You need to get a copy of this book! Jean Van’t Hul, who many of you will know from her wonderful blog The Artful Parent, has a brand new book full of ‘simple ways to fill your family’s life with art and creativity’. The book, The Artful Parent, is packed full of inspiring ideas to try. Here’s a peek inside at one of the activities, together with a super-easy-to-enter competition where one of you can win a copy.
The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill your Family’s Life with Art and Creativity
Jean is an artist and a mother, and both these combine so well in the book, to offer something special for everyone.
If you are new to using art with your children, there are lots and lots of ideas to try. The 60+ Artful Activities are projects that you really can do at home, and Jean gives lots of tips and suggestions to make them as easy and fun as possible.
If you are already used to enjoying creative activities with your kids, Jean’s background as an artist means the ideas in book can offer you that little bit more, to extend the art your try with your children and inspire you on to explore more.
And because Jean is a mother of two, she really understands how to relate art to children and her book has so many fun projects that your kids will be eager to try. Her projects are things that you can easily do at home, with children of a range of ages – because everything in the book comes from Jean’s own home with her girls.
The Artful Parent Sneak Peek :: Styrofoam Prints
Here’s a peek at one of the artful activities from the book, using styrofoam prints to make your own stickers. My girls love this one! I love that it uses recycled materials from the kitchen. The step-by-step instructions make is so easy to follow, and there’s plenty of scope for creative kids to use the project as a spark to create their own unique art.
From The Artful Parent, by Jean V’ant Hul, © 2013 by Jean V’ant Hul. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston, MA. www.roostbooks.com
Win a copy of The Artful Parent
Would you like to win a copy of The Artful Parent book?
To enter the competition, just leave a comment on this post, by midnight (GMT) on Thursday 4th April 2013, telling me why you need this book.
I’ll pick the answer that stands out to me as a great reason, and that person will win a copy of the book. The competition is open worldwide.
Competition Rules
One entry per person. You have until midnight (GMT) on Thursday 4th April 2013 to leave your comment. You must give your e-mail address in the box when you comment (so I can contact you) or your entry will not be counted. To enter you must tell me why you want to win a copy of the book. I will pick the answer that stands out to me as a great reason. I will send your e-mail details to Roost Books and they will arrange delivery of your prize. NurtureStore accepts no responsibility for the delivery of the prize. All enquiries must be directed to Roost Books.
Follow the Book Tour
For more peeks inside the book, to get to know Jean better and extra chances to win a copy of The Artful Parent, follow along on the blog tour…
March 18 – Tinkerlab – activity demonstration + giveaway
March 22 – Handmade Charlotte – blog post
March 26 – Playful Learning – activity demonstration
March 28 – Nurture Store – feature post + giveaway
March 30 – Make and Takes – feature
April 1 – Red Ted Art – book review + giveaway
April 2 – Kids Activity Blog – interview + giveaway
April 3 – Pink and Green Mama – blog post
April 8 – Not Just Cute – blog post
April 9 – Creative with Kids – interview
April 10 – Imagination Tree – book review
Why wait to get a copy of The Artful Parent?
This book is so good, why wait to see if you win? The book comes out on 9th April 2013 and is available to pre-order right now – with a great pre-order saving. You can buy it from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk
:: Edited 08/04/2013 Congratulations Hayley McNamara – you’re the winner! I hope you and your whole class enjoy the ideas in the book. I’m sure you will! I’m e-mailing you now to get your full details ::
My twins love to create more than the brain of their mum can come up with new activities so we really do need this book 🙂
I am nanny of Charlie and Henry, they are smart and active boy 32 and 4 mnths old and we need wonderful, practical projects and activities of The Artful Parentkids’ art book. Thanks.
I would love a copy of her book. My two boys, esp. my 8-year old, love to do crafts. It would be nice to have so many fresh ideas.
I need this book because every parent needs more artful inspiration in their lives!
This looks amazing, my 2 year old little girl loves to paint and stick and create. The look on her face when she sees what she has made is one if the best things in life. Some extra inspiration would be very much appreciated!
I am a stay at home mom with 4 kids ages 6 and under…I am constantly in need of creative inspiration!
We need this wonderful book because we need some great ideas for art in our home school! Thanks!
I’m a homeschooling mom of two. I would love some ideas on fun things to do with them…especially with summer coming up!
With 2 young children, home schooling, and being a childminder I’m always looking for new ideas that include new learning experiences as well. We loved your Garden Classroom, and if this is anything like it, we won’t be disappointed! Good luck to everyone!
Using art in teaching my girls at home has really helped them learn!! My motto was “there is enough money for art at our school!”, a sad event that the art class was taken away from her local school!! I would love to win a copy as this seems like such a great art tool to have!! Thank you!! Fingers and toes crossed that we win!!
We would love to win as I think Jeans ideas are unique and often very appealing to boys, who are often less willing to sit down and create. Craft is one of the main ways I connect with my children after a busy working week, creativity allows us a real chance to unwind together, as relaxing for me as it is fun for them. Ideas that are different to what they do in preschool are very welcome otherwise they can be reluctant since they have actually done it all already that week. I have both of Jeans ebooks, and they are super!
I need this book! We are moving to Cameroon soon (ie. more limited access to resources for stimulating and challenging my children) and as a stay-at-home-mum I know that I am going to need lots of inspiration in the months following the move to keep my children occupied. Thanks!
I don’t do enough creative things with my kids (7,5 and 2)- I need some inspiration to get me going as it’s as important as fresh air, nature and wholesome food for their development and fun!
I’m a part-time stay-at-home homeschooling mom and part-time work-at-home mom. I love homeschooling my kindergarten twins, and while I love finding and creating some of the work, I definitely need extra assistance in the art category. Visual art is an area in which I’ve always struggled to create meaningful experiences for my children. I want their art creations to be inspired and creative, not simply copying. I’ve used some of Jean’s ideas in her winter Artful Year book, and loved them. I’d love to have this new book as a go-to resource in our home library.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I work full-time as a children’s librarian, and I first discovered Jean’s blog in the early days. It put into words how I felt about the art I chose to do with kids at the library, the whole process vs. product idea. I also have two girls at home that are the same ages as her girls. I always feel like I do more art with kids at the library than with my own, and having this book with me at home would allow me to do more art with them. My oldest starts begging to get on the computer if she sees me on it, so I try very hard on my days off to not be in front of a screen in their presence. That also means unless I’m super duper organized (doesn’t happen often) and have the materials and instructions ready to go, then we don’t get to some of these awesome projects that I know we’d all love.
It’s not so much that I need this book… it’s that my kids need me to need this book! Have you read about Howard Gardner’s Theory of multiple intelligences?? I am a very strong logical-mathematical. Any help to get those other more creative intelligences sparked is always much appreciated!
Thanks for the giveaway.
I really need this book because, as a child I didn’t do much in the way of creative stuff, and I don’t want my daughter to miss out. This book would really help me with ideas for us both to do and enjoy together. x
I don’t need it, I already pre-ordered it! But, would love to win to give it to my friend. She has 3 girls and they love art and crafts! I know she would love this book!
I really love The Artful Parent, what a nice job..; and a creative way to work with kids! I really want a copy in my house!
I am a mom of 3 lovely ladies…1 yr, 2yrs, and 4 yrs…each of them are little Van Goughs in their own way. However, after dealing with some major baby blues after our 3rd…I’ve been learning to relax and have fun all over again. I read the Playful Parent in about 30 min! You are a great site and have helped me and my girls engage more and have fun! Thank you! Megandrich@mac.com
I would like to win this book for two reasons: Home & Work.
I love manageable art projects that we can do on short notice, or with limited time & resources to add art into our daily lives.
And now that I’m running craft days at our library, I’d love more ideas for the kids that come. I think they’d love those art prints. 🙂
I would love to win a copy of this book, I struggle in my attempts to do arts and crafts with my boys ( age 8, 6 & 2 years). If you have read my blog you will know how hard I try but I think with some help, encouragement and advice our attempts at art would be a whole lot more successful and fun. I do love art so much myself and would love for my boys to enjoy experiencing it to.
Would love to win this book, always looking for inspiration in every aspect! This looks like an awesome way to get it!!!! Congrats on the book!!!
A book that would inspire me to pursue crafts and art with my beloved 2 year old daughter and 5 year old nephew would be amazing!
This book would create more happy memories for us to share together…memories and moments of silliness, fun, creativity, laughter…and LOVE!!
I think it’d be good for Dad too.
This book looks like it should be my bible!
I need this book to help inspire me to do more art with my six-year old daughter. I’m a busy single parent and our life can be so hectic, but art adds so much to our existence and I need new ideas! Thank you.
Having two little girls (2 and 4) has been the best motivation to stop worrying about being a ‘successful working artist’ and to simply make art for the joy of the process. My 4 year old showed me a drawing of hers. I asked how she chose how to draw and she said, “my heart just knows how to do it.” Talk about a lesson learned for me! A book such as yours would provide such great ideas for those things that our hearts know to do, but for which we could use a little inspiration!
Thanks for the contest!
As the stay-at-home mom of three very active boys ages 3, 2 and 1(and a new babe due at the tail end of summer), I like to use the arts and crafts to engage their creative minds, develop their fine motor skills and satisfy momma’s need to hang beautiful works of art in our home.
I have been following Jean for sometime now and enjoy her ideas immensely. This book looks beautiful and I would be very excited to add it to my bookshelf.
Thank you!
Receiving this book would be a gift! A gift for our family or someone else’s family! I have followed the artful parent on Facebook and find it to be a quick way to get some good juicy ideas for activities to do with my children.
I would love to be creative with my 20 month old but I’m stuck with just colouring pens and drawing pictures. I need help!
I would love a copy of this book because I was an ‘Artful Child’ without creative parents and feel that with a little more nurturing I would have believed in myself and grown into an ‘Artful Adult’. Sadly that did not happen but now I am a mother of 2 delightfully ‘Artful Children’ and whilst I try to encourage their creativity at every turn I feel we would all benefit from a little extra guidance to enable me to really nurture their creative souls.
Thank you x
My daughter and I would love this book. We are always searching for new inspiration and ways to use our creative energy and supplies.
I need this book because I am a childminder who is looking to improve the quality of my creative activities. I am not naturally creative and struggle to come up with fun, creative learning opportunities. I am having a spring revamp, getting rid of ‘plastic toys’ and focusing on introducing more natural resources such as shells, stones and pine cones. I’m going to be creating a communication friendly space in the garden and hope to open their imaginations and creativity in as many ways as possible. I would love to win a copy for the children in my care
This book looks like it should be on my bookshelf!
Help me save my son from Youtube please! Inspiration needed…
How wonderful this right up our alley!
When I first saw the book on the artful parent facebook page, I was more than positively suprised. I always tried to do some creative art with my kids but it always ended by colouring and drawing etc. – the stuff they teach in most schools in Europe. But this book is really beyond everything I`ve seen before. I think every teacher should have a copy of this book and then maybe they will stop complaining that my 4 years old daughter doesn`t know how to cut a perfect circle. If I win this book I will offer it to my daughter`s teacher (after trying all the activities in the book, of course). Because the imagination is more important than a perfect circle.
I definitely need this book! As a newly registered childminder and having a 9 month old son (and two step sons) I’m always looking for fun, creative and inexpensive ways to entertain my brood. I think this book could provide us with a solution! 🙂
i’m a SAHM with a 2.5 and 4.5 yo who love arts!
I am a mum to a 3 year old boy with autism. I keep trying every week to get him trying to crayon or paint but he just isn’t interested. I think perhaps my ideas are stale and I need help coming up with some interesting arts for him. I’m sure I can get him being creative somehow with some help from the book.
@happyhomebird
I need this book to save my sanity! No, really, I have 3 kids 4 and under and we need fresh ideas!
I would love a copy of this book because I think creative play is so important for children and I want to be able to make lots of art projects with my son when he is old enough.
My little one is on the cusp of being ready for all sorts of fun crafts…Mom needs some guidance! I could really use this to keep up!
I would love a copy of this book-to spark more artistic qualities in my son.
I’ve been following her blog for years and I love her ideas.
I’m a 20 yo girl working in childcare and loving it !! always looking for new craft ideas to do with the kids and any inspiring books would be amazing !!
I have a toddler and another on the way, and I’d love some more fun ideas to do with the toddler to keep him busy and happy even when my attention is divided between him and a new babe!
I have twins and a 7 year old. They are very creativ and artistic. What a great resource to have!
I would love to receive a copy of your book, I have recently started home educating my youngest son aged 9. He has lost so much confidence at school and I was starting to lose the essence of my little boy. He is slowly starting to blossom again but he has no confidence at all in using art or believing in his own creativity. We would use your book to rekindle his creativity and to bolster his confidence, self esteem and pride in his skills.
I enjoy Jean’s blog and ideas, so having a book to leaf through for inspiration would be great
I love this kind of book, it gives you so much inspiration and ideas. I feel like I don’t do enough crafts with my children, and when we do it they love it so would love to do more
Hi, what an incredible book, I would love to win. I am a social worker in te inner city working in homes of moms and their kids. I am always looking for artful, developmental appropriate ways to interact with families, that is also reclaimed or inexpensive. I can hardly wait to try the free styrofoam prints…everyone has styrofoam…yeah..creativity and inspiration for kids and moms…
Would love to have this book to inspire my creative bunch of five year olds at school and their teachers. We need ideas for new materials to explore and new ways to enjoy the old favorites.
I would love to have this book so I can use it with my daughter and so I can share it with my other playgroups!
I am starting to get back into my personal creative endeavors… As I do I realise how much richer it makes my life and I wonder why I ever strayed! I would love to share my love for creative activities with our children & some tried and tested activity ideas would be a great start!!! I have a little idea in the back of my mind (remembering the fun we had in primary school on Friday afternoons when a friend’s Mum ran an art class for us out of their garage)… I’d love to work my way to doing that one day when our kids are a bit older! I guess it’s all about practice and foundation laying for me at this stage – planting the seeds and seeing what grows! 🙂
I would love a copy of the book. My sons would love this book, new projects to enjoy!
We would love this book as we are avid followers of hers and my 4 year old son is quite artistic. This book would be a great resource to help expand his abilities. I am also hoping to start an art group for children and this would be great to help me come up with ideas. Thanks!
My kiddos love art projects, some step by step instruction and inspiration would be sooo helpful :))
I have 2 sons with wonderful imaginations. I love sharing their worlds with the and they love letting me in. Unfortunately, I don’t have the knowledge or experience to develop or encourage their ideas and would find having such a resource invaluable to be able to spend quality time with both of them.
I am the Mom of two boys who are obsessed with Legos and Star Wars. However I am a Mom who yearns for more creative outlets but lack the inherent creative spark to generate the ideas. However I feel certain that your book could fill that gap for me and quite possibly save me from slipping slowly into madness muttering the names of Star Wars creatures and building endless Lego spaceships.
Oh yes please! the arts are so vital for learning despite the main stream education system putting little importance on this area of our culture.
My children love to create and The Artful Parent always offers wonderful inspirations!
I need this Book, because I’m a Kindergarten Teacher from Germany and I’m using The Artful Parent for my inspiration 🙂 And by the way… the kids love the projects on TAP.
The book would be wonderful because while the internet is great, books are much more accessible!
I need inspiration!! Home schooling a 7 year old boy who thinks school is boring – even when we do arty things maybe your book can inspire and enthuse us both to enjoy learning though art 🙂
I would like this book as I teach in early childhood education and one of the things I do is provide workshops to stay at home parents who come in for different activities-similiar to a stay and play idea. It would be great to offer them ideas that are in the book!
I need this book to educate my sister, apparently I got all the arty genes! I’ve already ordered my copy but I love entering competitions and would love to gift this to her. X
I need this book because I want to connect with my girls through helping them develop creativity, imagination and fine motor skills 🙂
i so need this book because ive been teaching preschool for 27 years and children’s theatre for 11 years.. eversince i came to see your blog and site, ive came to love it because the activites are so simple and interactive.. living in a 3rd world country and bridging the gap of teaching kids from High End families to the middle income families this book will help me a lot in teaching both worlds – academe and theatre so i can spread around that learning can be fun thru art and play… im glad that there’s someone like you who so generous in spreading her ideas for the benefit of many… God bless you for all your endeavors and you family…
What a wonderful inspiring book! I would love to win a copy. We’ve just moved to Malaysia and I’m currently homeschooling my art mad six year old while we wait for a school place. We regularly search Pinterest for new ideas where we stumbled across your fantastic blog. I’m not naturally arty but love that my daughter has a passion for art and craft that I’m keen to nurture – she would be so excited to have a copy of this book for us to work through the projects together. Good luck everyone!
Hi! I am a mom of 5 artful kids that are amazing artists. We have tried many different activities and need something new and outside the box. I own my own pop up art studio for children as well. The parents look for books to do at home, which I bring some to give ideas, and the parents purchase them after cruising through the ones I have sitting out. I love your photography work, and the book looks like I would want to read it right away. Please choose me!
I have a home daycare. The childrens art area is the most used area and new ideas suitble for a home environment are always welcome
Oooeee I would love this! 🙂
Hit return too soon. I’m a homeschooling mama of four and sometimes I just run out of ideas, especially to span the ages of my kids 13-3. Thanks for the chance to win!
I would love this book, I have a 2.5 year old and a 10month, both of which enjoy being very creative, I’m always looking for new ideas and inspirations. My daughter especially would have the art box open all day everyday and I would like her to enhance her creative ways more than my limited knowledge 😉
Me and my daughter would both ADORE this beautiful book! We love getting into crazy crafty ideas and Penny thinks the messier the better 🙂 Arohanui Kelly and penny x
I think “The Artful Parent” is a wonderful tool to liberate mothers, fathers and carers to really embrace creativity with their children. As a working mother of two, I find getting everything done really hard. The television is a constant temptation for my girls. My time with them is precious and sometimes I am so tired it is hard to come up with creative ways to fill our mornings together, despite my best efforts. My girls are 3 and 10 months and so into everything it is a joy to behold. I never had parents to did arty things with me, but working in a school I see all the benefits art brings to the holistic development of a child. Books like these are crucial as they not only inspire but facilitate artistic activities, family time, the engagement of a child’s imagination (as opposed to sitting absorbing someone else’s on a screen.) The best part of all is that they help parents feel like better parents, and the people that benefit most of all are the children themselves.
So many wonderful coments, puts a big smile on my face. Creating with my kids is so fun and i love seeing how they grow each time more. Would be lovely to win such a great book and if not i hope i can find it in book stores in The Netherlands too 😉
I am a childminder and I need this book to help me plan unique, interesting and fun creative activity projects for the children I care for. I am looking for activities which are just a little bit different, that the children will instantly be drawn to because they’ve not seen them before. In my opinion, creativity helps children with all aspects of their development and it encourages them to bend the rules a bit.
I’ve been following the Artful Parent blog for years now. Her ideas have always given me inspiration to use for my own kids. Would so love to win this book!
I’m a mother and a teacher, I guess that says it all ; )
I am a stay at home mother for my daughter V who is 4 years old. I am always looking for different ways to expose my daughter to art. I want her to know the joy of art and to learn to think outside of the box. I love showing her that art can be anything and can be created by so many ways. I am also apart of a homeschool group and an online mommies group that I love sharing my art and craft projects with them.
I would love to win a copy. I run a preschool and I would love to get new ideas!
I am a stay at home mom of 4, but the thing is I have a 16yr old daughter, a 13yr old son, and in December of 2012 I had a set of identical twin girl’s so as u can see there’s a big difference in age. So with having new babies I’m gonna need ideas to help keep them busy and doing crafts with them would be a great way in doing that. Thanks
This book looks like a great resource. I am currently a 4th and 5th grade language arts teacher. At the end of this school year I will be staying home with my 2 year old daughter. I am excited for all the possible play, crafts and art projects. This book would be a great resource as I begin this new adventure.
Though I have a copy Jean gave me, because of my contributions in the book, I would love to have another copy to give to my beautiful niece and her three little monkeys. They live in Hong Kong, but I will see them in July. I’m so excited that I might have an extra copy to donate.
It would be awesome to have and great inspiration of fun 🙂
I am a super creative single Mum living in Japan with enough colour and zest to make life fun always. What I need is a bit more oomph to get me teaching arty crafty fabulousness in English with the local Japanese kids in my own space of wow factor. I need a gentle yet firm push off the cliff so I can soar.
hi, i run two schools for underpriviliged kids here in INdia. our mission is to creat high quality but low cost schooling for kids who would not have access to it and it is a huge challenge ….i love the nurture blog and look at all the other ideas but we dont have good internet at either of our two schools so having this book would be a huge incestment in our 600 rural kids ad 700 urban kids 🙂
melinda
We are a military family of six living in Italy. Our school here is small, with no focus on the arts. I’ll love to have this book to help encourage our kids to think outside the box.
Growing up with an artist for a father, I learned how important art is for a child’s development. Unfortunately, my artistic accomplishments started and ended with my feet. As a dancer, I can easily teach both of my girls (ages 4 and 6) how to express themselves through movement; however, I find it difficult to come up with and execute more tangible projects. I have found your site to be enormously helpful and think my children would be tickled to be able to browse through your book and pick out their next project. Thank you for the opportunity!
I am always looking for new ideas for leading a “slow” life with our two little girls. This book is right up that alley.
My 2.5 year old son is very active and has recently become interested in playing with crayons and paint. I would love to see the ideas presented in this book.
I would love the opportunity to do every project of this book with my boys 7 and 4! We do art on a daily basis in our home and every inspriation is welcomed and well used!! Thank you.
I’m a very logical person and have never been artistice but since i started homeschooling my 2 years old and realised how much she loves crafts, drawing and colouring i feel so cluless as i can see her frustration because mummy doesnt seem to know what to do 🙁
I could really use this both with my kid and my nephews, but in my PreK Special Education classroom! I’m always looking for new ideas!
I would really like to win this book as craft brings out the creative side of my children and helps them to relax when things get chaotic. It would also be really helpful for the childcare centre I will be working in.
I have two year old twins, so to coin one of their ever & overused words “pleeeeeease” can we win this giveaway
I would love to win this book as I set up art programs for children in rural Nepal and I am collecting books and craft ideas to take with, as there is no access to this information for teachers there.
I would love to win this book to light a fire in my homeschooling lesson plans!
I am a new kindergarten teacher working in a kindy room with 56 children and 6 staff
I have followed you for some time now and would love to share your ideas with all of these children
Thanks
Sue
A beautiful and inspiring book! Have been eyeing it on amazon for quiet a while now! Packed to the brim with wonderful ideas from organizing art spaces as well as art supplies to have on hand. Am homeschooling mother to two boys 6 and 3. Would love to have a copy of this book as it has so much more than just art projects!
Hi ,
I have ordered your book for myself but would love to win a copy for my best friend Samira.
I am a mum of 5 children (now teenagers)and I was lucky enough to be an ‘at home ‘mum.
I love my arts and crafts and did a lot of that with my own children .I did a lot of their parties at home too and organized lots of activities,looking back I will do it all over again as these were some of the best times .
I worked with children aged from 1-6 for 7
years and did some amazing crafts with them
and I am always looking for ideas on the net .I have joined Pinterest as I now work with much older children and that is the best place to be for ideas.
Your book is absolutely AMAZING and would love to share it around with friends .
Thank you.
I would love nothing more than curling up with your book on a Sunday afternoon and then doing each activity with my grand daughter this summer when she comes to visit.
I would just die for this book. As well as being a night nanny to new babies I am part time nanny to various aged children and I just love doing activities with them….in fact they wait in anticipation for my arrival and my magic box is slowly emptied and it is such fun to hear their vocabulary increasing. But…I am in need of some new creative ideas and twists on various themes. Nurturestore is an amazing site and am grateful for your wonderful ideas and weekly planner.. thank you.
I am a grandmother of two girls aged two and four who sometimes come and stay and also an early childhood teacher. I would love some more inspiration when the girls come over as well as for my classroom!
Ohh this looks so good – i have read the Artful Parent book for a few years and the ideas are always great – the book will be fantastic. Fingers crossed for me because my husband will have something to say if keep ordering books online – or maybe I need to be friends with the courier and arrange for them to be deliveres on days that I am home!
With 17 month old twins I have been looking for a book like this to inspire me with wonderful activities to do with my girls. As I’m a stay at home mum it is often hard to come up with new ideas to keep little fingers happy.
My parents have never ever done creative (or other) things with me and my brother and I’ve always missed that.
And I want to be a different parent to my son – or at least give it a try. I try to come up with the creative ideas he could manage.But I’ve found it hard to find an inspiration for making things with the child aged between 1 and 2 years so my hope for this book would be to get creative ideas the little one could enjoy even before he is 3. 🙂
Would love a copy of this to use with all the kids this summer!
my kids, seven and three LOVE art and crafting! We try for one a day and I NEED more ideas! Thank you for sharing yours!!
I craft with all types of media and my 2 year old loves to help! We would love to win a copy to give us more ideas to keep sharing the bond we have over crafting 🙂
The book sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing and providing an opportunity to win a copy!
Ooh yes, I would absolutely love a copy of this book!
I love books that give you activities/crafts to do with you kids. I just became a stay at home mother and love to do crafts with my 2 year old son. We would love a copy of this book to give us some more ideas! It sounds wonderful! 🙂
I would adore this book! I am a mother of three and an early childhood educator so with this book many children’s (including my own too) will be touched by creativity and their learning expanded through amazing creative and imaginative opportunities… That is all I can hope to share as a mother and an educator, a freedom to explore creativity and imagination <3
I am in Australia and am the Kindergarten teacher at a service in a low socio-economic area where i am buying my own resources just so my children can have the opportunity to experience the most that i can provide. I would love to win a copy because for my children play dough and an easel has been the biggest highlight of the kinder year so far. it has been a challenge to get them to even mix their paints or add bits n pieces to their playdough, the more resources i have to more i can provide for enriching learning environments my children deserve.
Thank you for the chance to win
Hayley
I desperately need inspiration and guidance!
I am an Early Childhood Special Education teacher. My students are 2-5 year old children with special needs. Art is important to a child with special needs…especially those with verbal delays and sensory issues. I work hard to find amazing projects to work on with my students and I know your book would really help me create awesome projects that will inspire communication and growth in my little ones. Thank you for giving someone the opportunity to create and share art…it is essential to educating young children and making lifelong connections.
Well, I desperately need it in order to maintain the high level of ideas versatility & productivity (arts & crafts activities for kids). And to be a better parent, of course…
2 kids age 5.5 & 3 would live me to have this book as it would mean ideas sat ready to go rather than checking emails & the internet for daily inspiration 🙂
I am a teacher for before and after school care in a licensed facility for a non-profit organization. When not leading my own classroom, I fill in for other roles within the center, mostly ages 16 months up to 5 years.
Teaching calls for a lot of inspiration. From accomodating differing skill levels and abilities, to formulating new lesson plans within a whim of discovering an exciting “teachable moment,” new ideas and inspirations are always in high demand and we are all very grateful.
I promise to put this book to great use enriching the minds of the children I care for 🙂
Thank you
I would love to win this book! As a parent of 3 children (ages 4, 3 and 4 months) I am always looking for new ideas to try with my boys. They love trying new things and I welcome all new ideas so we can have new art hanging around our house. To me, art is the fabric of life and our house would be dull without it.
There are a lot of good reasons given here, and it’s no wonder that there’s a lot of interest in this book. I’m an American writer and teacher living in Germany, so books written in my native language are rather expensive to come by due to shipping and customs fees. As a single mother, being able to do fun activities at home is really important. It’s a way of making learning fun for my daughter, and for us to spend creative time with each other.
Every month, I read storybooks to the kids at the local library and then afterward we have a crafts project. It would be particulary helpful if I had some new crafts ideas that I could then tweak thematically to fit the story I’ve read. I love coming up with fun ideas for the kids to do – their ages range between 4 and 8, so the projects need to be both simple but broad in interest for those kids. There’s a big difference between a child in Kindergarten and a 2nd grader! Not an easy task, though one that I certainly love.
If I were to win this book, which looks lovely, it would be used first at home with my daughter (The Ultimate Testdriver of Project Ideas), and then with the kids at the library, and later with some of my students.
I need this book because it’s difficult to buy it in Spain. It gets a bit expensive, due to mailing taxes, if I buy it from Amazon.uk. In any case, I can wait till it’s available in Amazon.es (Spain), because I know it will offer me and my daughter many creative possibilities.
Thanks for making this giveaway open worldwide!
Hi this book looks fantastic and I think the idea of a blog book tour is awesome to give a wide audience the opportunity to experience the book firsthand. If I were to win this book I would use the projects as inspiration for art and creativity with my preschool class, as this is my first year as a teacher I am constantly on the lookout for cool ideas that I may slip into my idea bank to save for later use
I’d love this book to use for ideas for my own kids and my students at school. The Artful Parent was the first blog I started following and I love her approach!
Hi,
I am a pre-school teacher and childcare provider.
I believe that fun, creative, crafts done together are so enlightening for all children and their adults!
Because I am a single mom of a beautiful daughter, and barely make it each month to pay the rent, i look for great books at garage sales and the goodwill for my sweet-peas.
It would be wonderful to have a brand new book of resources I could share with them.
Thank you for creating this book and for having your contest!
Gina
Ditto to all those comments (which really makes for one pretty comprehensive comment don’t you think?) I Would love, love, love this! From a sleep deprived mummy in need of a babysitter 🙂
Hi,
I would love to have this book because I am the most uncreative person there is and I need ideas. Not only do I have 2 young grandsons (4 and 4 months) that I would like to do more art activities with, but I teach a class of early childhood students with multiple disabilities and I am always on the lookout for art projects and sensory ideas that will work for them.
As you see I am a very busy woman so I would love to have this book.
Thank you,
Lisa
I would love to win this book!
We just have birth to our son two days ago and it would be so wonderful to have creative, home-grown ideas for activities our older two children (4yo & 2yo) can do and that our little one can join in on when he’s a bit older! Xx
I would love to win this book! We just gave birth to our son two days ago and it would be so wonderful to have creative, home-grown ideas for activities our older two children (4yo & 2yo) can do and that our little one can join in on when he’s a bit older!
I NEEEEED this book because I am the least creative person I know and my daughter is begging for more art projects!!
I would LOVE to win a copy of this book. I have 4 kids ages 5,6,7 and 11. The younger 3 are adopted and have special needs. I homeschool my six year old because she is too physically stressed by the school environment. Hands on activities of all types are a must for my crew because they need lots of “structured” activities to get through the day. However, I love ones that we can all do creatively and messily together. That is why I really enjoy this page.
I am nanny for two beautiful boys, Charlie and Henry are 32 and 4 months old, I need to make all wonderful and interesting activities and projects. Thank you.
I am nanny for two beautiful boys, Charlie and Henry are 32 and 4 months old, I need to make all wonderful and interesting activities and projects. Thank you.
So…I really don’t have the greatest reason for winning this book for free. In general, I am a pretty creative mom of 2 little goofballs. I love to do fun things with them and their classroom friends. I would love to have this book to add to our cool art book collection–so I had to at least put in a comment and give it a try (I’d kick myself for not-esp if my # is picked). But really, give the book to someone who really needs it. I just really, really want it! : )
I want to be full of art fun with my 3 boys and this book looks to be just the inspiration and guide I need to progress our ideas! would love to share the book with the kids kindy and playcentre we attend to get people thinking outside the box!!
I want to be full of art fun with my 3 boys and this book looks to be just the inspiration and guide I need to progress our ideas! would love to share the book with the kids kindy and playcentre we attend to get people thinking outside the box!!
I don’t know if today is the 3rd or 4th, but i do know that Jean Van’t Hul is at the top of my favorites list! her book is really special. My plan is to give it to my niece who will be visiting from Hong Kong this summer, with her 2nd grade daughter, kindergarten daughter, and preschool son. We are going to a lake house in Michigan and you can bet we would enjoy this book together! The kids LOVE art! And you know I do. 🙂 Thank you for the change to win. ~ MaryAnn
CHANCE to win. Not change. 🙂 <3
I’m a preschool owner from Egypt and would love my teachers to move away from helping children make “cute arsty” crafts to really allow children to be more creative and just help them learn new techniques… i think this book would help me provide my teachers with a fresh new approach to art at the preschool!
My 2 children and I would love to win this because we try to do lots of arty things ( I am not the most arty, but I try) and I prefer to have activity s written down in a book with ideas to follow so would be great! 🙂
I would love to win this book. I am struggling right now with my darling 6yo son since the birth of my darling 9mo son. He says he doesn’t get enough of my time anymore. If we won this book, we would use it to add to our homeschooling and inspire us to do more fun art together….spend more time together……and reconnect. Plus little one is ready to get his hands into some fun stuff too. Hoping your book has ideas on art projects that little one can join in on. Thank you!
I am just starting out homeschooling my 3 year old son, as we had to pull him out of pre school for many reasons. He loves doing arts and crafts, and this book would be great to regain his confidence and help to lay a positive foundation.
My partner and I co-stay at home parent and this book would be a life saver! On the days I work I always come home to lots of crafts (Im not sure if its my daughter or husband has enjoyed them more!?)but I do know that its been a great bonding experience for them both. Art is such a great learning tool, and a fabulous way to express yourself but more importantly right now for my daughter it means freedom and fun. Those kind of smiles are priceless (however messy they might be!)
Well where do I begin? I’m totally useless at anything arty and desperately need help! I’m hoping your book will save me and give me ideas that even I can manage! I love your blog and have used loads of your ideas already so hopefully this would add to my repertoire of activities. My 2 year old and eventually my 3 month old would really appreciate it! Thanks x
Hi Jean,
My 2 sons(8 & 10 yrs old)and I are complete craft-nuts 🙂
Always on the lookout for cool ideas and marvelous things to make, we came across your blog and have loved it ever since!! in a few months we’re moving to our new home, where we have the opportunity to make a big craftroom on the attic. A place where we can release our inner-“arts & crafts”-powers 😉
Your book would be an excellent addition to that special place!
Thank you for always sharing your ideas! xxx
I would like to win this book for my sister, Lisa, who is childminder and she is planning to convert her kids play shed into an art studio. Lisa loves the outdoors and to get creative, so in the Summer she plans to make it available to all the children in her community to get art and crafty and I think the book would be fantastic to give her more ideas and inspiration.
Because I am nurturing a mini artist who cannot get enough of the creative arts! 😉
I would love a copy of this book..it looks amazing.
This book looks fabulous I really need this book to help inspire me with some amazing ideas to enhance my planning of activies
I just bought a bunch of ‘crafty ingredients’ for the kids but as I’m not creative, have no idea what I should suggest they do with them!!
I would love to give wings to my daughter, to be free to explore, to create, to touch, see and feel all the beauty in our world. beauty can be found and is in each and every single thing, it is just the perspective from which we see it, the key to it.in order to be creative you need a lot of practice and many choices. the book is lovely!
As an early years educator, blog writer and a parent this book looks amazing and at present is missing from my reference shelf I would very much love a copy of this book please!!!!!!
I’ve been looking forward to this book…I need it because my little guy keeps me on my toes and I’m in search of creative and fabulous ideas that will keep him engaged!