Catamount Arts

For early childhood educators

Thursday, May 21, 2026

6-8pm

Catamount Arts Center

*Free, but advance registration required* 

Young children are wired to move. Yet many art experiences ask them to sit still at a table and work within a small space. In this workshop, early childhood educators will explore how to design visual art experiences that invite children to use their whole bodies as creative tools.

Participants will learn how to set up large-scale art invitations that encourage children to sweep long brush strokes, roll paint across giant paper, splash color with a variety of tools, and build community with giant murals. Through practical examples and demonstrations, educators will discover simple ways to transform indoor classrooms and outdoor spaces into environments where movement, creativity, and joyful expression naturally unfold.

This session will provide concrete strategies for using affordable materials, organizing space, and facilitating art experiences that prioritize process, exploration, and child-led creativity. Educators will leave with actionable ideas they can immediately bring into their classrooms to support motor development, sensory exploration, collaboration, and imaginative thinking.

Come ready to rethink what art can look like when children are free to move, experiment, and create on a bigger canvas. 

Early childhood educators will earn professional development credit for attending this workshop. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the developmental benefits of large-scale visual art experiences that engage children’s whole bodies, including connections to motor development, visual perceptual, creativity, and sensory exploration.
2. Design and facilitate developmentally appropriate “big body” art invitations that encourage movement, experimentation, and open-ended artistic expression.
3. Create supportive environments for large-scale art experiences indoors and outdoors using accessible materials while prioritizing process, creativity, and collaboration

FREE, but advance registration is required. Those who attend will receive Documentation of Professional Development.

April Zajko, M.Ed., is an early childhood educator, teacher educator, and founder of Nature Inspired Teacher, with more than 25 years of classroom experience supporting young children. She designs professional development and community-based learning experiences that help integrate nature and art into the lives of children. Through college courses, workshops, and collaborative projects, April supports adults in creating accessible, meaningful, and place-based experiences for children and families. April is also the founder and moderator of the Nature Inspired Teacher Facebook group, an engaged community of over 21,000 educators. Learn more at www.natureinspiredteacher.com 

 This workshop is made possible with funding from the Vermont Arts Council’s Early Childhood Arts Partnership program.