Art is Play: The ECE Starter Bundle

Art materials are play materials. When children are free to use them in their own way, they grow the human skills that matter most, now and in the future.

An easy transition.

If you already have playtime in your day and are curious about how and why to add art materials to that block of time, this bundle is for you! This is not a new curriculum, you don’t have to implement any new schedules, you just need to set out some basic materials that you already have and learn how to step back and trust children and their process. Start here to learn our approach and transform your creative practice on day one. It’s easier than you think!

The bigger picture.

When children have access to open-ended materials during play, like paint, collage, recyclables, and loose parts, they're not just making stuff… they're building the human skills that matter most right now. Creative thinking, problem-solving, flexibility, and self-motivation are skills that grow through exploration and independent choice, not through following directions.

Several states have already recognized this and have mandated play-based learning in early childhood classrooms. The research has been clear for a long time, and as artificial intelligence reshapes what children will need to thrive, these human skills become more essential, not less.

The good news? You don't have to build something from scratch. You just have to add materials to the time you already have, and then learn to step back and trust what happens next.

What you will get.

Set It Up and See What Happens‍ ‍1 hr workshop

In this workshop, you'll learn exactly how to add open-ended materials to the play time you already have, and why this matters. You'll leave with language that shifts your role from director to observer, and a simple approach you can set up Monday morning. Nothing new to build, just materials, dedicated time and space, and a flexible mindset. 1-hour PD certificate and 5 included.

My Name Art & Play Guide (Fall)

Start the year here. This guide is built around identity and belonging. Twenty low-prep invitations using simple materials, a rich picture book list, mindfulness routines, and curricular connections. Use the new language and concepts presented in Set It Up and See What Happens to start your open-ended, creative practice, whether in the classroom or at home.

Gratitude Art & Play Guide (Holiday)

An antidote to holiday craft culture. With natural and found materials, children make meaning as they design, construct, and create gifts for loved ones. Each 25-page guide includes 20 creative invitations, 2 extended projects, a master supply list, mindfulness routines, curricular connections, a diverse picture book list, and an artist spotlight.

Bloom Art & Play Guide (Spring)

This guide is about growth in nature, in children, in practice, and in what becomes possible when you've trusted the process during this school year. The perfect place to land as buds are blooming and new natural materials are easy to find outside.

  • You already have playtime in your day but are curious about adding art materials into the mix.

  • You've moved away from step-by-step crafts but don't yet have a system to replace them.

  • You work in a state that mandates play-based learning and want a practical, joyful way to bring it to life.

  • You want to add open-ended materials to your classroom but aren't sure which ones, how to set them up, or what to say when someone questions your new approach.

  • You are ready to build community and a sense of belonging on day one, and you just need support in making it happen.

This is for you if...

Purchase our Art is Play ECE Bundle!

Note: This is an individual registration. Email us for schools & groups. Click here for workshops sold separately and guides sold separately.

$78.00
One time
$26.00
For 3 months

Get full access to our 3-part Year of Yes! Workshops Series, and say yes to creativity, connection, and support that feels realistic and sustaining. Whether you're new to this work or ready to go deeper, these sessions are here to support and inspire you. Your work matters more than ever!

✓ One portal to access all workshops
✓ Includes PD certificates, printables, resource links
✓ Unlimited lifetime access

Want to go deeper?

This bundle is a beginning. If it sparks something in you, here's where to go next:

Want to build real confidence with specific materials?
Materials Matter, our signature self-paced course, takes you deep into 12 of our core open-ended materials, one module at a time. With videos, playbooks, links to materials, and PD certificates.

Want to think more intentionally about your classroom environment?
In our Designing for Discovery workshop, we will help you set up spaces that invite exploration and independent thinking.

Want more support with what to say (and not say) when children create?

The Art of Guiding workshop explores how thoughtful language and gentle support help children navigate frustration, build resilience, and trust themselves.

Want a whole year of guides?
Shop our full collection of seasonal guides, each one with a month's worth of ideas, mindfulness routines, curricular connections, a diverse picture book list, and more!

Who we are.

The Creativity Project was founded by Shannon Merenstein and Bar Rucci with one core belief: creativity belongs in every classroom. Our resources are used by early childhood educators across the country and the world, in preschools, childcare centers, elementary schools, and homes. We’ve spent years building our approach, and we are so glad you found us!

  • Thank you for this reaffirmation on the importance of play-based learning and open-ended art. A fire in my belly, and lots of lovely inspo for setting it up and seeing what happens!

    Emma, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I am inspired and energized as a museum educator. I've always struggled to come up with ideas for how to use abundant, available materials. Your "how not what" approach feels like a revelation to me.

    Katy, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • Just when I think I’ve learned all that I can from TCP, bam! You give me so much more to refresh, inspire, and energize my creative process. It’s no coincidence that I have to pull my kids out of the art room at bedtime in the days and weeks following a workshop :) Item

    Katy, “Back to Basics” workshop participant

  • Shannon and Bar - you both speak with such confidence and beautifully illustrated this program. My biggest takeaway is the advocacy you have for this movement and the use of empowering language when discussing this as a right for children

    Suzanne, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I love how your workshops are organized and the simple, effective way you share ideas. Our preschool already does a lot with open-ended art experiences, loose parts, and recyclables, and yet I walked away with new ideas and inspiration. Thank you!

    Kevan, “Back to Basics” workshop participant

  • My takeaway is to start with a couple of simple choices. Sit with the discomfort of wanting to direct students.

    Kari, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • Love all your visual examples! You have reaffirmed my commitment to process art! Loved getting some new ideas -fence weaving, varying sizes of paper for more choice, egg cartons for glue.

    Lainey, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I think its so brave to challenge stereotypes and the need to conform. You allow us to value and encourage independent learning. Through your workshop I learned - Process not product. The possibility of merging structured learning with free learning. Respecting the process of learning. Not expecting a finished stereotypical response.

    Janet, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • “Learn to see learning” stuck with me. I tend to get stuck in a rut of just “getting in and getting out” when I go into schools to teach. What a great reminder to slow down and see how the students are learning, so that I can celebrate OUR hard work!

    K.Z., “Digging Deeper” workshop participant

  • I am taking away the idea that the image of the child that we hold affects the way we approach learning. When we believe that the children are capable, creative, and valued, then we can "set it up and see what happens."

    Chryssa, Set it Up and See What Happens participant

  • I love the resourcefulness of the workshop. Sometimes we feel we don't have the budget but I think you have offered so many free solutions! Thank you.

    Heather, “Back to Basics” workshop participant

  • Thank you for all the amazing ideas for how to invite children to get creative, how to set up space, how to pare down, how to inspire other teachers, etc. Everything was just what I was looking for!

    Kim, “Designing for Discovery” workshop participant

  • So many wonderful visuals, and how you organize the information conveys your message so well. As a preschool director, I now have ideas for how to better communicate "less is more" to our amazing teachers!

    Kevan, “Designing for Discovery” workshop participant

  • So many a-ha moments you brought me to! You answered my questions and then some for organizing, dealing with art accumulation, and starting from scratch with creating or redesigning a space.

    Katy, “Designing for Discovery” workshop participant

 FAQs

  • We'd love that! School and district licensing is available for the Art Is Play Bundle. Reach out to us directly via email, and we'll put together a package that works for your team and your budget.

  • Right at the center of it! Art materials are play materials, and this bundle is built around that idea. When children are given open-ended materials and the freedom to explore them independently, they are doing exactly what play mandates ask for. Our workshop gives teachers a simple system for making that happen, and the guides give them a full season of ready-to-use invitations.

  • No. Our approach is built around everyday, low-prep materials such as things that are recycled, collected in nature, or already on hand like tape and scissors. The guides include a master supply list for each month, and nothing requires a special trip to a craft store.

  • If you work with young children in any setting, this is for you! From early childhood and preschool settings to kindergarten through second grade.

  • Everything lives in one place. After purchase, you'll create a simple login and find your workshop and all three guides waiting for you. No new platform to learn, nothing to download and save. Just open and use right away, with lifetime access.

  • No. This is a one-time purchase. Everything is yours to keep and come back to whenever you need it.