Hobble Creek Learning Center

Good News!

2012-01-28T15:45:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Many parents have asked us if there is a way to keep Hobble Creek Learning Center open. As a family we have been exploring possible options and are happy to announce that we have found a way to continue offering services to our community.

Last week Eva Witesman, a preschool parent and professor in The Marriott School of Management at BYU, approached me. She is an expert in non-profit business administration. After discussing the advantages of this alternative business structure we have decided to transform Hobble Creek Learning Center into a non-profit organization.

Your experience at Hobble Creek Learning Center will remain constant. Our excellent teachers have agreed to stay with us and we will continue to offer award-winning preschool, tutoring, and creative classes. I will remain as the Executive Director, but will have the assistance of a governing board that will donate their unique professional abilities and time to our organization. We also hope to channel the support of parents and community members as volunteers. My primary focus will be to ensure that our educational programs are of the highest quality.

As a result of these changes we are now opening our fall enrollment. In appreciation for your loyalty we will waive our normal registration fee of $35.00 until April 1, 2012. We hope you will encourage your friends and family to enroll their children at Hobble Creek Learning Center.

I am so grateful for you and for your support of our school. It is my belief that through this new organization, Hobble Creek Learning Center will continue to grow and become an even better educational resource for the entire community.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Harker

Director, Hobble Creek Learning Center

801-491-0825

stephanie.harker@gmail.com

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter D, E, F

2011-11-07T15:14:00.001-07:00

Dot Art, Easel Painting, and Fingerpainting

We are catching up after missing a few weeks of MMM. So today we did art that started with the letters D, E, and F. Our activities were really simple today, but so fun. We had a lot of sweet kids making a lot of art!

Dot Art

Materials: Bingo Markers, Paper
This is a simple activity for a rainy day. I love bingo markers. They are easy for kids to use. Children of almost any age can enjoy stamping and creating designs using these markers. Another option if you don't have bingo markers is to use pencil erasers on a stamp pad. This creates a similar effect, but is smaller. If your child is working with a small tool like a pencil eraser, give them a smaller piece of paper so that their work will fill the space.

Easel Painting

Materials: Easel, watercolors, water, paper

Children love to paint on easels. It seems so grown up! You can find inexpensive table easels at thrift stores. This is a great open ended activity. Simply teach your children how to dip the brush in the water then paint and let them paint away. Watercolor paints are a great option for young artists.

It is important to let your children paint freely. You will be amazed at their creativity, and how much they love being able to choose their own colors and experiment with the paint. Let them learn through trial and error about mixing colors, and using the water.

Fingerpainting

Materials: Purchased or homemade finger paint, paper

Not all kids love to finger paint, or to get their hands messy, but make sure that you give them a chance to try. Often kids will be more willing to try finger painting when they see their parents try. If your child loves getting messy save this activity for the summer and let them finger paint outside windows, or sliding glass doors. Finger painting is also a great way for children to learn about color mixing and to see the color change before their eyes.

Next week the letters G, H, I!

Thank you so much for all the love and support that has been given to us at the loss of our sweet son, grandson, and nephew Jonah Hall. We are grateful for the love of the wonderful moms and children that come to Mommy, Monet and Me!

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter C

2011-09-28T22:23:00.000-06:00

Crayons, Carpet, and Corn Syrup

This week at Mommy, Monet and Me we had such a great group of toddlers learning about the letter C! We created art with color changing crayons, made carpet prints, and painted with colored corn syrup!

Color Changing Crayons

Materials: Old broken crayons, muffin tins

Making your own color changing crayons is really easy. You basically just take old crayons and melt them down in muffin tins or any other kind of heat proof mold. Once the crayons are melted you let them cool and they become solid again. Here is a link to the specifics on time and temperature for melting.

TIP: Soak your crayons in hot water to remove the paper, instead of trying to peel each crayon individually. I don't know why I never thought of this before, but it worked like magic.

TIP: Find an eager little helper to help you smash the crayons! I put the crayons in a thick plastic bag and then let my niece do the smashing. She loved it.

Carpet Prints

Materials: Carpet pieces, paint, rollers, tray, paper.

Kids get really excited when you tell them they get to paint on carpet. It seems like they are breaking all the rules. You can get carpet scraps or samples from local carpet stores. This activity is more fun when you have a variety of kinds of carpet. We used paint rollers to apply the paint to the carpet squares and then pressed the painted side onto our paper. The results are pretty cool. When you are done you can wash the carpet squares in the sink and leave them in the sun to dry and use again.

Corn Syrup Painting

Materials: light corn syrup, food coloring, paintbrushes or q-tips, cardstock

To make corn syrup paint simply combine a small amount of corn syrup and food coloring in a container. You can use a paintbrush or q-tip to apply the paint to a thick paper like card stock. The paper needs to be thick to handle the syrupy paint.

Why paint with corn syrup? When it dries it stays shiny. It swirls together beautifully without getting too muddled and brown. It is totally edible...for those little ones who like to put everything in their mouth. It washes off surfaces and hands pretty easily with a little warm water. The food coloring can dye clothes so better to wear a smock or strip them down and let them get messy!

Hope to see you next week for the letter D!

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter B

2011-09-20T13:54:00.001-06:00

Letter B: Bubble Prints and Bead Bracelets

There are so many great activities to do with the letter B, but my favorite activities involve bubbles. There is something magical about creating a bubble, and something even greater about capturing a bubble in art.

Blowing Bubbles

Materials: Dish soap, food coloring or tempera paint, medium size containers or bowls, straws, watercolor paper.

WARNING: many young children are used to sucking liquid through a straw and will accidentally suck the liquid into their mouths in this activity. Make sure you only use non-toxic paints, and cut a small triangle out of the straw so they can't suck it up as easily.

Mix about a tablespoon of dish soap with 2 or 3 tablespoons of paint, and 1/2 cup of water. Let the child blow through the straw into the liquid making bubbles. When the bubbles rise above the rim of the container place the paper on top. The colored bubbles will leave a bubble print behind. Repeat on the same paper for a cool layered look.

Bubble Wrap Prints

Materials: bubble wrap, paint, paper, paintbrushes

This is a great way to recycle your old bubble wrap. Paint directly on the bubble side of the bubble wrap, then place paper on painted bubbles and press lightly to make contact with all of the bubbles. Remove paper and voila, beautiful bubble art. I think the smaller bubble wrap works best for this project.

Bead Bracelets

Materials: Beads, buttons, pipe cleaners.

This is a great fine motor activity. Place beads and buttons in a small bowl and let your child thread them onto a pipe cleaner. When they are all done they can twist the pipe cleaner to make a bracelet. The best part about the pipe cleaner is that it hold the beads in place, and keeps them from sliding off if your child drops the bracelet while they are beading.

Next week: Letter C Crayons, Carpet Prints, and Corn Syrup

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter A

2011-09-13T14:00:00.001-06:00

Aquariums, Alphabet Prints, and Ants

We are so excited to start another year of Mommy, Monet and Me! We had a great group of excited toddlers and their moms, and even a grandpa join us on Monday. Here are our "A" projects!

My favorite project of the day was the aquarium pictures we made. They are so simple, relatively clean, and allow for endless creativity!

Aquariums

Materials: Blue paper, white, blue and purple dot markers, foam ovals, triangles and stars, and glue sticks

First we dotted our light blue paper with blue, white and purple dot markers to make the aquarium water look bubbly and add some texture. Then we created fish by gluing an oval and a triangle shape together on the paper. The children used markers to add details to their fish, create seaweed and draw sand in their aquariums. I wish I had more pictures for you but we were having too much fun creating!

Alphabet Stamps

Materials: Alphabet stamps or sponges, paint, tray, white paper.

For this activity I just let the children dip the sponges and stamps in a thin coat of paint and then stamp them on their paper. Moms helped children spell their names, and recognize letters. This is a great activity to help with early literacy and letter recognition while getting a little messy in the meantime:)

Ants

Materials: stamp pads, red paper, white chalk, markers or pencils, and little fingers

Have your child create a picnic blanket by making line with white chalk across red paper. Then let your child create ants all over the blanket by fingerprinting with black or red ink onto the paper. They can try to put three fingerprints in a row to make a more realistic ant. They can also add legs or antennae to their little insects.

Thanks for coming and creating with us. See you next Monday at 9:00 am for the letter B! Bubble, Buttons and Balloons!

Julie

Preschool and Kindergarten Space Still Available!

2011-07-26T14:33:00.006-06:00

Now enrolling for award-winning preschool and private kindergarten classes.

What makes Hobble Creek Learning Center preschool and kindergarten unique?

    1. Certified and experienced teachers and aides
    2. Only 12 students per class
    3. Professionally developed preschool and

kindergarten curriculum

4. Competitive pricing
5. Clean and safe learning environment

Classes are available 2,3 or 5 days a week in the morning or afternoon. For more information on our classes and curriculum visit our website www.hobblecreeklearning.com.
Call today for a free no-obligation consultation and tour of our facility.

Space is limited. Enroll today. Call 801-491-0825

Voted Utah County's Best "Child Care Center" and Best "Tutoring" by the Daily Herald.
Voted Best Tutoring by Nickelodeon's Parent's Pick Awards

"Hobble Creek Learning Center does a wonderful job and we have been so grateful for the opportunity our daughter has had to attend this school for the past three years! It as been a wonderful experience for her and one we wouldn't trade for the world." -2010 Parent Survey

For exclusive deals and promotions "Like" us on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/hobblecreeklearning

Radical Rainforests and Let's Play Music

2011-07-06T11:23:00.001-06:00

Next week at Hobble Creek Learning Center!

Radical Rainforest

July 11-15, 10:00-11:30 am (4-7 years) $50

The rainforest is full of interesting animals: poison dart frogs, toucans, and jaguars to name a few. Children will learn about this incredible ecosystem while creating art that is equally amazing.

Let's Play Music: Blue Bugs

Six 50-minute lessons (T, TH)

July 12 & 14, 19 & 21, 26 & 28

9:00-9:50 am, (3-4 year olds) $40

Students will learn, through play, to feel a steady beat, imitate rhythmic patterns, read rhythmic notation, and play in a rhythm ensemble.

Let's Play Music: Red Balloons

Nine 50-minute lessons (T, W, Th)

July 12-14, 19-21, 26-28 10:00-10:50 am, (4-5 year olds) $60

Students will learn, through play, to match pitch, use solfeggio hand signs, recognize simple staff notation, hear and sing both melody and harmony, and play a major scale and simple accompaniment on tone bells.

Let's Play Music! believes that young children are capable of learning complex musical skills, and that children learn best through full body involvement--playing, dancing and singing.

To register call 801-491-0825

Spotlight on Springville Blog

2011-05-25T15:36:00.000-06:00

We have been featured on the Spotlight on Springville Blog!

Thanks to Brianne Roberts for taking such wonderful pictures of our Kindergarten students and featuring our beautiful facility!

For more information on any of our Kindergarten, Preschool, Tutoring or Creative Classes call 801-491-0825 or visit our website.

Save 25% on Summer Tutoring!

2011-05-16T11:53:00.000-06:00

Thanks for voting for Hobble Creek Learning Center as the best tutoring center in Utah Valley!

To say thanks we are offering a special summer tutoring discount!

The first 20 families to sign up for summer tutoring will receive 25% off our normal tutoring rate.

Call today for your free tutoring assessment! 801-491-0825

For more information on our exceptional tutoring program visit our website.

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letters X, Y, and Z

2011-05-10T09:45:00.000-06:00

X-Rays, Yarn, & Zoo

It is pretty difficult to come up with great art activities for the letters X,Y & Z! Here are the highlights from the last 3 weeks.

X-Ray

Materials: Black Paper, Chalk, Real X-Ray (if you have one)

Show children a real x-ray. Explain that x-rays show the bones inside your body. Help children create their own x-ray by tracing their arms, legs, feet or hands on a black sheet of paper. Next have the children use their imagination to draw what those body parts look like inside. Its fun to see what the little ones come up with.

Yarn

Materials: Yarn, Red, Yellow and Blue Paint, Folded paper, fork or spoon.

Cut several pieces of yarn about 6-12 inches long. Fold a large piece of white paper in half. Next dip the yarn into paint. Use a fork or spoon to hold the yarn down while you remove it from the paint. This ensures that the yarn is covered evenly and doesn't have too much paint. Next place the yarn in the folded paper, holding onto the end of the yarn. Place one hand on paper to hold the yarn down while you remove the yarn with the other hand. When you open the paper you will have a cool string design. Repeat over and over until the paper is full of color.

Zoo

Materials: Stamp pads, animal stamps, crayons, strips of paper, glue stick.

We created fun zoo pictures using animal stamps. Students simply stamp animals on their paper and then color in the scenery. They can draw grass, rocks, or trees depending on what they want their zoo to look like. Next we glued strips of paper onto our picture to create bars to make it look like a zoo.

Our next Mommy, Monet and Me class will be June 6th!

Voted Best Tutoring and Best Child Care Center!

2011-05-10T09:25:00.000-06:00

Thanks for voting for Hobble Creek Learning Center! We have been voted the BEST Tutoring and BEST Child Care Center in Utah Valley!

Thanks to our wonderful teachers, aides, tutors and office staff for creating such an excellent school! We couldn't do it without you!

Thanks to the wonderful families who trust us everyday with their inquisitive, bright and unique children. We love working for you!

For more information on our excellent preschool, kindergarten and tutoring programs visit our website.

Art Adventure: Under the Sea!

2011-05-03T10:43:00.000-06:00

Saturday, May 7th

1:00-2:30 pm

$5.00 per child

or $13.00 per family.

Kids under 5 need to attend with an adult.

Join us as we travel under the deep blue sea. Students will rotate through three 30 minute art activities as they learn about the ocean. Children will use their imaginations to visit a coral reef, spend the day at the beach, and meet the world's largest animal!

Space is limited!

Advanced registration is required.

For details or to register contact us 801-491-0825

Join our Facebook page to get one free art adventure pass!

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter W

2011-04-04T11:56:00.000-06:00

Warm Crayon, Wet on Wet, and Whales!

Warm Crayon

Materials: Electric Food Warmer, Crayons, Oven Mitt, Paper

Finding an electric food warmer will be your greatest challenge with this art activity. It is a party staple from the 70's and 80's and the best place to find one is at a thrift store, like the Salvation Army or Deseret Industries (The D.I. to those in Utah). I scored two warming trays at the D.I. and love using them for all sorts of art activities.

For this activity simply plug in the warming tray and place some paper on the flat surface. Give the tray and paper some time to heat up. Make sure you have an oven mitt or thick towel so that one hand can hold the paper in place. Then use old unwrapped crayons to draw on the warm paper. The crayon starts to melt and flow across the paper. This activity is best done when an adult can supervise directly.

Wet on Wet Watercolor

Materials: Spray bottle, water, paintbrush, watercolor set, watercolor paper (or normal paper)

Kids love watercolor, but sometimes it's fun to mix it up a bit. This is a great technique that is used by watercolor artists, but can be easily done by your little one.

Use a spray bottle to spray down the paper and get it wet. Not drenched, just misted. Then using a wet brush apply paint to the wet paper. The colors will bleed into each other and create beautiful color combinations.

Whales

Materials: blue paper, streamers, stickers, glue sticks, markers, and anything else that would make your whale awesome!

It is tempting when doing a project like this to have everything ready...shapes cut out, streamers measured...all your toddler needs to do is follow directions.

I have found that the best results come when you show your child an example and then guide them through the steps, letting them imagine, create, and assemble in their own way.

For example, I showed each toddler the basic shape of the whale's body. Then, I drew the shape with my finger on their paper. Next, I let them draw freely how they wanted their whale's body to look. They all turned out different, and fantastic. Remember, with any art project, sometimes too much instruction robs children of an opportunity to think creatively. It is the process not the product that matters most!

No class next week! Have a great Spring Break!

Jr. Artists: Batik's and Clay

2011-03-31T17:12:00.000-06:00

Clay and Batik

We have been working on our batik's and class sculptures for the past three weeks. To see all the pictures from our class click here.

Join us for Gallery Night on Wednesday April 6th from 6:30-8:00 pm. Gallery Night is an open house so you can come and stay as long as you would like. Awards will be given out at 7:00 pm. We will have refreshments, art activities and of course artwork on display!

Our summer schedule is now available. We have lots of fun art, science and music classes for kids of all ages.

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter U & V

2011-03-28T12:09:00.002-06:00

Vaseline, Under, & Vinegar

I'm going to be honest...towards the end of the alphabet it gets a little tricky to think of good art activities, but these were the highlights of the last two weeks!

Vaseline

Materials: Vaseline, red, yellow and blue paint, q-tips, paper.

This is one of the best art activities I have ever come up with! I loved it, and the kids loved it. Just take a little vaseline, put it in a small container and add a small amount of washable paint (you could also try food coloring). Mix paint and Vaseline thoroughly.

Next, use the q-tips or fingers to apply the paint to a small piece of paper. (I like a small piece of paper when you are working with finger or q-tips). The Vaseline paint slides around, mixes together, and is shiny! The best part is when the container gets knocked over the paint doesn't spill, AND the Vaseline keeps the paint from drying out so you can use it again and again! Such a great project!

Under

Materials: Table or chair, coloring pages, tape.

Many kids love to do things that are out of the ordinary. Something as simple as drawing or painting underneath the table can make them giggle and feel like they are breaking all the rules!

For this activity I got some cool art coloring pages and taped them on the underside of the table. We put comfy pillows on the floor and got out the markers and crayons, and started drawing!

Vinegar

Materials: Tissue paper strips, vinegar, paintbrushes, paper

This activity is much like our tissue paper painting, only this time I used strips of colored paper, and vinegar instead of water. I like the results!

Just have your child lay strips of art tissue paper down on white paper. Then add vinegar over each strip with a paintbrush. The vinegar seems to pull the color out of the strips better than water.

When using tissue paper for art, you need the kind that bleeds. So avoid overly glossy tissue paper. It wont leach color in the same way. We order our tissue paper from discount school supply.

Join us next Monday morning from 9:30-10:15 am for the letter W! See you there!

The Best of Utah Valley! Vote for us!

2011-03-21T12:01:00.001-06:00

If you love our preschool, kindergarten and tutoring please take a moment to vote for us on the Daily Herald's Best of Utah Valley.

Simply click on the link below, click through to page 11, and enter Hobble Creek Learning Center for best "Child Care Center" and best "Tutor"!

Best of Utah Valley

Thanks for your vote!

New Summer Classes!

2011-03-18T16:56:00.000-06:00

Sign up for Summer!

We have so many fun classes to sign up for this summer. Avoid that mid-summer boredom and get your kids into our classes to learn about juggling, clay, ancient Egypt, superheroes, microbes, the rainforest, ooey, gooey, science and more!

For a complete list of summer programs visit our website.

Don't forget we also have summer preschool starting at just $90.00 a month!

Join our Facebook Page for exclusive deals, updates, and discounts!

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter T

2011-03-14T11:33:00.001-06:00

Tubes, Tape & Toothbrushes, & Trees!

Join us each Monday for Mommy, Monet and Me! Class is from 9:30-10:15 am. We always have three different art activities. The children can spend as much time at each activity as they would like and play with friends and toys at the end of class.

Tubes

Materials: Paper towel tubes, toilet paper tubes, tin cans, paint, white paper.

This in such a basic way to paint, but it creates a really cool effect. Using red, yellow and blue paint allows the colors to mix and still look nice. Try to use a variety of tube sizes. Simply let your little one dip the tube in a little bit of paint (I put the paint on a paper plate and spread it out a little) then press the end of the tube on the paper. Encourage the child to press the tube several times, and move it around the paper. The more overlapping circles the better!

Tape and Toothbrushes

Materials: Painters tape or masking tape, toothbrush, watercolor paint, watercolor paper.

Children can use tape to create the first letter of their names on watercolor paper or any thick absorbent paper. Next, dip a toothbrush in water and then in watercolor paint. Help your child flick the toothbrush to splatter paint all over the paper. When the paper is dry remove the tape and reveal a white letter, and splatter paint background.

Tearing Trees

Materials: Brown paper, blue paper, tissue paper, glue sticks

Kids love to tear paper. Give your child brown paper and let them tear the paper into strips. The more they tear the more little branches they make. Then help your child glue the strips down on blue paper. Next, add spring blossoms by gluing crumpled colored tissue paper on the branches. You could also add pieces of green to make leaves for your tree.

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter S

2011-03-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day Art!

At Hobble Creek Learning Center we love St. Patrick's Day. This week in MMM our letter was S so we did St. Patrick's Day Art. We made the color green and painted shamrocks, we made shamrocks using heart shapes, and we painted beautiful glossy rainbows.

Green

Materials: blue paint, yellow paint, spoon, ziploc bag, painbrush

Today I let the kids mix their own green paint using a small ziploc bag. We just put a spoonful of blue paint, and yellow paint and then made sure the bag was closed securely. Then I just let them move, and squish and swirl the paint until they made green. Then they used a small paintbrush to dip in the bag and paint shamrock coloring page. So simple, but there is something magical about mixing that paint!

Heart Shamrocks

Materials: Heart shaped cookie cutters, green stamp pads or paint, paper

I realized recently that Shamrocks are really hard for little kids to draw, but you need shamrocks to properly celebrate St. Patrick's Day. When you look at a shamrock it is basically 3 or 4 heart shaped leaves joined together. So I took our heart shaped cookie cutters and pressed them into the stamp pad, and then onto the paper and it makes a perfect shamrock! The shamrock outline can then be colored in or painted.

Glossy Rainbows

Materials: Food coloring, corn syrup, paintbrushes, large paper.

One of my favorite art activities is using corn syrup to paint. Did you know that corn syrup is used to make magazine covers glossy? The beautiful thing about painting with corn syrup is that it stays shiny when it dries. So we combined corn syrup with all of the colors of the rainbow, each in its own container. Then we painted beautiful rainbows. Beware this can be a very sticky endeavor, but it cleans up easily with a little water! To minimize the mess let paintings dry flat overnight.

Come to our St. Patrick's Day party on Saturday March 12th from 10:00-Noon for more St. Patrick's Day fun and prizes. See you there!

St. Patrick's Day Party: March 12th

2011-03-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

Come Celebrate with Us!

St. Patrick’s Day Party
Saturday, March 12th
10:00 am-Noon, FREE

The Balloon Guy, cookie decorating, face painting, Irish art, leprechaun games & lots of fun prizes!

Pot of Gold Prize Drawing
Our grand prize includes all of the following prizes
*Party Package from Balloon Guy Entertainment
*$25.00 gift certificate from Funfinity
*$30.00 gift certificate from Magleby's Restaurant
*Year Art Adventure Pass from Hobble Creek Learning Center
“Like” our Facebook page to enter!

Primary Children's Medical Center
Toy Drive.
Get an extra entry in our general prize drawing for each new or gently used toy you donate at the party! All toys will be donated to Primary Children’s Medical Center. (No fabric toys please)

Door Prize and General Prize Drawing
First 50 people get a free Scholastic children's book! You get one prize entry just for coming to the party. General prizes include toys and gift certificates from Funfinity, Magleby's Restaurant gift cards, and gift certificates from Hobble Creek Learning.

For more information about Hobble Creek Learning Center visit
www.hobblecreeklearning.com

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter R

2011-02-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Rainbows, Rolling, and Runny Art

Today in MMM we created art that starts with the letter R. It was a very colorful day!

Rainbows

Materials: tissue paper squares, water, paintbrushes, rainbow coloring page (optional)

I use tissue paper to paint with kids of all ages. It is a fun way to paint and mix colors without the potential mess of paint. Simply gather up old tissue paper or buy a variety pack at the store and cut or tear into small pieces. Next draw a rainbow outline (with permanent marker), or use a coloring page for your rainbow. Place a square of tissue paper on the rainbow outline and use your paintbrush to add a little water on top of the tissue paper. Continue adding tissue paper and overlapping until the rainbow is completely colored. Let dry flat on a counter. When the paper is dry each square of tissue paper will flake off leaving the color behind on the rainbow!

Rolling

Materials: Paint rollers, red, yellow and blue paint, large paper, variety of objects to roll in paint (balls, toilet paper tubes, etc..)

This is a very free form activity which is perfect for toddlers. Too many instructions tend to frustrate little ones, so keep it simple. Put some paint out and things that they can roll in the paint and see what happens! They love seeing the primary colors mix and create new colors.

Runny Art

Materials: Eye droppers, food coloring, water, watercolor paper.

For this activity i gave the children three cups of water, each one with red, yellow or blue food coloring in the water. Put quite a bit of food coloring so the colors stay vibrant! They used eye droppers to suck up the water and then to drip it on their page. Watercolor paper or other absorbent paper keeps this project from getting too runny! Once a color is dropped on the paper, the kids picked the paper up and moved it around to let the water run all over the paper. Colors begin to mix together and the results are different every time. Great for kids of all ages!

Join us next week for the letter S. We will be doing St. Patrick's Day Art! Monday from 9:30-10:15am. 375 S. 300 E. Springville

Join our Facebook page to get a free class

Jr. Artists: Printmaking

2011-02-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our latest Jr. Artist class. We learned how to do basic printmaking using styrofoam plates. To see more pictures visit our flickr site.

Jr. Artists meets every tuesday from 4:00-5:00pm. Our class is full right now, but we may open another section. If you are interested in joining our class please call 491-0825 and get on our waiting list.

Join our Facebook page to get updates on class availability and our upcoming summer programs! Our schedule of summer programs will be available March 12th.

Jr. Artists: Winter Watercolors

2011-02-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our winter watercolor project. We used painters tape, salt, blue watercolor and crayons to create our beautiful pictures! See more pictures on our Flickr page. Next week we will be working on printmaking!

Mommy, Monet and Me! Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T14:54:00.001-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today in MMM we did three Valentine's Day art activities! Foam Printing, Heart Stencils, and Mixing Pink.

Styrofoam Printing

Materials: Styrofoam plate, dull pencils, paint, paint rollers, tray, paper.

1. First draw your design on the back of a piece of styrofoam with a dull pencil. Use the pencil to gently carve into the styrofoam leaving an indentation. I like to use a plate because the lip of the plate gives the kids a handle when they are printing, but you could use any flat piece of styrofoam. Save and reuse packing materials for this project.

2. When your design is complete roll a thin layer of paint out on a tray or cookie sheet. Help your little one make it really thin.

3. Then turn your plate over and press your design into the plate (make sure to press each part of the plate down to get good contact with the paint).

4. Pull the styrofoam up and press firmly down onto the paper (again make sure to get good contact on the whole piece of foam).

5. Remove the plate and see your beautiful design on paper.

This is a great way to make unique Valentine's because you can reuse the plate and make multiple prints of the same design. Try mixing colors of paint or printing on different kinds of paper. The possibilities are endless. Print on card stock to make a beautiful one of a kind card for teachers or grandparents!

Homemade Heart Stencils

Materials: Paper, scissors, paint or bingo markers

1. First cut out heart stencils by folding paper in half and cutting half of a heart from the fold. Cut a variety of hearts in different shapes and sizes. Make sure to leave a border, don't cut your heart all the way to the edge of the paper.

2. Now you should have a positive and negative heart shape. In other words a heart shaped piece of paper, and a heart shaped hole in the other piece of paper.

3. Place your heart stencils on a large piece of paper and use bingo markers to stamp around the edge of the heart shapes, and to fill in the heart stencils. You could also use markers, crayons, or paint for this step.

This is a great lesson to help your child understand the difference between positive and negative space.

Mixing Pink

Materials: Heart shaped paper, white paint, red paint, paintbrushes

Today we used red and white paint to make beautiful pink paint. Simply give your child a dish or cup with each color of paint and one paintbrush and let them experiment with color. They can mix the color on their heart or in the cups.

Each child's shade of pink was a little bit different, but we ended up with so many beautiful pink hearts to decorate our room for valentine's day!

No class next monday because of President's Day! We will see you again on February 28th, 9:30-10:15 am for the letter R!

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter Q

2011-02-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Queens (and Kings), Q-tips, and Chinese New Year Dragons

Some letters of the alphabet are definitely more difficult than others. Q is one of them. If anyone out there has fabulous Q art ideas send them my way. Here are some of mine, and we also threw in dragon puppets for Chinese New Year!

Queens (and Kings)

Materials: Yellow paper, Decorations, Markers, Crayons.

Simply cut a zig zag line down the middle of a yellow piece of paper. When you are done you should have two crown like pieces. I staple these two pieces together and let the little kiddos decorate however they would like. We used sparkly jewels that we bought from discount school supply, which made the crowns seem super special. When the crown is decorated, wrap it around your child's head to measure, then remove and staple again to make a crown! So simple, yet so much fun.

Q-tips

Materials: q-tips, watercolor paints, water, paper

Q-tips are a great alternative to painting with brushes for watercolors. The q-tips are easily manipulated by little fingers, the paint and water distribution is controlled, and the clean up is easy! I also love that q-tip can get the last remnants of paint out of an old set of watercolors

Dragon Puppets (Chinese New Year)

Materials: Dragon Face, Paper Plate, Crayons, Markers, Scissors, Paper Strips, Paint Stick, and Hot Glue Gun

1. Color and cut out dragon face printout
2. fold paper strips back and forth to create a crinkled look, and glue to paper plate.
3. Glue dragon face on top of paper strips.
4. Attach a paint stick to the back with hot glue.

For more pictures from our class check out our flickr page.

Art Adventure Photos

2011-02-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Chinese Pagoda

Here are some pictures from our Chinese New Year Art Adventure! Check out our flickr page to see more photos.

Our next art adventure is Wonderful Wizards! It will be Saturday March 26th from 1:00-2:00 pm. Sign up early to reserve your place!

Remember you can get one free art class (Mommy, Monet and Me, Junior Artists, or Art Adventure) when you join our facebook page.

Chinese Dragon Puppet

Firework Picture

Junior Artists Week 1

2011-02-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from the first day of Junior Artists! The class is full but if you are interested in our art classes please call and put your name on our waiting list. If we have enough interest we may open a second class. If you would like to know more about this class check this blog each week to see our projects in progress!

Working on Portfolio Folders

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter P

2011-01-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Puff Paint, Playdough and Purple!

Puff Paint
Materials: Salt, Flour, Water, Food Coloring, Squeeze bottles, Cardstock

Thanks to Ettie Smith for sharing this recipe with me. It has become one of my favorite art activities and the kids love it. Making the puff paint can be just as fun as using it. The recipe is simple and you and your child can experiment making lots of new colors with food coloring.

RECIPE: Add equal parts flour, salt and water in a bowl. Mix thoroughly until smooth and shiny. Divide white dough into smaller containers for color mixing. Add food coloring and mix until you reach desired color. Put puff paint in squeeze bottles, use like regular paint or finger paint.

I recommend using the puff paint on cardstock. It holds up better to the heavy paint and doesn't soak through. Encourage your little one to see what happens when you put one color on the other, or swirl the puff paint with a toothpick to create a marbled effect.

Play Dough

I like to make my own play dough rather than buying it. You can make big batches with ingredients you have on hand, and then you can let your kids mix it without being so worried about ruining expensive play dough. This is my favorite play dough recipe because it is so soft and smells great!

Materials
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 pkg unsweetened Kool-aid (just the dry koolaid, don't mix it into juice)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:
1.  In a bowl, mix flour, salt and kool-aid.
2.  Stir in water and oil
3.  Knead with hands for about 5 minutes (careful it's hot!)
4.  Store in ziploc bag for up to 2 months.

Purple

More color mixing today! We made the color purple using red and blue paint. We used paintbrushes and our fingers to combine the colors. If you don't have red and blue paint on hand try mixing other things with your toddler or preschooler. Here are some ideas.

Koolaid or juice
Water with food coloring.
Crayons
Markers
Remember MMM is every Monday morning from 9:30-10:15am. Try a class for free when you join our facebook page.

Also join us this Saturday for our Chinese New Year Art Adventure! Saturday February 5th from 1:00-2:30 pm. Advanced registration preferred. Space is limited.

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter O

2011-01-24T14:29:00.001-07:00

Oil, Orange, and Ovals

Baby Oil

Materials: crayons or oil pastels, half sheet of white paper, paintbrush, baby oil, paper towels or newspaper.

There are lots of fun ways to use baby oil with toddlers. Today we used it to make our drawings transparent. I use a half sheet of paper to help the kids consolidate their drawing to a smaller area. You should encourage them to press hard with the crayon or oil pastel they are using to create a beautiful picture. Lay the drawing on newspaper or a paper towel. Next, flip the page over so you see the back of the paper. Dip your brush in baby oil and brush lightly over the back of your picture. The picture will appear like magic as the oil makes the paper transparent. Blot with paper towel to remove excess oil. Hold it up to the light and see it shine through!

Color Mixing: Orange

Materials: large sheet of white paper, yellow and red paint, paintbrushes, rollers, sponges, anything you can mix paint with.

Kids are fascinated with color mixing! Learning to mix colors is a great way to introduce primary and secondary colors and to help them learn the color wheel. Making a new color is like magic and there are so many fun ways to mix colors. We used rollers, paintbrushes and sponges to combine our colors on big white papers. Here are some other mixing ideas.

Bag mixing-put one spoonful or red paint, and one spoonful of yellow paint in a ziploc bag, seal the bag and let your toddler move the paint around and watch the colors mix. When the color is mixed you can lay the bag flat and draw with a finger on the bag.

Hand mixing- help your toddler paint one hand red and one hand yellow then have them rub their hands together to make a new color. Have a sheet of paper ready to make hand prints in the new color!

Paper blots- fold a paper in half, and then open it again. Have your toddler paint one side red and the other side yellow, then press the two sides together and rub all over. Open the paper again and see what color you made!

Ovals

Materials: Foam shapes, black or white paper, glue sticks

Sometimes the simplest activities are the most fun. I love foam shapes because they are colorful, easy to manipulate, and allow for endless creativity. The best art activities give kids the freedom to explore and create and use their imaginations without too many restrictions or rules.

I encouraged the kids to find some ovals in the foam shapes and then asked them what some of the other shapes reminded them of. Just ask your kids questions about what they see and what they want to create and they will amaze you with their answers!

Art Adventure: Chinese New Year! February 5th

2011-01-21T09:21:00.001-07:00

Saturday, February 5th
1:00-2:30 pm

$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family.
Kids under 5 need to attend with an adult.

Join us Saturday February 5th to celebrate Chinese New Year. Make Chinese dragons, craft decorative firecrackers and lanterns, and learn Chinese writing. Good luck will come your way!

Advanced registration preferred. Sign up over the phone or drop-in and see us! For details or to register contact us 801-491-0825

Get one FREE pass when you join our facebook page!

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter N

2011-01-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Noodles, Necklaces and Night!

Today in MMM we made sparkly noodles and then made them into necklaces. We also created beautiful winter night paintings.

Sparkly Noodles

Materials: Pasta Noodles (any kind with a hole in it), white glue, glitter, plastic spoons, tray or bowl for glitter.

This a fun way to make sparkly beads for a homemade necklace. Simply take a dry pasta noodle, drop it in some watered down glue, fish it out and let the excess glue drip off and then use a spoon or little fingers to roll it in glitter. All kids love glitter, but mom's usually don't. This is a good way to do glitter without making too much of a mess. You could also put the noodles in a tupperware with a little glitter or a plastic bag, seal it up and let your little ones shake away until the noodles are covered. Let the sparkly noodles dry before stringing them on a string or pipe cleaners.

Noodle Necklace

Materials: Sparkly Noodles, Pipe Cleaners, other beads

Making a necklace is a great way for toddlers to work on those fine motor skills. I have found that it can be really difficult and frustrating for little fingers to work with string or yarn for necklaces, especially when the string is dropped and beads scatter everywhere, so I use pipe cleaners. Pipe cleaners are great for a few reasons...they come in so many colors, they can be twisted together, they are rigid and easier for little ones to manipulate, and they have enough friction to keep beads... or noodles in place.

Winter Night Painting

Materials: Watercolor paper (or cardstock), Masking Tape, blue or black paint, crayons or oil pastels, salt (optional)

This lesson is adapted from the blog Art Projects for Kids.

For our night time painting we started with half sheet of watercolor paper and some masking tape. Tear medium length pieces of tape for your toddler. I like to tear the tape down the middle to get a wavy edge. Then use smaller strips of tape to make branches off of the main trunk until you have a beautiful masking tape tree. Encourage your little one to rub the tape down so the edges are flat.

Next, use a crayon or oil pastel to make stars or snow in the sky. They can just tap the crayon randomly all over the paper and it looks great! You could also draw a moon in the corner.

Apply the paint. I use blue tempra paint that is pretty watered down, any watery blue paint would work. Blue from a watercolor tray would work, but the other colors on the tray often prove too tempting for toddlers. Paint all over the whole picture, even on top of the masking tape.

While the paint is still wet sprinkle a little salt over the top of your picture. The salt soaks up some of the water and leaves a cool winter texture behind. It kind of makes it look like it is snowing. It's amazing how exciting the prospect of sprinkling salt is to a 3 year old

When your picture is dry, carefully remove the tape and check out the cool trees left behind on your paper. Remember it is the process not the product that matters. Every tree is different and your toddlers should not look perfect, let them create freely!

Winter Art Classes! Now Enrolling

2011-01-05T14:38:00.002-07:00

Styrofoam Plate Print by Emily

After taking a semester off to get used to motherhood Julie Hall is back to teach new and exciting art classes. Space is limited so sign up early!

Junior Artists (5 and Up)
Tuesdays 4:00-5:00pm. (February 1-April 5)
Cost: $85.00 for 10 weeks.

Cost can be prorated. Advanced registration required.
In this exciting class students draw, paint, sculpt and discover the fundamental art elements: line, shape, texture, color, value and space. At the end of 10 weeks students display their work in a special gallery night for friends and family! Instructor: Julie Hall

Art Adventures
(Children 5 and under need to be accompanied by an adult)
Cost: $5.00 per child or $13.00 per family
Special Saturdays: 1:00-2:30pm

February 5    Chinese New Year!
March 12      Annual St. Patrick's Day Party (10:00-Noon) FREE
March 26      Wonderful Wizards
May 7           Under the Sea

Bring your friends and family for our Saturday art adventures. Participate in 3 different art activities, scavenger hunts, games, and riddles. In the past we have gone on a safari, traveled to space, and searched for dinosaurs! Check out pictures from our art adventures. Advanced registration preferred.

Mommy, Monet and Me! Letter M

2011-01-03T12:00:00.005-07:00

Check here each Monday afternoon to see what fun projects we did in Mommy, Monet and Me! MMM is every monday morning (except for holidays) from 9:30-10:15 am at Hobble Creek Learning Center.

Today in Mommy, Monet and Me our letter of the day was M. So we had three M related toddler friendly projects: Marble Painting, Marker Magic, and Monoprints! All three activities are so fun with kids of any age.

Marble Painting

Materials: Paint, Marbles, Spoon, Box Lid (or something like it)

For marble painting I get an old box lid that will fit a piece of paper. Tape the paper down to the inside of the lid so it won't shift when you start painting. Get a few marbles and place one or two in each paint color (I water down the paint a little so the marble will roll easily). Have your child use the spoon to drop one or two marbles in the box lid, and start moving the box so the painted marbles roll all over your paper! A box lid with high sides is best so that you don't lose your marbles! I like to use red, yellow and blue paint so when the colors mix they make new colors!

Marker Magic

Materials: Constructions paper, scissors, dry erase markers, old sock or rag (to erase with)

I cut out some simple frames out of construction paper and taped them to the window. This serves two purposes. First, it makes drawing on the window even more special and fancy, and second it will give your toddler and natural boundary for their artwork. They are usually pretty good at staying in the frame. I always preface this activity by reminding our little artists that these are special markers and we can't use regular markers to draw on the windows and we never draw on the walls:) Let your toddler use dry erase markers to draw on the window, and a rag or old sock to erase and start again. They will have so much fun creating their masterpieces, and when they are all done the picture is framed and on display!

Monoprint

Materials: Baking tray or other flat smooth surface, paint, small paint roller or paintbrushes, q-tips, scrap paper

This activity was the favorite of the day! The kids stayed at this station the longest and loved printing new pictures over and over again. This is a basic printing technique to create one of a kind prints. Simply apply paint thinly to the inside of the baking tray (I use small paint rollers like this). You can also use a paintbrush to apply the paint. Then let your little one use a q-tip, or their fingers to make lines and designs in the paint. When they are satisfied with their creation press a piece of paper onto the tray and voila! A beautiful monoprint! I love this activity because the mess is contained within the tray and the results are beautiful. I also recommend using primary colors for this activity so the mixing paint creates beautiful new colors!

Remember moms: creativity takes courage! Don't be afraid to get a little messy, your kids will love it!

Open Enrollment!

2010-12-30T14:00:00.004-07:00

Open enrollment for preschool and kindergarten begins January 3rd! Now is the time to reserve a space for your child in our summer or fall programs.

Not sure if Hobble Creek Learning is a good fit for your child? Here is what some of our parents said in a recent survey about their experience.

"my daughter is excited to go everyday, and even if she shies back when we get there, the teachers are really good at getting her in the classroom! and then she's happy for the rest of the time. everyone there is SO nice! it's sort of like family."

"My child always looks forward to school days. She is greeted with smiles and kindness. I love the learning activities and projects! Thank you for everything!!!"

100% of parents surveyed said they would recommend Hobble Creek Learning Center to a friend.

We invite parents and children to come for a personal tour of the school and meet our wonderful director and teachers! If you would like to set up a time to see the school please call 801-491-0825.

Space is limited and we fill classes on a first come first serve basis. Our morning classes fill very quickly so enroll early.

For more information visit our website. www.hobblecreeklearning.com

We look forward to meeting you!

Tell us what you think!

2010-12-15T17:59:00.004-07:00

Preschool & Kindergarten Survey

At Hobble Creek Learning we are always looking for ways to improve your child's preschool & kindergarten experience.

Please take a moment to fill out the following survey. The survey is only 6 questions and all answers are anonymous.

Click here to complete the survey!

Thank you for your feedback!

Help Mrs. Beach's Family

2010-12-08T15:20:00.005-07:00

This past week our wonderful preschool teacher, Mrs. Beach, experienced a devastating house fire. Luckily she was able to get her children safely out of the house, but there is significant damage, and they will not be able to return to their house for several months.

Even though the Beach's have insurance that will help restore their home, we wanted to do something to help them cover any unexpected costs they may incur this holiday season. A fund has been set up at Central Bank to receive donations. Donations should be made in the name of Paul and Susanne Beach. Donations can also be made through Hobble Creek Learning Center in Springville.

Thank you for your generosity this holiday season!

Julie Hall, Stephanie Harker, and Brooke Dunkley

The Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive

2010-11-27T14:36:00.003-07:00

About the Drive

Last year, Scholastic Books and the Pajama Program were able to donate 18,000 pajamas and books to kids who needed them most. Thanks to generous donations from students around the country. This year, we want to help them reach their goal of 25,000 pajamas and books. Hobble Creek Learning Center wants to help make this dream come true!

Here's what we need:

Brand-new pajamas in all sizes from newborn to adult.

Complete sets or nightgowns only, PLEASE.

Donations will be accepted at Hobble Creek Learning Center until Wednesday, December 15th! Anyone can donate. Just drop pajamas off at 375 S. 300 E. Springville, UT. Thanks for helping us give children a warm and cozy Christmas this year!

About Pajama Program

A nonprofit organization that provides pajamas and books to children who live in group homes, shelters, foster care, and orphanages.

Learn more

Pirate Party Art Adventure Saturday!

2010-05-10T11:30:00.002-06:00

This Saturday, May 15th
1:00-2:30 pm

$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family.
Kids under 5 need to attend with an adult.

Join us Saturday for our Pirate Party Art Adventure. Create treasure maps, paint pirate parrots, and sail the high seas in search of adventure.

Advanced registration preferred. Sign up over the phone or drop-in and see us! For details or to register contact us 801-491-0825

Summer Schedule Now Available

2010-03-17T09:13:00.003-06:00

Summer is right around the corner. At Hobble Creek Learning Center we have been busy planning a summer full of fun, educational, and unique activities to enhance and enrich your child's summer. We have creative writing, music, art and science classes for kids of all ages.

Click here for a complete summer schedule.

We also offer tutoring and preschool throughout the summer with flexible schedules to meet every family's needs.

SAVE $10.00 or $20.00 when you refer a friend for summer programs, preschool or tutoring.

For details on our referral program and to register call 801-491-0825

St. Patrick's Day Party!

2010-03-04T13:19:00.005-07:00

Come Celebrate with Us

Saturday, March 13, 2010

10:00 am - Noon

375 S. 300 E., Springville

FREE...Bring the whole family!

Face Painting, Cookie Decorating, Irish Art, Leprechaun Games, & the Balloon Guy!

Enter to win gift certificates for summer programs, creative classes and more!

First 50 people get a free children's book.

Bring a friend!
You will both receive $20.00* off when your friend enrolls in preschool, or tutoring. And $10.00 off when they enroll in creative classes or summer programs. Ask for a referral card!

See pictures from last year's party!

*referral discount applies to friends that are new clients of Hobble Creek Learning Center and is not redeemable for cash. Some restrictions apply.

Summer Preschool

2010-02-19T14:07:00.004-07:00

Its never too early to start thinking about summer!

Summer Preschool
June 7-August 20

T, W, TH with optional Monday and Friday classes.

3-days $160.00 (3 payments)*
4-days $210.00 (3 payments)
5-days $265.00 (3 payments)

Summer preschool is a great way to enrich your child's summer. Hobble Creek Learning Center’s summer preschool helps children to progress academically and engage socially with their peers. Our summer program is a little more laid back than the regular school year, but still full of important and fun academic experiences that will help your child prepare for the coming school year. Space is limited. Enroll today.
*Payments are already prorated and averaged for August tuition.

For more information or to schedule a visit to our beautiful school please call 801-491-0825

Download a complete registration packet

World Art Adventure Saturday!

2010-02-01T21:20:00.006-07:00

This Saturday, February 6th
1:00-2:30 pm

$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family.
Kids under 5 need to attend with an adult.

Join us Saturday for our World Art Adventure. Come create unique art from Asia, Africa, and South America.
Space is limited.

Advanced registration preferred. Sign up over the phone or drop-in and see us! For details or to register contact us 801-491-0825

See pictures from past Art Adventures

Preschool Highlight!

2010-01-07T09:46:00.003-07:00

January is here! Here are the weekly themes Mrs. Staheli's classes will be learning about.

Senses - We have 5 senses; hear, sight, taste, touch and smell. We will paint with pudding, make sock puppets, make flowers that really smell, draw with our eyes closed while listening to music and do some texture rubbings. We will also make smores and enjoy exciting activities in center time.

Bodies, Health, Clothes and Doctors. This week our field trips include a doctor, dentist, eye doctor and sports therapy office.

Time and Money. This week we learn about the purpose of money and how people work to get money. We will learn about the clock and the sequence of things.

Walking Report Card and Parent Teacher Conferences. This week we have a great opportunity for parents to join with their children in a one-on-one situation where the child is able to show the parent some learning activities they experience in the classroom. Thursday and Friday are opportunities for parents to meet individually with the teacher and discuss their child's achievements.

It is going to be a great month.

Holiday Art Adventure Saturday

2009-11-30T11:58:00.004-07:00

This Saturday, December 5th
1:00-2:30 pm

$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family.
Kids under 5 need to attend with an adult.

Join us Saturday for our Holiday Art Adventure. Come create beautiful holiday art and learn about winter celebrations around the world. Space is limited. Advanced registration preferred. Sign up over the phone or drop-in and see us! For details or to register contact us 801-491-0825

November Preschool

2009-11-03T12:15:00.002-07:00

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween. Here is what is coming up in Mrs. Staheli's class this month!

Four fun filled weeks await our preschool class in November. The month creates excitement as we bring in empty cereal boxes to construct a castle in the first week of December. We hope to make it tall enough to touch the ceiling. Of course we will play in, out, and around it.

Other themes for the month are:

Opposites – it is amazing to me how fast children catch on to opposites. We will wear our shirt backwards and wear our pajamas to school. It is fun to occasionally do things the opposite way.

Favorite Stories - The favorite new story for most children will be , “Caps for Sale” . Some other stories include – Billy Goats Gruff, Three Little Pigs, Little Red Hen, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We will re-enact the story, make art projects and learn from other centers that help us remember each story.

Food - How could you go through November and not talk about food? We will take a field trip to some local grocery stores and will enjoy making our very own peanut butter and honey sandwiches.

Thanksgiving – Learning how the Indians helped the Pilgrims is a great reminder about friendship. We will finish the month with a Thanksgiving Class Party.

Amy Staheli

Halloween Art Adventure

2009-10-19T12:16:00.004-06:00

This Saturday,
October 24th
1:00-2:30 pm

$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family.
Kids under 5 need to attend with an adult.

Join us Saturday for our Halloween art adventure. An afternoon of spooky Halloween arts and craft for kids of all ages. Space is limited. Advanced registration preferred. Sign up over the phone or drop-in and see us! For details or to register contact us 801-491-0825

2010 Priority Registration

2009-10-01T12:49:00.003-06:00

As our preschool grows and we add more students, our waiting lists grow as well. To best serve the families that make our school successful, every October we offer priority registration.

Priority registration will be available October 1^st – December 18^th. This registration period is only available to our current preschool students and their families. During this time you will be able to enroll in our summer and fall 2010-11 classes. We encourage you to enroll during this time in order to ensure that your child is placed in the session that you desire.

On January 5^th we will begin open enrollment, which will be conducted on a first come first serve basis. We love your children and look forward to serving the educational needs of your family.

Creepy Crawly Art Adventure!

2009-09-16T12:01:00.003-06:00

This Saturday, September 19
1:00-2:30 pm

$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family
Children 5 & under need to attend with an adult.

Join us Saturday for our first fall art adventure. Build your own bug, make beautiful butterflies, and explore the world of ants and bees. See real insects from the Bean Museum's education collection! Advanced registration preferred. Sign up at the front desk.

For details or to register contact us at 801-491-0825

Back to School!

2009-08-25T11:49:00.002-06:00

Today marked the beginning of the third year of our learning center. This adventure began as a dream over 30 years ago. I never really thought that it would become a reality. As I watched the preschoolers begin their first day of school today I knew that within each of those precious little children was the beginning of a lifetime of dreams and expectations that are just beginning. We feel so honored to be part of that journey. The teachers have spent weeks planning just the right songs, activities, and stories to captivate the minds of the new crop of preschoolers that would arrive today. The children arrived with their new backpacks that were almost as big as they were and their little faces were glowing with anticipation of what the day would hold for them.

At the end of the first day, every one went home happy, both teachers and children. I know that this peaceful and fun filled beginning is just the start of a super year. When we started this learning center two years ago, our goal was to create a place that was a resource for families and also a place where children and families could come to learn and have fun.

We began our first year with 30 preschoolers and a handful of tutoring students. We are so grateful that the parents from that first year were willing to take a chance on us. This school year we are starting with 120 preschoolers, enough tutoring students to keep three tutors busy and some awesome after school classes that are full to overflowing. I am so thankful for wonderful teachers that carefully plan and lovingly teach every day, and for the parents that have given us the opportunity to teach their children and make our wildest dreams come true.

Stephanie Harker, Director

Jr. Artists of the Week

2009-04-07T16:06:00.005-06:00

Porter F.

Each week Porter seems to become more focused and creative. He is a great listener and often asks questions that surprise me. I can tell that he is interested in real art and learning real techniques, not just playing around. Over the past two weeks our class has been working with clay. Porter was meticulous in sculpting his pot. He carefully smoothed all the cracks and carefully scored and slipped his handle. It was so fun to watch him create!

Bronson A.

Bronson is one of our youngest students, but he is not afraid to try things that are new to him. He wants to be an independent artist but is also willing to learn and be taught. I love having Bronson in our class because he is full of energy and great ideas. Every week he is able to do a little more and be even more independent. His pinch pot is fantastic and I could tell he really wanted to make it perfect. He is a joy to have in our Jr. Artist class.

Jr. Artist of the Week

2009-03-24T18:30:00.008-06:00

Alta F.

I'm so excited to announce that Alta is our Jr. Artist of the week. For the past two weeks we have been working on making puppets out of textured paper. We spent time creating different textures on construction paper like the famous illustrator Eric Carle, and then used the paper to make puppets! Alta took her time, carefully planned her puppet and added fantastic detail. Alta has a creative mind, and loves to be unique! Her art reflects her creativity and her natural gifts. She is a great artist and so fun to have in our art class! Check out Alta's fantastic puppet!

Artists of the Week

2009-03-10T17:29:00.006-06:00

Junior Artists

Mason A.

I love having Mason in my class because he is always helpful and on his best behavior. He is a great example to his younger brother and is the first to help clean up. Mason is not only a nice kid and a great helper, but he does fantastic art. I can tell that he listens carefully to my instruction, and also adds his own creativity and artistic touch! Its been fun to watch him create and I'm so happy that he is part of our Jr. Artists class. Masons picture is an impressionist picture Mason drew and then sprayed with water to make it look blurry and impressionistic.

Maria G.

Maria is absolutely wonderful. She is enthusiastic and always tries her best. From the minute Maria steps into class she is ready to create. I also appreciate how Maria is always the first to listen and immediately gets ready for our lessons. Maria has a very active imagination and loves to think of stories to put into her drawings. She is a great kid and fun to have in our Monday class. You can see some of her great art here.

Intermediate Artist

Katie A.

I chose Katie as the artist of the week for this week because of her great use of imagination in her work! Katie is rather quiet in class, but her imagination shouts loudly in the beautiful drawings and paintings she creates.

I love having Katie in my class, she is very creative and polite. I am so excited to see the great things she dreams up and puts onto paper or sculpts out of clay because she always does such a great job.

Art Adventure: Spacewalk!

2009-02-25T12:26:00.005-07:00

Saturday, March 7, 2009
Time: 1:00-2:30 pm
$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family
All ages: children under 5 need to be accompanied by an adult.

3-2-1 Blast Off! Journey into space and travel around the planets. Come create intergallactic art, design your own constellations and aliens, and try out our outer space science experiments!

Advance registration preferred. Sign up today! Call 801-491-0825
For more information contact Julie Hall @801-836-0506
or visit www.hobblecreeklearning.com

See pictures from our last Art Adventure: Art Safari

Artists of the Week

2009-02-24T14:42:00.009-07:00

Intermediate Artists

Jacob L.

I love having Jacob in my art class because not only is he a great kid to be around, but he is also a great artist. I see a lot of natural ability in Jacob, I knew it when I had the students drawing three dimensional objects. Jacob chose a "Captain Jack Sparrow" compass which I thought would be rather difficult for Jacob to render as a pencil drawing because it is a polygon shape with 6 sides. Jacob showed me his drawing and I was amazed at how well he had drawn the compass, all of the sides were there and he made it look like a three-dimensional line drawing on paper! Way to go Jacob!

Jacob also has natural ability with color mixing, he knows how to mix most colors, and usually has the answers to the questions I ask the class. He obviously likes art and shows a real desire to learn and excel. Thank you very much for your contribution to the class Jacob, you are an awesome artist, and I am so glad I get to teach you art!

Anna B.

Anna has only been with us for a few weeks now, but I have been amazed at how much she already knows. I gave an assignment to draw a dinosaur out of the kids' imaginations, then I asked them to take a look at some dinosaur books I had place on the table in front of them, and to draw another dinosaur using some of the things they observed in the books (not to copy the dinosaur out of the book, just use the book as reference material for drawing their own dinosaur). Anna's was an excellent example of how using reference material can help us refine what we draw even when we are making up things in our imagination. The dinosaur went from being a generic round head/round body dinosaur to one with character and shape more that of a real dinosaur. Yet her dinosaur was still one of her own creation.

Anna has a lot of natural talent, she can look at and draw anything I ask her to and her attention to little details is amazing. I am so glad to have Anna in my class! Keep on creating Anna, you are wonderful!

Junior. Artists

Ashley D.

It is so great to have Ashley in our Jr. Artists Class every Monday. Ashley always come to class with a smile on her face and a great attitude. She is smart, creative, and full of great ideas. Ashley is never afraid to try something new!

This week in class we learned about positive and negative space and studied the paper cutouts of Henri Matisse. Inspired by the story of Icarus we created our own paper cutouts using positive and negative space. The story of Icarus is a greek myth where a young boy tries to fly, but goes to close to the sun and his wings fall apart. Ashley's art captures the emotion and drama of the story. Great job Ashley! Congratulations on being our Jr. Artist of the Week.

Below you can see Ashley's artwork and the artwork of Henri Matisse.

Jr. Artist of the Week

2009-02-19T16:05:00.007-07:00

Emma C.

This week's Jr. Artist is Emma C. I chose Emma this week because she spent so much time on her artwork. I could tell that she was thinking about the details, and taking her time. We created moonlight landscapes inspired by the book Owl Moon. Emma carefully drew smooth snow and beautiful trees to create her unique picture. She also drew it on pink construction paper which gave it a beautiful glow. Emma is bubbly and fun and loves art. Check out her fantastic pictures below.

Click on either image to see a larger version

February Gallery Night

2009-02-17T12:00:00.004-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in our February Gallery Night last week. We had a great time putting it together and hope you had fun.

For more pictures of gallery night visit our Flickr page.

Mark your calendars! Our next gallery exhibit will be during our St. Patrick's Day Celebration on March 14th from 10:00-Noon. Our St. Patrick's Day Celebration will have face painting, The Balloon Guy, Cookie Decorating, Leprechaun Games, and Fantasic Door Prizes like Deer Valley Lift Tickets, massages, and books from Scholastic.

Artists of the Week

2009-02-09T14:16:00.012-07:00

Junior Artist
Jacob R.

Jacob is such a joy to have in our Jr. Artists class. He always spends time thinking about his artwork before he begins. He is careful and deliberate, but also very creative. His natural talent shows in all his art, and overall he is a really nice kid!

I chose Jacob this week because of his great attitude and his fantastic turtle print. We made prints using styrofoam plates and paint. You can see Jacob's turtle as a sketch, and his final print. Jacob always puts in great detail and tries his best!

Intermediate Artist
Katie K.

On the very first day I had Katie in my class I knew she was special. Talented is a very good word for her, because Katie has the ability to pick up a pencil, crayon, paint, you name it and just intuitively know how to use it. She has a natural gift for art. I remember the first time I gave an assignment to draw shapes, and came over to her seat at the table. I was amazed to see her natural ability not only to draw the shapes in their three dimensional form, but to shade them and make them look real.

Katie drew the Lion’s head at the Art Safari and did an excellent job of catching the look of the lion from the side, she can sit and draw what she sees.

I am very glad I have Katie in my class and I am confident that she will excel in the things she does both in the class and outside of the class, because she has both natural talent and drive to do well.

Way to go Katie!

Junior Artist of the Week

2009-02-02T17:42:00.009-07:00

Congratulations!
Elizabeth K.

This week our Jr. Artist class learned about the importance of lines in art. We looked at the book Harold and the Purple Crayon and created our own stories using simple lines and simple colors.

Elizabeth is an imaginative artist who always helps in class and always does her best artwork. I love how she adds dinosaurs to everything! Check out Elizabeth's Art and you will see what I mean. You can click on a picture to see it bigger.

DON'T FORGET GALLERY NIGHT
WEDNESDAY 11th 7:00-8:00pm

Come on an Art Safari!

2009-01-22T12:47:00.011-07:00

Saturday, February 7, 2009

NEW TIME 1:00-2:30pm
$5.00 per child or $13.00 per family
All ages: children under 5 need to be accompanied by an adult.

Come experience the thrill of the hunt as we search for exotic animals and African ARTifacts. Learn to draw animals from BYU's Bean Museum, make your own binoculars, make an African mask, and watch out for lions!

Advance registration preferred. Sign up today! Call 801-491-0825
For more information contact Julie Hall @801-836-0506
or visit www.hobblecreeklearning.com