Imagine having a bank of play-based process art lessons for early years… open-ended prompts, center extensions, and just enough structure to support real learning.
Yes, please!Let me tell you a story about an early years art teacher...
There was once an early years teacher who believed—deep down—that young children learn art best through play, exploration, and making their own choices.
But believing that… and teaching that… felt very different.
She worried that if she loosened the reins, art time would turn into chaos.
Paint everywhere. Children unsure what to do. Questions about whether “real learning” was happening.
So she felt stuck between two uncomfortable options:
✔️ overly controlled projects that felt calm but dull,
or
✔️ “just let them explore” moments that sounded right but felt overwhelming.
She knew there had to be a better way—one that honored how young children actually learn without sacrificing structure or her own sanity.
What she needed wasn’t another explanation of why play-based, process art mattered.
She needed lessons that showed her how.
🎯Clear starting points
🎯Intentional materials
🎯Guidance on what to notice
And reassurance that exploration doesn’t have to mean chaos.
If this feels familiar, you’re in the right place.
Playful Process was created for teachers who believe in play, want to offer real choice, and need support that makes early years art feel calm, intentional, and possible.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone!
Say less, I'm in! 🙋🏼
We’ve been there and we get it...
We know what it’s like to want art time to feel playful and intentional—without tipping into chaos—when you’re already stretched thin by the rest of the day.
Designed by experienced art educators...
With 25+ years of teaching across diverse early learning and school settings, every Playful Process lesson is classroom-tested and developmentally grounded.
So you’ll spend less time planning and more time living your life...
So art time supports your students’ learning and your own well-being — without burning you out.
Let’s do this!
Access the full Playful Process lesson library and explore at your own pace.
Join Us!đź’•
What Teachers Are Saying:
This has so many great resources in it, and I have only done a few but all were fun and successful. The ideas are doable for young learners and easy prep
— Cassandra
This was exactly what I needed! It’s well-organized, easy to use, and saved me so much prep time. My students were highly engaged and the activities aligned perfectly with our learning goals. I appreciate the clear directions and thoughtful design—it’s evident that a lot of care went into creating it. I’ll definitely be using this again and recommending it to my colleagues!
— Janessa
I am using this resource for my art lessons in class. Our school requires creative art to be process, rather than product and this has been so helpful.
-Mimi
My students loved the open-ended format of these lessons. Many lessons used materials I already had, which was a plus. Just playing with materials was exciting and rewarding for my kids.
— Cheryl N.
Extremely helpful with trying to get started going a choice based art program. Also, was perfect because it is more age appropriate to have centers since I see the grades for 45 minutes.
-Melissa
Thank you for a great group of lesson ideas that fit with my younger students exploration of different mediums.
— Samantha M.
