Parents of preschoolers and little ones: ready to bust boredom, and inject some creativity and artful learning into your homeschool day? 

Young kids are built to move, to create and build  - and that's exactly what these unconventional supplies encourage.

Weave these unexpected, inexpensive supplies into everyday learning to up-level the fun-factor in your homeschool program!

For those of you who enjoy hearing AND seeing, be sure to check out the full video above!

1. India Ink

A beautiful medium for creating strong, punchy bold lines, India Ink is a unique tool to create expressive portraits,  working BIG on easel paper, or creating fun script, alphabet letters and numbers. Available on Amazon or Michaels, I offer a BIG disclaimer: India Ink is highly staining. So get outside, and don those big sloppy smocks!

2. Sharpie

Fine-line Sharpie markers are not for the faint of heart,...

If creating a beautiful, bright and organized space for learning is on your wish list, read on!

In schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, the space that surrounds children is given a lot of consideration. It's not just about "decor" to make it look pretty, or "organization" of stuff. It's so much more.

The Italian word ambiente (amˈbyentē) is used in Reggio schools to describe the textures, the colours, the smells, the feel, the vibe you get when you enter a space. Ambiente is so important, that the environment is considered the child's third teacher in a Reggio Emilia-inspired world.

Why is so much attention given to the space that surrounds our children in the world of Reggio?

When we create an environment that respects children as learners and full of potential, they in turn respect their environment and view themselves as capable, competent and full of potential. 

 
They understand that this is a place where they are...

What is an atelier?

How does the atelier foster our kids' creativity and self expression?

How can we create our own mini-atelier in our own home, and what materials should be included?

In Reggio Emilia, Italy, the atelier is like the beating heart of the classroom. 

A dedicated space for art-making, long-term projects and creative exploration through a variety of rich art media, accessible to children to represent their ideas, provoke creative thinking, and show understanding through their one hundred languages.

How might we bring the magic of the Atelier home?

What kinds of tools should we include, and how can they be organized to foster independence and creative exploration for our own children?

Designating a dedicated space for creating sends a message to our children that art is valued, and that they are valued as artists.

This can be a special nook, corner or area of...