantity over quality. We ponder how art projects like these serve the children, …
April 10, 2022 PASSOVER AT KULANU PLAYGARDEN From Yael Raff Peskin At its core, Judaism is an oral tradition, where stories are treasured and passed on from one generation to the next — l’dor v’dor. The story of the Exodus–from slavery to liberation–is the core story we tell and re-tell. It is THE story of the Jewish people. …
March 20, 2022 As an early childhood educator, one of my favorite ways to bring a story is with moving pictures. Originally, the impact of such a simple artistic representation took me by surprise. Even with a group of children whose media exposure is moderated, when the larger cultural context is full of sensationalism and …
