Cultural Festival

A day of celebrating the biomes of this beautiful blue dot alongside young children is a day well spent!  We had a blast!!!

Thank you to all the families who participated.  You make every day better.  If you weren't able to join us, here are a few pictures to illustrate the day in the studio.

ABC Italian Bistro

In the kitchen area of the studio the children have enjoyed playing with these Italian dining materials put together by a former student on a work day.  To further their exploration, BJ and I created a pop-up restaurant called the ABC Italian Bistro... A for Angelina, B for BJ and C for children.  The children helped us make and serve spaghetti with pasta sauce, grated parmesan and breadsticks served up with peas and carrots.

 The children LOOOOOOOVED it!

We practiced the manners we have been learning throughout the year, including napkins in lap, proper volume for polite conversation and...

 Effective clean up strategies.

It was a bellisima day!  

What have we been up to?

Well for one thing the children's artwork is now on display in the Artisan Center window, on 3rd and Detroit Street.  If you have not stopped by to see it, please find the time to do so.  We are very proud.

In studio the children have been doing so much.  Some are playing with light and color...

 While other's continue to enjoy drawing together...

 Kirsten from Tod's has been collaborating with XP to choreograph a song...

 And the XP children have been working with me to illustrate a song book...

 There's been lots...

and lots of dress up...

And plenty of pretend play.

All in all it has been a very busy, albeit short week.  We have so much fun yet to come and I look forward to sharing next week's festivities with all of you.  It's going to be WONDERful!  

Enjoy your warm weekend, stay curious and we will see you soon.

Play

“Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.” –  Abraham Maslow

 “The true object of all human life is play.” -G. K. Chesterton

 “Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” -Mr. Rogers

 “Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.” -Plato

 “Play is the exultation of the possible.” -Martin Buber
 Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” -Joseph Chilton Pearce

May each of us uphold the child's right to wonder, curiosity, enthusiasm and play.  In so doing may we cultivate our own capacity for joy and rediscover this moment, exactly as it is, full of possibility.  Have a beautiful and playful weekend.

Cherry pie's and cherry blossoms to hurry Spring along

BJ joined us in the studio this week to make cherry turnovers.  The recipe was super simple:
Prepare pie dough however you like and roll out into sheets, then cut into circles (the rim of a large glass works great).  For the filling add cinnamon, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice to a few bags of frozen cherries.  Tuck some of the filling into the center of a pie dough circle, fold the dough in half and press edges with the tines of a fork to seal.  Brush with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon then bake til golden brown.  YUMMMMMMY!

Meanwhile the children and I made paper cherry blossoms and painted a large branch (salvaged from up the street) in sunny pastels.  The effect is on display in the studio as a hopeful invitation for an early Spring.  Swing by anytime to see.

A peek at our studio week

Toddlers Explore Light and Shadow