Topic: childhood

You Can’t Say You Can’t Play, by Vivien Gussin Paley (1992)

In You Can’t Say You Can’t Play, MacArthur Prize-winning educator Vivien Paley describes her introduction of a new rule — “You can’t say you can’t play” — in her kindergarten classroom. The book raises questions about friendship, exclusion and inclusion, and what is necessary for a rule to be a good one. Discussion Questions RULES You Can’t Say You Can’t Play, by Vivien Gussin Paley (1992)

Piper

Screengrab from the Pixar animated film "Piper" featuring a very small and cute bird sticking its head out of the sand

This lesson plan can be used either in a classroom or online. Plot Summary: In the short Pixar film, Piper, an adult sanderling bird encourages their baby to join the other birds in finding food along the beach as the waves roll in and out. The baby bird bravely rushes forward only to find their Piper

Can anyone make art?

Girl painting

In 2007 an independent film came out entitled “My Kid Could Paint That.” It followed the art career of a four year old, Marla Olmstead, living in Binghamton, NY, who took the art world by storm. Many of her canvases sold for five figures and presented beautiful and engaging abstract images. The film began as Can anyone make art?