Jan von Holleben’s “Dreams of Flying” exhibit is in the lobby of the Museum of Childhood now through October 24th.

“Crossing the desert on the back of a dog, or searching for lost treasures on the bottom of the ocean. Jan von Holleben’s photographs allow children to make their dreams come true.

Jan brings the influences of his parents – a cinematographer and child therapist – to his work. His focus on the visual representation of childhood, ‘Child-History’ and concepts of ‘Playing’, come from his teacher training course and he combines these theories with his personal experience and childhood memories. Inspired by classic childhood books as well as modern superheroes, he produces ‘Dreams of Flying’ since 2002 with children from his local neighbourhood in South West Germany – ongoing!”

I think this is a great series of photographs to share with children, either at home or in the classroom. It would be fun to try and re-create one of Jan’s images or to create your own “Dreams of Flying” series. If you make it happen, don’t be shy – send us a photo or two to share.

I would like to share with you, the portfolio of artist/designer Natalie Abadzis. The captured moments Natalie shares with us at byebyeballoon, spark a sense of calm and wishfulness in me. “Byebyeballoon is a quarry of thoughts. A series of seconds. Drawings are served up fast, like noodles and fish mezes.”

When asked “Why do you think it is important for children to experience “art”?” she replied “It is important for children to experience art because it is all about unfiltered expression. Young children do not have preconceptions of what kind of mark-making they ought to make, they just go ahead and create, applying their creativity to the piece they are working on – that very moment”.

foldschool is a collection of free cardboard furniture for kids, handmade by you. The downloadable patterns can be printed out with any printer. Follow the instructions and assemble a stable piece of furniture.” AWESOME!

Being out of the classroom for the last two years has been challenging. The adult world that I occupy day in and day out does not allow for many opportunities to relate with children – I miss sharing space and time with them. “Little birds”, a photo blog by Stephanie Cogdon Barnes, has been an inspiration — Stephanie takes lovely photographs, yes – but it is the way she captures childhood in those photographs that I appreciate the most.

As I sit here in my Paris apartment with my computer, notes scattered around me – collecting ideas for the early childhood curriculum I am working on – I find the above photo comforting and encouraging, simply because it reminds me of the natural curiosity that children possess.

Thank You Stephanie (and crew)

Child at Street 11 is a multi-racial, secular, independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to helping low income and dysfunctional families provide quality early years education for their children. Started in April 1999, the Centre serves children aged two to six in a full day programme.

The Challenge

“Most pre-school centres in Singapore do not have integrated programmes to help children from problem homes.

Child at Street 11 helps children by having well-trained pre-school teachers focus on education and parent education. It also networks with external agencies that have social workers, counsellors, educational psychologists, doctors and other professionals.

No other group of children so desperately needs the benefits of high quality pre-school education. Child at Street 11 has been able to provide a good educational foundation for children, whose self-esteem is low and motivation is limited. Child at Street 11 has a rich learning environment where there are sensitive, approachable adults to support them.

Child at Street 11 also helps young children who would have been deprived of their legal rights. The Centre has helped children whose births have not been registered. In one case, the process was difficult because the child’s father was in prison.”

Good Stuff: Classics in Education
Summer 2007 By Herbert Kohl (excerpt)

“The Public School and the Private Vision: A Search for America in Education and Literature” By Maxine Greene (The New Press, 2007)

“How Kindergarten Came to America: Frederich Froebel’s Radical Vision of Early Childhood Education” By Bertha Von Marenholtz-Bulow (The New Press, 2007)

“I feel fortunate to have been asked by The New Press to develop a series of books consisting of reprints of classic books on progressive education. The series is a way for me to keep current educators in touch with their elders and re-inspired by ideas that are as useful and controversial today as they were when originally published.

The first two books have just been published: Bertha Von Marenholtz-Bulow’s How Kindergarten Came to America: Frederich Froebel’s Radical Vision of Early Childhood Education; and Maxine Greene’s The Public School and the Private Vision: A Search for America in Education and Literature.

Educator Mary Mann translated the English-language edition of How Kindergarten Came to America. Her husband was Horace Mann, the first U.S. Commissioner of Education. Her sister was Elizabeth Peabody, a feminist and creator of the first English-language kindergarten in the United States. In her introduction to the book, first published in 1895, Mann called kindergarten “the free republic of childhood.”

The idea of freedom for young children and the sense that they could be self-governing was radical in its day; it’s an equally radical idea for the 21st century.”

Design-Aerobics by Design Boom are online courses “for people seeking knowledge and fun”, who wish to get to know like minded people from all over the world. The courses are designed to stimulate the mind and get your creative juices flowing.

This seasons course is titled “Childhood”. I am going to enroll, let me know if you do, so we can get a discussion going.

Robert Harris (1849 – 1919)
An Autumn landscape of a dirt road running down the centre of a picturesque fall scene. In Charlottetown, Falconwood Park

painting oil on board 30.4 x 23.5 cm
Confederation Centre Art Gallery. Gift of the Robert Harris Trust, 1965
© Confederation Centre Art Gallery CAG H-2154

Nationhood.ca houses “4000 digitized works of art from Canadian gallery collections and 400 complementary lesson plans developed by 16 educators from Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Designed for use by Canadian teachers, students from kindergarten to Grade 12, and the general public.”

In this unit “students will view artwork, have class discussion, make charts, present their work, participate in creative movement, make drawings, make a class chart, and make collages.”

Welcome to the whimsical worlds of French artist Lilie Melo