We are excited to share a series of blog posts created in collaboration with the Curriculum in Early Childhood Education students at Holyoke Community College! The HCC students completed a Service Learning Project with Carle Art Educators this fall, continuing a partnership developed over the past two years. Students worked in groups to develop At Home Art Studio projects inspired by illustrations in The Carle’s online exhibition Now & Then: Contemporary Illustrators and Their Childhood Art. Students planned the projects, experimented with materials, and documented their process for the blog. The following is Matelynn Buckley, Riley McLaughlin, Shaunna Glucksman, and Tori Hosmer’s description of the project. READ MORE

When we talk with educators and caregivers about paint, there can be many complex reactions to the medium. Paint is one of the most popular materials for guests of all ages. Vibrant colors, blending new colors, and making marks immediately on a surface makes paint very exciting to work with. But with this medium, there can be stress around how educators or caregivers manage the material. Paint can easily be transferred to other surfaces in a home setting or classroom that can add more time to cleaning up and stress if it stains. When compared to drawing and collage, paint explorations can require more planning. In this post, we’ll explore how we’ve thought through the set-up and selection of tools and materials in advance to allow children the opportunity to explore the medium in a self-directed way, while making it manageable for educators and caregivers who are balancing a lot of factors all at once. READ MORE