The Creativity Project
I want to introduce you all the The Creativity Project.
The Creativity Project was started by two moms and educators, Barbara Rucci and Shannon Merenstein, who value a creative childhood. They started writing monthly guides to inspire creativity at home during the pandemic, and are now on their second season of their enormously popular Art & Play guides. Their mission is to honor childhood by meeting children where they are and giving them the freedom and space to explore open-ended invitations in their own time, in their own way. Their creative guides are aesthetically so beautiful, with meaningful themes and simple ideas to help parents and teachers prioritize creativity in childhood.
I just wanted to say that I am an affiliate of the The Creativity Project. That means that if you purchase a subscription or a one off guide using the links I provide, that I get a small fee (at no extra cost to you). I was super excited when Barbara and Shannon offered me this opportunity (I'll be honest I would have promoted their beautiful creative guide for free!) as I totally love and respect their creative work, but this way everyone wins; The creativity Project get to continue their work sharing art with the world, I get a small commission to keep my pantry stocked with cheese and wine and you get beautiful creative ideas to share with your little ones.
We all want to raise thoughtful and curious problem-solvers but maybe we don’t know how to begin that creative practice. These guides are exactly the right tool we all need to feel inspired and to get started. You don’t need to feel like a creative parent in order to provide your child with the tools they need to establish lifelong habits of creativity. These guides are like a warm and cozy patchwork quilt that makes you feel inspired, fills you with joy, and brings you a sense of community and peace, knowing that you are supported in your journey.
They make digital monthly guides that are so beautiful and inspiring, with 5 weekly creative ideas for art & play that are simple and easy to achieve, using just basic supplies, recyclables, and nature. They call their simple art and play ideas “invitations” because all you need to do is set out a few common supplies in an enticing way and invite your child over to investigate and explore. These are not crafts, you do not need to make anything specific. In fact, it’s best if you set out the invitation and just let your child be! Providing your child with open-ended invitations and allowing them to choose their own path is so beneficial in the building and practice of trust. When our children feel that we trust them, they develop an inner-confidence that just can’t be taught.
There are a few different membership packages available;
- WHOLE CHILD membership - Which includes 20 art & play creative invitations, supplies list, daily rituals, snack ideas, book lists, curriculum connections to math, science and literacy, video content, digital creative play dates and SO MUCH MORE!
- ESSENTIALS membership - Which is a pared down version with 20 art & play creative invitation and supply list.
- ONE OFF guides - Shop their past guides, pick and choose whichever ones you like.
Find out more about all the membership packages HERE >>>
Do you want to start living a more creative life as a family or infuse creativity into your classroom, but you don’t know where to begin? These guides are the perfect answer and such a thoughtful, inspiring way to begin that creative practice. You don’t need a ton of fancy supplies, in fact you only need the very basics and to start collecting natural materials from outside and save some of your recyclables. The guides have master supply lists in the beginning so you know what you need to gather for the month. They really make it so easy.”
The guides are really a creative curriculum that you can use at home or in the classroom. They are geared towards ages 3-8, so they work really well in a multi-age classroom or home. The beauty with open-ended invitations is that each age approaches them differently - there is no right or wrong way to explore and be creative!
Head this way to find out more>>> THE CREATIVITY PROJECT
I love Barbara's and Shannon's work so much, I also stock their books on my website, check out ART WORKSHOP for CHILDREN and COLLAGE Workshop for KIDS.