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Why Art Matters for Young Children

July 23, 2019 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Create Leave a Comment

I often wonder what other people see in the art being created in an early childhood classroom.  What do they make of these splashes of paint and collages covered with glue and seemingly random bits and bobs?

[Read more…]

Creative Genius: Tinkering and Problem Solving

March 14, 2017 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Create Leave a Comment

baby

In this article from the Wall Street Journal, as well as in this TED Talk, Steven Johnson tells a fascinating story of an Indonesian city, devastated by the tsunami in 2004. This city had received eight high-tech neo-natal incubators from relief organizations to aid them in caring for their youngest patients. Several years later, a researcher visited the hospital in Indonesia and found that not one of those incubators was still in working order. And so they sat, broken, and in storage.

[Read more…]

Who Needs Creativity?

January 25, 2017 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create 3 Comments

With our country’s current emphasis on standardized, test-based education, there’s ready access to loads of statistics on how states, districts, schools, even individual children are scoring on math and reading (important, to be sure). But can anyone know how much creativity is being nurtured and encouraged in any one school or classroom? No one’s following the creativity quotient of every schoolchild in America.

[Read more…]

TinkerLab Book Blog Tour: Q&A with Rachelle Doorley

June 16, 2014 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Create, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized 3 Comments

 Tinkerlab take two

 Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, if you’re interested in promoting creativity, problem solving, curiosity, critical thinking, and tinkering in the lives of the children you love and teach, then get ready —- you’re going to love Rachelle Doorley’s new book,Tinkerlab: A Hands-On Guide for Little Inventors(*affiliate link).

[Read more…]

It’s OK NOT to Share Section 5: Creativity, Persistence, and Empty Praise

June 4, 2014 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create 4 Comments

art

I promise I didn’t read ahead!

[Read more…]

The Benefits of Arts and Crafts (Yes, Both!) for Kids

May 20, 2014 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create, Uncategorized 11 Comments

arts and crafts

It’s funny how we often debate things with a black/white, either/or paradigm.

Like whether preschool is for play or learning, for instance.

Or order vs chaos.  (Controlled chaos for me, please.)

Or a little bit country vs a little bit rock n roll.

 

Or arts and crafts.

 

Yes, for many in the early education/child development world, the debate about arts and crafts rages on, with nary a UN negotiator to step in and help.

Like most debates, however, camping out in either extreme generally misses the point.

[Read more…]

Big Art Projects for Small Artists

May 7, 2014 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create, Uncategorized 7 Comments

big art

Any invitation to create yields wonderful benefits for children!  Self-expression, fine motor skills, and creative thinking are all brought to the table every time.  Art can even be therapeutic! But there’s something special that happens when you work on a bigger scale.  With big art projects, larger motor movements are often encouraged, strengthening both the small muscles in the hand, used in most art projects, but also inviting the larger muscle groups in the arms, and sometimes even the whole body!  With a larger project and bigger movements, kids who typically steer clear of the art table are often more easily enticed.  Big art projects also add a social and linguistic element as kids often work together to fill up such a big canvas.  And with such big projects and big movements, outdoors is often an ideal studio — perfect for this time of year! [Read more…]

Secrets of the Fearless Mess-Makers

March 25, 2014 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized 23 Comments

Secrets of the Fearless Mess Makers Long

“You’re so brave.”

[Read more…]

Isn’t it Time to Create?

September 19, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Tips for getting creative with kids.

Faige Kobre’s guest post here about the therapeutic nature of art was a reminder to me to be more intentional about pulling out art supplies to provide an invitation for my boys to create.  I’m not sure what’s been holding me back, but it certainly wasn’t their interest!

[Read more…]

Art Therapy Every Child Could Use

September 9, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Create, Learning through Play and Experience, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized 6 Comments

Curious about Art Therapy?  I have been!  A huge thanks to Faige Kobre of EduArt 4 Kids for sharing her expertise in today’s post. 

2 kids coloring at home

Many of us have the vague feeling that art is really good for us. We know it makes us more creative and stuff like that. However, research shows that doing art is not only for creativity but, it actually increases the levels of serotonin in the brain which is what is used to help lift depression. Art also helps people learn to like, accept and control their feelings. Feelings of anger, fear, jealously and aggression.

There is even a whole field that uses art to help children and adults heal from painful and abusive situations. This discipline is called art therapy. [Read more…]

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I’m Amanda Morgan. Here’s what I’m about…

In early education, there is too much distance between what we know and what we do. I bridge the gaps that exist between academia, decision-makers, educators, and parents so that together, we can improve the quality of early education while also respecting and protecting the childhood experience.

Content Copyrighted (2008-2022), Amanda Morgan, All Rights Reserved

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