photo by xavier encinas— a treasure i found in the Mediterranean —

Happy Summer Everyone! Remember to eep an eye out for natural treasures and when you find them, keep them safe for you know that come the end of summer, those treasures will tell a tale.

Be safe and have fun!

Currently: Santa Monica, CA

Introduction: “The theses represented in this exhibition have been guiding principles in a coherent and tranformational history of experien- ce which, already at the time of the first showing of The Hundred Languages of Children exhibition in 1981, characterised experience in Reggio infant-toddler centres and preschools.

These theses are mindful of the many events causing vast transformations in culture and society, in economics and politics, in Reggio Emilia, in Italy, in the world. These theses are sensitive to guidelines in national curriculum. Above all else however, they are capable of guiding our choices for humanity, for liberty, for democracy.”

The exhibition The Wonder of Learning “presents a narrative and communicative structure designed to reflect the contemporaneity, the complexity, and the plurality of points of view that have always characterized the work carried out in the infant-toddler centres and preschools of Reggio Emilia“

FUN! Artist Joel Henriques has provided us with a free template but I would like to encourage you to be inspired and inspire the little people around you to make their own Paper City. Please take some time to visit Joel’s blog – I am certain you will leave with an idea or five.

“Growing Schools aims to give all children the opportunity to connect with the living environment, whether it is an inner city window box or a vast country estate, a school veg plot or a natural woodland. Interacting with living plants and animals provides a very rich, hands-on learning experience in which both formal and informal education can flourish.

The Growing Schools programme supports the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto, and shares its conviction that every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstance. Within these broad boundaries Growing Schools focuses particularly on three areas that are accessible to all, at some level, as a context for learning. They are: Food and farming, including the managed countryside, Gardens, gardening and green spaces, and Wildlife and the natural environment.

Growing Schools also meshes very well with the Sustainable Schools agenda. It provides a practical approach to its core theme of care – for oneself, for each other and for the environment – and is particularly relevant to the food & drink gateway.”

Within this website, I found a pdf titled “Get Growing” – an excellent resource on the values of including children in growing projects (tips for educators and parents too).

things to learn from Matt Edgar on Vimeo.

Selected for the Picto Plasma Animation Festival in Berlin and The Future Film Festival in Bologna. Christian Borstlap illustrations for Dutch children’s charity, Kinderpostzegels.

Paul Postma did a great job of bringing Christian’s colourful illustrations to life, complimenting them with a playfully restrained animation style to really let their personalities shine.