Creative Art & Activities: Print Making

The creative possibilities are endless with this series of six books focusing on traditional art mediums for children ages 2-8. By emphasizing the process rather than the final project, these activities open a great arena for creativity, self-expression, and exploration for children and for their parents or teachers. Each book boasts at least 50 activities that will develop an appreciation of traditional art mediums. Activities are written in an easy-to-follow "cookbook" format and begin with a list of developmental goals and required materials. Helpful Hints make for a smooth experience, and Variations show how each experience can be expanded on. The Index by Ages makes it easy to find age-appropriate activities.

Creative Arts and Activities begins by introducing the concept of creativity and aesthestics as they relate to the development of art and creativity in children age two through grade five. The author has achieved her goal of offering myriad activities intended not only as art projects but also as creativity boosters for use across the curriculum. She has included two- and three-dimensional art activities in an easy-to-use format so a teacher, caregiver or parent can work directly from the book during the activity.

Mary Mayesky, Ph.D., is a certified preschool, elementary, and secondary teacher. She is a former professor in the Program in Education at Duke University, former director of the Early Childhood Certification Program, and supervisor of student teachers. She has served as director of programs in the State of North Carolina's Office of Day Services, Department of Human Resources. She is also the former principal of the Mary E. Phillips Extended Day Care Magnet School in Raleigh, North Carolina, the first licensed extended day child care magnet school in the Southeast. She has served several terms on the North Carolina Day Care Commission and on the Wake County School Board. Dr. Mayesky has worked in Head Start, child care, kindergarten, and YWCA early childhood programs and has taught kindergarten through grade eight in the public schools. She has written extensively for professional journals and for general circulation magazines in the area of child development and curriculum design. Her other honors include being named Outstanding Young Educator by the Duke University Research Council, receiving the American Association of School Administrators Research Award, and being nominated for the Duke University Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award.