TinkerLab

join button

join button
You are here: Home / Search for "creative table"

Search Results for: creative table

The Creative Table | VIP Wait List

creative table project

Hi friends,

I’d like to invite you join the VIP list for a new project I’m working on that I know you’re going to love! I’m pulling together a guidebook and program with the following highlights:

  • A complete list of basic supplies for starting your home makerspace
  • Daily and Weekly planners to help add structure and consistency to your days
  • A supportive online space for sharing ideas and feedback
  • Gorgeous photos that clearly explain the daily prompts
  • Fun and meaningful creative projects for young children (ages 2-6)
  • Easy and actionable activities that you can set up in minutes. Seriously.

I recently conducted a survey (thank you to all of you who shared your thoughts with me — this community is wonderful!) to learn more about your specific needs, and the finer details are starting to fall into place. I love your dream solutions, and I’m now dreaming up more ways to weave them into this and future projects. Here are some examples:

To have a room where I can provide a big craft table and more shelving for their arts and crafts. Not a corner section in our living room.

I would love more ideas on how to use song and movement together.

Quit work!  I wish I could help with this one! Maybe I can inspire you to start a blog or become an arts educator. 🙂

More specific ideas that don’t require a great deal of prep.

More time! At least, more time when I don’t have all the other domestic stuff to do too.

I’ve struggled with ALL of these myself, and some of them are still semi-unresolved. While I can’t put more time into my day, I can do more to maximize the time I have prioritize the things that matter most. We still live in a tiny house, and because that wasn’t about to change any time soon, I had to make the most out of what I have. It’s worked for me, and I hope I can share insights into how it can work for you, too.

Do any of these resonate with you?

Phase 1 of this project is designed to help parents simplify making with their young children at home, and I anticipate that future phases will open up to older children and classroom teachers and their students.

If you struggle to find time to set up creative projects, are in need of organizational skills or planning help, can’t get past the “mess factor,” and want to keep things simple and not too expensive or chaotic, this is for you!

I’m excited to share some behind-the-scenes work in the upcoming weeks, and if you’d like to be the first to know about how this program can help you, please join me.

xo,

signature

The Creative Table VIP List

Join the VIP wait list image3

Hi friends,

I’d like to invite you join the VIP list for a new project I’m working on that I know you’re going to love! I’m popping in today to give you a little behind-the-scenes so you’ll forgive me for missing my newsletter deadline this week.

Join me!

Phase 1 of this project is designed to help parents simplify making with their young children at home, and I anticipate that future phases will open up to older children and classroom teachers and their students.

If you struggle to find time to set up creative projects, are in need of organizational skills or planning help, can’t get past the “mess factor,” and want to keep things simple and not too expensive or chaotic, this is for you!

I’m excited to share some behind-the-scenes work in the upcoming weeks, and if you’d like to be the first to know about how this program can help you, please join me.

Glittery Hugs,

signature

Creative Table: Tree Trunk Leaf Collage

By Rachelle

This Creative Table prompt invites you to use simple materials that you can easily gather on a walk and from basic supplies in your home.
Simple art prompt for kids with leaves, paper, and paper

Supplies

  1. Paper
  2. Marker or other drawing tool
  3. Bowl of white glue
  4. Paint brush
  5. Fallen Leaves, gathered on a walk

Start with a Nature Walk

image
No trees were harmed for this project as we gathered leaves that had already fallen to the ground.

The Set Up

image
Clear the table

Draw a basic trunk structure on the paper. Don’t worry about perfection

Place the leaves, bowl of glue, and brush around the paper

Invite your child to create

More Ideas

Add markers or crayons and invite your child to add texture to the tree

Draw leaves or other ideas from their imagination

Draw a bird shape and offer feathers rather than leaves

a Quick Creative Table™ Survey

By Rachelle

creative table survey2

If you’ve been with TinkerLab for a bit of time, you may remember when I introduced the Creative Table Challenge a few years ago. Since then, I’ve posted a series of Creative Table prompt ideas as inspiration for setting up provocations and invitations to create at home and school.

Since then, I’ve received a lot of questions about these prompts, so I’m pulling a couple exciting projects together around this idea. I’m excited to share them with you soon!

Popular Creative Table Questions

I want to make the Creative Table resource more useful, so I’m gathering all of your big questions around it. First I’ll share some of the questions I get, and then I’d love to hear what questions YOU have!

Do you set these provocations up for your children every day?

Yes and no. I’ve gone through phases where I have set these up daily, and then other periods where I won’t set them up for a few days. It all depends on the rhythm of our family at the time. For example, when my children were both getting up VERY early, I would set up our Creative Table™ the night before so that they would have an engaging activity waiting for them when they awoke. I also find that summer is a good time for us to have daily prompts because there’s not a mad rush to get out the door early and we can ease into a morning of making. As my children get older, they still enjoy prompts, but they’re also driven by their own ideas and enjoy finding the materials they need in our self-serve maker zone.

Where do you get your supplies?

We order a lot of art supplies through Amazon, such as our liquid watercolors (affiliate – these are a must-have) and black kraft paper for covering tables. We also spend time at Michael’s, but it’s dangerous for me to bring my kids into the eye-candy bonanza of that store. 🙂 We gather a lot of found materials for projects such as foam printmaking and natural supplies on walks and hikes for projects such as this prompt with leaves and glue.

Where do you get your ideas?

I’ve been teaching art since 2000, and many of the ideas come from my own teaching practice. I’m also active online and find great inspiration ideas from favorite blogs and the #creativetable hashtag on Instagram. Other good Instagram hashtags are: #invitationtoplay #invitationstocreate and #30invitationstoplay

What questions do YOU have?

What burning questions do you have about invitations to create and provocations for the Creative Table? Maybe it’s about setting it up, making time for it, the age of your child or children, or the challenges you face with this type of project. Anything you have to share will be useful, and your name with be kept in confidentiality unless you give me permission to share it.

Thank you so much for taking time to fill this out!

12 Easy Creative Table Prompts for Kids

By Rachelle

If you’re looking for a simple way to set up creative provocations that encourage curiosity and imagination, you will love the Creative Table™ Project. These activities won’t take a lot of time to set up, and while your child creates you can step back while they enjoy the process of exploration.

12 No fuss creative table set ups for kids tinkerlab

WHAT IS THE CREATIVE TABLE PROJECT?

The Creative Table™ Project invites you to share an image of a creative invitation, prompt, provocation, or set-up. 

The creative table set-ups are simple: Clear a table, place the inspiring materials in an inviting arrangement, and invite a child to create.

There’s no right or wrong way about it. While we may have an idea about how the other person will use the materials, it’s ultimately up to the child to determine the outcome.

You can read more here for tips on how to set  up these creative table provocations.

12 No fuss creative table set ups for kids | TinkerLab

Creative Table: Why it’s Important to Have a Clean Table

Tape and Paper Bags

Paint and Looping Lines

Tape and Paper

Doilies and Scissors

Leaves and Glue

Stickers and Frames

Glue and Sand

Doily and Watercolor Painting

Valentine’s Day Cards

Cardboard Heart Stamps

Blend Chalk Pastels

Glitter Pine Cones

12 no fuss Creative Table™ set ups for kids

If you’re new to all of this, find out how to set up a self-serve maker space for kids.

3 More Easy Creative Table Invitations

If you enjoyed this, check out 3 Easy Art Invitations that Encourage Creativity and Independent Thinking, an article I wrote for Modern Parents Messy Kids.

More Creative Table and Space Inspiration

Organize your Art Station

How to Set up an Art Cart

Art Supply Organization

 

12 Easy Creative Table Set-ups

If you’re looking for a simple way to set up creative provocations that encourage curiosity and imagination, you will love the Creative Table™ Project. These activities won’t take a lot of time to set up, and while your child creates you can step back while they enjoy the process of exploration.

12 No fuss creative table set ups for kids on TinkerLab®

WHAT IS THE CREATIVE TABLE PROJECT?

The Creative Table™ Project invites you to share an image of a creative invitation, prompt, provocation, or set-up. 

The creative table set-ups are simple: Clear a table, place the inspiring materials in an inviting arrangement, and invite a child to create.

There’s no right or wrong way about it. While we may have an idea about how the other person will use the materials, it’s ultimately up to the child to determine the outcome.

You can read more here for tips on how to set  up these creative table provocations.

12 no fuss Creative Table set ups for kids

Creative Table: Why it’s Important to Have a Clean Table

Creative Table Set up: Tape and Paper Bags

Creative Table Set up: Paint and Looping Lines

Creative Table Set up: Tape and Paper

Creative Table Set up: Doilies and Scissors

Creative Table Set up:Leaves and Glue

Creative Table Set up: Stickers and Frames

Creative Table Set up: Glue and Sand

Creative Table Set up: Doily and Watercolor Painting

Creative Table Set up: Valentine’s Day Cards

Creative Table Set up: Cardboard Heart Stamps

Creative Table Set up: Blend Chalk Pastels

Creative Table Set up: Glitter Pine Cones

The Creative Table Project: 12 Easy Maker Prompts for Little Kids

If you’re new to all of this, find out how to set up a self-serve maker space for kids.

More Creative Table and Space Inspiration

Organize your Art Station

How to Set up an Art Cart

Art Supply Organization