February 2013

Explore Modern Artists: Print Like Ellsworth Kelly

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Today we’re joined by illustrator and art educator Amanda E. Gross, who’s here to share another fun episode of Explore Modern Artists!  In the spirit of modern artist, Ellsworth Kelly,  your child might enjoy exploring nature’s shapes to create a stencil and make a painting! Ellsworth Kelly (1923 -) is a master print-maker.  His plant drawings and screen-prints of simple shapes in brilliant [...]

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Highlights from the Creative Table Project

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It’s been a super busy and creative month over in the Instagram Creative Table Challenge. A few weeks ago I shared that we had 750 inspiring creative table entries on Instagram. Today there are over 1100 creative table invitations, set-ups, ideas, and playful explorations to browse and get ideas from! Amazing, right?! Just as I did [...]

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24 Tips for Cleaning up Art Messes with Children

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What are your tried and true strategies for cleaning up art messes with your child? I presented this question to some friends and the smart crowd on my Facebook page, and they came back with a variety of ideas. Some of these are my own favorites, and a few are new-to-me. My hope is that [...]

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Homemade {Easy, Low-cost} Light Table

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My 2-year old came down with a fever last week and we’ve been more or less house-bound. It’s no fun at all, but it’s made me pretty resourceful around the house. One big win was pulling out our homemade light table. My 4-year old, who used to love this box, seems to have grown out [...]

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Parenting with Positive Guidance

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Today I’m happy to welcome my friend and colleague, early childhood educator Amanda Morgan from the popular blog, Not Just Cute, to talk with us about parenting with positive guidance. Have you heard of this philosophy for raising children? Without knowing it by name, I’ve come to learn that this is at the heart of my own parenting [...]

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Art Tips: Low-cost Stamps made from Cosmetic Wedges

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Have you ever made a stamp from a cosmetic wedge? A few weeks ago I shared this art tip about how you can salvage paper scraps that are left behind on the art table, and I invited you to let me know here and on Facebook if this was a series worth exploring. Enough of you said “yes,” that [...]

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Easy Valentine Bookmarks

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Today I’m joined by my real-life friend Susan, amazing mom to a 2-year old and a 4-year old, who I’ve known since our blanket baby days. She made this simple Valentine Bookmark with her 4-year old last week and I invited her to share it as a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift. Welcome, Susan! My daughter’s preschool loves [...]

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Valentine’s Day Card-Making Table

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Happy weekend, friends! How are you getting ready for Valentine’s Day?   Catch us on Catch My Party We set up this simple DIY card-making table for some of friends this past week, and what I love about it is how each child can tackle the materials with his or her own ideas and abilities. If [...]

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Paint with glue, and how to make your own colored glue

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My 2-year old is going through the phase of wanting to squeeze all the life out of any tube of paint, toothpaste, or glue that crosses her path. Have you had, or do you have, a child in that phase as well? I remember this phase well. When my older daughter hit it, I made [...]

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