Category Archives: The Arts

The Legacy of Milly, Part 5

In Part 4 the Peace Quilt became part of the permanent collection at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, and Milly became an important part of my classroom.  Children adored her.  She loved singing, and Milly’s favorite song was our favorite … Continue reading

Posted in American flag, art, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Family, geography, history, Imagination, Inspiration, military, museums, patriotism, quilting, Singing, Teaching young children, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 68 Comments

The Legacy of Milly, Part 4

In Part 3, Milly brought in beautiful fabrics and placed them on the sketch of the Peace Quilt spread out across a big table.  Children came to her like moths to a candle, picking out just the right fabrics.  At … Continue reading

Posted in art, Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, museums, Peace, quilting, The Arts, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 75 Comments

The Legacy of Milly, Part 3

In Part 2, Milly came onto the scene, meeting the children and Gloria.  She accepted the “challenge” – as she called it – of quilting a mural which would become a Peace Quilt.  Gloria started the ball rolling with her own … Continue reading

Posted in art, Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, museums, Peace, quilting, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | 64 Comments

The Legacy of Milly, Part 2

In Part 1, I discovered a Peace Portal at a museum and recreated it in my classroom.  Peace became a big deal and very real to children.  When I saw quilts that were murals, I knew I had to make … Continue reading

Posted in Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, museums, Peace, quilting, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | 72 Comments

Boston Pops, 4th of July, and Music

I moved to Massachusetts in 1984.  Since then, I have faithfully watched the Boston Pops perform every Fourth of July.  Back then, John Williams was the conductor.  He was the man who wrote the music for my favorite movies, “ET”, … Continue reading

Posted in American flag, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Inspiration, music, patriotism, Singing, Teaching young children, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

The Legacy of Milly, Part 1

Every good story has a great backstory.  To know how Milly came into my life and tell you about her early years in my classroom, I have to back up and tell you what really happened.  It’s a great story, … Continue reading

Posted in Early Education, Imagination, Inspiration, museums, quilting, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , | 59 Comments

The Art Show!

“It took me a lifetime to learn to draw like a child.” –Pablo Picasso– “I would like to paint the way a bird sings.” –Claude Monet– “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” –Vincent van … Continue reading

Posted in art, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Inspiration, self esteem, Teaching young children, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , | 76 Comments

“The Scream”, Round 2

Alex liked his painting of “The Scream.”  He called it “The Yeller Who Was Lost”, because he couldn’t remember scream, and he knew the painting had been lost.  Actually, Alex liked the original art by Edvard Munch far more than … Continue reading

Posted in art, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, Inspiration, Teaching young children, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 78 Comments

Music Begins to Inspire Our Art.

“The music goes into your ears and into your brain.  Then, as you listen to the notes and sounds, it goes into your heart and shoots out of your fingers.  Like a million stars.  It’s magic.” Those are the words … Continue reading

Posted in art, Early Education, Inspiration, music, Teaching young children, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 103 Comments

In the Words of a Child, an Art Masterpiece

The children have started painting in earnest, and studying both art and techniques.  All this work and joy is in preparation for our annual Art Show.  Much more on that to come. I want to share a funny story this … Continue reading

Posted in art, Early Education, Teaching young children, The Arts, wonder | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 80 Comments