Explore exciting strategies for cultivating children's creativity in the classroom.
Join returning presenter Dr. Louisa Penfold, Co-Chair of Arts and Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, for a day of interactive mini workshops that demonstrate how art, play, and inquiry can serve as powerful pathways to learning. Through engaging sessions such as Cardboard Construction, Sound Sculptures, Textile Weavings, and Performance Art, participants will experience how open-ended materials and creative exploration can strengthen children’s thinking, language development, collaboration, and problem-solving.
In this workshop you will:
- Examine the essential role of art and play in early childhood development and academic learning
- Explore Pedagogical Curation, an approach to designing learning environments and centers that intentionally connect contemporary art practices with children’s play and inquiry
- Learn practical strategies for sourcing materials and organizing classroom centers that inspire exploration
- Discover ways to scaffold learning through thoughtful choices of materials, tools, vocabulary, and techniques
Educators will leave with practical ideas for integrating creative learning centers into the early childhood classroom in ways that support both joyful discovery and meaningful academic growth. Add to your program this year or grow expertise to use at the start of the new school year.
Dr. Louisa Penfold
Louisa Penfold, PhD is a lecturer and the co-chair of arts and learning at Harvard University. Her work focuses on contemporary art, early childhood education, and play across schools, museums, and public spaces. She has worked in the learning departments at international art museums, including Tate, the Serpentine, and the Ipswich Art Gallery, as well as serving on UNESCO's Advisory Committee for the Implementation Guidance of the Framework for Culture and Arts Education. Her forthcoming book, Every Child is an Artist: A Parent's Guide to Cultivating Children's Creativity Through Contemporary Art, will be released in 2026.