Baby Artsplay! Residencies

Two-Generational Programming for Infants and Toddlers

Nurturing curiosity and joy from the start!

Our Baby Artsplay™ residency model is an arts integrated program for infants and toddlers ages 0-4, and their caregivers and educators.

The program’s weekly classes use research-based arts strategies to both support the cognitive, physical, and social development of infants and toddlers as well as to build the capacity of educators and caregivers to use these teaching methods on their own. These developmentally appropriate activities include storytelling, creative movement, singing, and music-making with simple rhythm instruments.

During the residency, teaching artists work directly with children, educators, and caregivers, coaching the adults as they lead performing arts-based activities for the early learners. This collaborative, hands-on approach ensures that educators and caregivers receive effective training for using the arts in daily activities to improve learning.

Program Goals

Stimulate vocalization and language
Advance focus and self-regulation
Strengthen social and emotional skills
Tap into children’s innate sense of curiosity and desire to connect to the world around them
Support caregivers and educators in incorporating the arts into their child's home and classroom daily routines.

Family and Caregiver Residency

About

During a Baby Artsplay!™ Caregiver residency, teaching artists parenter with caregivers and their children to develop strategies for incorporating singing, dancing, drama, and other multi-sensory activities into their child’s daily routine. This collaborative, hands-on approach helps caregivers to tap into their child's innate sense of curiosity and desire to connect to the world around them.

Types of Partner Venues

These residencies often take place in Judy Centers, Family Support (Patty) Centers, libraries, and other community-based centers.

Classroom Residency

About

During a classroom Baby Artsplay™ residency, teaching artists work directly with educators and their children in an embedded professional development model, supporting educators in learning how to integrate singing, dancing, drama, and other multi-sensory activities into their classroom routines. This collaborative, hands-on approach ensures that educators receive effective training for how to use the arts in daily activities to improve learning.

Types of Partner Venues

These residencies typically take place in child care or Early Head Start settings.

Book a Program!

Interested in a Baby Artsplay!™ program? Start by filling out the form below!

School or Center Name(Required)

Type of School/Center(Required)

Child Care Center

Family Child Care Provider

Judy Center

Family Support Center

Early Head Start Center

Head Start Center

Private Preschool

Public School

Private School

Other

What are your preferred date(s)?(Required)

What are your preferred times?(Required)

County in which your school/center is located:(Required)

Your Name(Required)

First Last

Your Title(Required)

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Age/Grade Level of Students (check all that apply):(Required)

Infants

Toddlers

PreK

Kindergarten

What type of programming are you most interested in? Check all that apply:(Required)

Early Childhood Assembly

Early Childhood Interactive Workshop

Professional Learning Workshop for educators

Wolf Trap Baby Artsplay! Residency (birth-3)

Wolf Trap PreK/Kindergarten Residency

Theme-Based Residency (PreK-K)

Not sure yet, let’s talk!

Are you interested in working with a teaching artist of a particular art form?(Required)

Music

Dance

Theatre

I'm open to all art forms.

Not sure yet, let’s talk!

What will your payment method be?(Required)

If available, do you want to explore funding opportunities such as Access for All, Rural Access for All, or MSAC grants?

Early Childhood Access for All

Rural Access for All

MSAC Grants

Do you have a budget you can share?(Required)

Any other program requests or questions? Please add any notes below and a staff member will be in touch with you. Thanks!

Would you like to subscribe to our monthly Early Childhood Newsletter?(Required)

Yes

Addressing the Five Domains of School Readiness through Arts-Integrated Strategies

Through the Baby Artsplay!™ residency model, children are exposed to a variety of arts-integrated strategies that connect with all 5 domains of school readiness, as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Examples of strategies in each of the domains are listed below.

Language and Literacy Development

Drama: Develop storytelling techniques
Music: Use instruments to respond to/enhance musical suggestions in literature, informational texts, chants, or nursery rhymes
Dance: Use locomotor and non-locomotor movement to convey characters, actions, setting, and meaning

Cognition and General Knowledge (including early mathematics and early scientific development)

Drama: Create sound effects
Music: Sing/chant/use body sounds/instruments to repeat simple musical patterns
Dance: Develop simple sequences of movement

Approaches toward Learning (e.g. initiative, curiosity, and motivation)

Drama: Use imagination to create/develop character with the body and voice
Music: Improvise melodies, variations, and accompaniments
Dance: Express through movement and dance what is heard in various musical tempos and styles

Physical Well-Being and Motor Development

Drama: Perform a role/character
Music: Explore the use of musical instruments found in the classroom
Dance: Explore/use dance elements like space (self space, general space, body shape, level, pathways or patterns), time (fast/slow), energy (degrees of force/quality of movement)