Creative Learning Archives

September 30, 2020 by Megan Schiller

Learning Spaces at Home: Homeschool & Distance Learning Workspaces

It seems that the start of this school year has required some major adjustments for all of us. For those of us with kids in traditional school, we have had to re-think how we approach learning at home. And whether you have been a homeschooler for years or you have unintentionally become a homeschooler through distance learning, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed how our kids stay active and in touch with nature and our communities. This is one thing we are continuously trying to improve in our family and I’m realizing that it goes hand in hand with home education.

August 20, 2018 by Megan Schiller

Invitations To Create: New Videos & Prompts!

Are you familiar with Invitations To Create?

Invitations To Create are open-ended art prompts set up for kids to encourage creative exploration of materials. I first learned about these types of art prompts when I was a Reggio-Inspired preschool teacher and have since used them with my own kids for the past 9 years.

Invitations To Create have been the one tool I go back to again and again to keep my kids engaged with their art supplies and to learn new skills.

I’ve been working on a few new projects that involve Invitations To Create and I’m so excited to share them with you today!

in Art Projects / Art Supplies / Creative Learning / Creative Projects / Homeschool / News 0 comments

March 6, 2018 by Megan Schiller

Big Kid Art Space

I set up our current art space 4 years ago when I had a toddler and a kindergartener. Now that my girls are 6 and almost 10, I recently realized that it’s time to make some updates to this creative work space.

I want this space to reflect their interests and to inspire them to use a variety of tools and materials in their work. So I sat down with the girls and asked them for their input before planning the new items.

in Art Spaces / Art Supplies / Creative Learning / Home / Homeschool / Indoor Creative Spaces / Portfolio 4 comments

September 5, 2017 by Megan Schiller

Episode 10: Kids’ Art Spaces

This is a mini solo podcast episode, where I share the inspiration behind my business, The Art Pantry. I talk about why I view kids’ art spaces as workshops and what kids learn in them that goes way beyond art. I also share about my online course, Design Camp, and have a free download for you with art prompts for kids that are based on the skills I discuss in this episode.

in Art Projects / Art Spaces / Creative Learning / Creative Projects / Home / Homeschool / Indoor Creative Spaces / Podcast 0 comments

September 5, 2017 by Megan Schiller

It’s Not About Art: Skill-building in the studio

The other day I was going through photos of our art space over the years and it hit me how much my girls have learned from having a dedicated art space in our home.

I always say that having an art space is about so much more than just having a place to do art. But I realized that maybe I take this for granted and maybe other people don’t know what happens in an art space over time.

in Art Projects / Art Spaces / Creative Learning / Creative Projects / Home / Homeschool / Indoor Creative Spaces 1 comments

August 15, 2017 by Megan Schiller

Podcast Episode 7: Back To School: Tips on setting up kids’ workspaces, organizing, and creating more joy and family connection.

It’s Back to School time so Aaron and I thought it would be helpful to share our unique perspectives on the subject. Since I’m a designer and organizer, I share tips on setting up your home environment for back to school success. Aaron is a family coach and education consultant so he shares tips on how to re-think your daily routines to create more peace, joy, and connection in your family.

in Art Projects / Art Spaces / Creative Learning / Creative Projects / Home / Homeschool / Indoor Creative Spaces / Podcast 3 comments

August 8, 2017 by Megan Schiller

Episode 6: Julia Linsteadt on Creativity, Education, Motherhood, Entrepreneurship, and Intuition

Our first guest interview!

In episode 6 of Muse and the Catalyst, we interview Julia Linsteadt, mother of 2, art teacher, and co-founder of KidArtLit. We talk about creativity, flow, art, education, motherhood, self-care, collaboration, community, running a creative business, and how following our intuition never leads us astray. Julia also talks about a near-death experience in her early 20’s and how it lead her to go after her dreams.

in Creative Business / Creative Learning / Guest Interviews / Podcast 0 comments

July 28, 2017 by Megan Schiller

How To Incorporate Tinker & Maker Materials Into Your Art Space

Art spaces for kids are places of exploration, investigation, discovery, and creation. It’s important not to limit your materials to only art supplies (especially for kids over age 3), but to offer them a variety of materials to enhance their learning experience.

in Art Projects / Art Spaces / Art Supplies / Creative Learning / Creative Projects / Home / Homeschool / Indoor Creative Spaces 0 comments

June 13, 2017 by Megan Schiller

Being A Backyard Explorer

After 3 months on the road we finally had to give back the Airstream and head home to California. During our trip, we explored 22 states, many cities, and countless points of interest within those places. Now that we’re back home, we want to make sure we continue exploring all around us.

Why is it that we live 15 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge and have never walked across it? We put off doing “touristy” activities here at home because we know it will still be there when we finally get around to it. Sometimes it takes traveling to other places to realize how much exploring you can do in your own town. It’s similar to the art events that I planned on the road. After 5 amazing family art events across the country, I can’t believe I haven’t done one here in the Bay Area! So I’ll definitely be planning a local art event soon.

in Creative Learning / Homeschool / Travel 47 comments

May 5, 2017 by Megan Schiller

How We Homeschool On The Road

One of the questions we get asked a lot on this #EndlessCaravan trip is “Do you homeschool on the road?” We aren’t following a curriculum and we don’t have textbooks, but I can say with certainty that the girls are learning so much more than could ever be assessed by a worksheet or a test.

Roadschool

We do a mix of “roadschooling” and “unschooling” where the girls learn about the places we are visiting through their curiosities. Sometimes we research about a place before we visit, other times we arrive and learn on-site through a guided tour or written information.

We never make the kids learn the information, but they almost always jump at the chance of investigating the fascinating places that we visit. This is one thing that I love about roadschooling. Seeing places in real life- getting to touch and experience them first hand- motivates the kids to want to learn.

in Creative Learning / Homeschool / Travel 4 comments