The award-winning illustrations of 57 Caldecott Books (1938-1994) have inspired a multitude of lessons that guide students in creating art with similar qualities. Focusing on such principles and elements as line, color, texture, shape, value, and space, these classroom-tested projects have step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and detailed illustrations for teachers who have little or no art training. Various art media are explored, including pencil, crayon, marker, colored pencil, chalk, stencils, collage, watercolor, tempera, color mixing, and printmaking. These projects use limited materials so they're great for the classroom as well as the art room.

The importance of promoting young children’s creative thinking, and the social relationships which support it, is now seen as a vital element of good early childhood practice. The authors push forward our understanding of what young children’s creative thinking is, and how it promotes young children’s well-being. By drawing on research evidence, they examine key issues from the perspectives of the child, the parents or careers and early childhood practitioners, and make links between theory and practice.

Tap into children's natural curiosity and scaffold their creative abilities across all domains of learning--and nurture your own creativity!

This draws on the voices of practitioners, academics and researchers to examine young children’s play, creativity and learning. With a range of international perspectives, it focuses on the level of engagement and exploration involved in children’s play and how it can be facilitated in different contexts and cultures.

Art Workshop for Children is not just another book of straightforward art projects. The book's unique child-led approach provides a framework for cultivating creative thinking and encourages the wonder that comes when children are allowed to freely explore the creative process and their materials. As children work through these open-ended workshops, adults are guided on how to be facilitators who provide questions, encourage deep thinking, and help spark an excitement for discovery. Children explore basic materials and workshops that use minimal supplies, and then gradually add new materials to fill the art cabinets as well as new skills and more complex workshops. Most workshops are suitable to preschool-aged children, and each contains ideas for explorations and new twists to engage older or more experienced artists. Interspersed throughout are sidebar essays that introduce perspectives on mess-making, imperfection, the role of adult, collaborative art, and thoughts on the Reggio Emilia method, a self-guided teaching philosophy. These pieces underscore the value of art-making with children, and support the parent/teacher/care-giver on how to successfully lead, question, and navigate their children through the workshops to result in the fullest experiences.

This refreshing and passionate book will inspire educators to keep the joy, the adventure-in a word, the FUN-of learning through creative and challenging teaching.

An inspiring collection of sixteen poems accompanied by the whimsical and wonderful artwork of Michelle McDowell Smith. The poems uplift, reassure and offer courage to children and adults alike. "Of Land and Sky" reminds us of how hopeful childhood can be and keeps us optimistic for the future.