Wolf Trap Early Learning Programs - post

The arts in early childhood education offer children opportunities to explore social-emotional, cognitive, and motor development. Educators seeking related professional learning can review CDA Subject Area 2 Buy Now $80.00, which includes arts and children’s physical and intellectual development, and Open Heart, Open Art Buy Now $16.00, which focuses on open-ended art and social-emotional development. Through engagement with music, dance, and visual arts, children are able to learn social skills, emotional regulation, increased language skills, and improve gross and fine motor skills. 

The article describes the Wolf Trap Early Learning Video Portal as a collection of arts-based learning videos for Maryland families and educators. For current program offerings and access information, check [Arts for Learning Maryland’s early childhood programs](https://www.artsforlearningmd.org/programs/early-childhood/), which identifies Arts for Learning as a Maryland affiliate of the Wolf Trap Institute.

The article’s original notice said that the Early Learning Video Portal was free through June 2022. That access period has ended, so families and educators should check Arts for Learning Maryland’s current program information before relying on the portal or expecting free access.

If the portal is currently available, families and educators can use its arts-based videos as one option for shared learning; confirm registration requirements and access directly with Arts for Learning Maryland. Whether an experience takes place online or in person, adults can support children by participating alongside them, following children’s interests, and connecting the activity to conversation, movement, or creative exploration. Avoid treating a video as a substitute for responsive interaction: pause to invite children’s ideas, observe their responses, and adapt the activity to the group.

How can arts experiences support development in early childhood?

Music, movement, dramatic play, storytelling, and visual art give young children multiple ways to represent ideas and participate in learning. Singing repeated phrases can invite children to listen, anticipate, imitate, and contribute new words. Movement games offer opportunities to practice balance, coordination, body awareness, and self-regulation. Drawing, painting, and working with varied materials can involve planning, experimentation, fine-motor control, and decision-making. These are opportunities for learning, not guaranteed outcomes: children’s participation will differ with their interests, abilities, experiences, and access to materials.

Arts experiences also create a shared context for social interaction. Children may take turns choosing instruments, respond to another child’s movement, or tell a story together. Educators can support these interactions by narrating what they observe, allowing time for children to respond, and modeling respectful listening. For additional ideas on integrating creative disciplines, see STEAM learning in the early childhood education classroom and ways to use art and creative expression to support young children. For a broader overview of how learning experiences relate to development, read the difference between early childhood education and child development.

How can educators plan meaningful music, movement, and art activities?

Start with a developmental intention, then choose an open-ended activity that lets children make decisions. For example, invite children to move like growing plants, then ask what changes when the music becomes quiet or quick. Offer large paper, crayons, and washable paint for children to represent what they noticed. A story chant can invite children to repeat a phrase, invent a sound effect, or suggest what a character might do next. These activities connect movement, language, and visual expression without requiring every child to produce the same result.

Keep materials simple and the invitation flexible. Demonstrate how to use materials safely, then allow children to explore rather than directing them toward a model product. Use open prompts such as “What do you notice?” or “What might happen if we change the rhythm?” Observe children’s choices and extend their thinking with relevant vocabulary. Music and movement can also support early literacy; explore how music and movement can enrich early childhood learning for further activity ideas.

How can arts activities be inclusive and responsive to children?

Plan more than one way to participate. A child may sing, listen, use an instrument, gesture, move while seated, watch before joining, or communicate through a picture or device. Offer choices in volume, pace, materials, and level of movement, and avoid making public performance or verbal participation a condition of belonging. Check whether the space is accessible and whether materials can be adapted for children’s sensory, motor, communication, or support needs.

Include songs, stories, instruments, and art forms that reflect the children and families in the program. Invite family contributions when appropriate, and present cultural material with respect rather than as a costume or one-time theme. Educators seeking more guidance can read how to explore Black culture and music meaningfully and how to explore Japanese culture with young children. For additional ways to connect creative work with children’s interests, see turning children’s interests into meaningful learning experiences.

How can educators use Wolf Trap and Arts for Learning Maryland information?

Wolf Trap’s Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts describes an approach that uses performing arts—including dance, theater, music, and puppetry—in early learning and educator professional development. Arts for Learning Maryland describes itself as the Maryland affiliate and outlines early childhood offerings such as residencies, workshops, assemblies, and professional development. Check both organizations’ current pages for program formats, eligibility, schedules, and availability; archived descriptions of a video portal do not establish that the same service remains available today.

For educators interested in professional learning, CDA Subject Area 2 Buy Now $80.00 covers children’s physical and intellectual development, including the arts; Open Heart, Open Art Buy Now $16.00 focuses on open-ended art and social-emotional development; and Power of Art: Building Self-Esteem and Positive Behavior for All Abilities ONLINE Buy Now $24.00 explores using art to support self-esteem and positive behavior. These are ChildCareEd courses, not a guarantee of compliance with any Maryland licensing or credential requirement. Verify course acceptance and applicability with the relevant agency or registry before enrolling for a specific requirement.

What should educators remember about arts-based early learning?

Arts experiences are most useful when they invite children to explore, communicate, make choices, and connect with other people. Plan with a clear developmental purpose, adapt participation to children’s needs, and observe what children do and say so you can extend the experience responsively. Treat Wolf Trap and Arts for Learning Maryland as possible sources of program information, but verify current access directly with the organizations. Summary: Music, movement, drama, storytelling, and visual art can enrich everyday learning when educators make them inclusive, interactive, and responsive to children’s interests.

References

Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts describes its performing-arts approach and professional development for early educators. Arts for Learning Maryland’s Early Childhood Programs identifies the organization as the Maryland affiliate and describes its early childhood program formats.

Explore related professional learning: #arts #music #movement #creativity #development.

Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts. Program overview. Arts for Learning Maryland. Early Childhood Programs.