Community Play Atelier Website

Community Play Atelier is a home based process art natural world inspired and sensory play studio for children in Cheshire CT

Our Journey

Hi I’m Jeannine, and after years as a classroom teacher, camp counselor, DEI workshop facilitator, children’s television consultant, process art teacher and parent, it is a privilege to begin to dream into creation a sacred space for children and their magical ideas to thrive right here in our local community of Cheshire, Ct.

Our Philosophy

Community Play Atelier is an inclusive and welcoming space where children are seen, heard and valued in a collective pursuit of wonder. Inspired by the Reggio-Emilia approach to education, we see children as capable, whole citizens with rights - deserving of respect and joy.

Rather than all work looking uniform, in our process art studio we value each child’s ideas and approach to the materials.

Our Offerings

We provide weekly drop-off camp experiences for children ages 4-6 in the summer months.

Throughout the year we will offer caregiver participation classes for children ages 1-6.

SUMMER 2024 CAMP OFFERINGS

JUNE 17th-20th

Animal Enthusiasts

JULY 8th - 11th

Under-sea Explorers

AUGUST 5th - 8th

Enchanted Artists

AUGUST 19th - 22nd

I Love Myself Week

*LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE

EACH WEEK’S CAMP SESSION INCLUDES 4 DAYS.

MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

9:30AM-11:30AM

$150

AGES 4-6

JUNE 17th-20th

Animal Enthusiasts

Each child will sew their own animal stuffie and will be given the opportunity to explore creatures great and small through materials and play all week!

AUGUST 5th - 8th

Enchanted Artists

Each child will delve into the fantasy world of fairies, mer-people, dragons and more by creating their own vibrant costume for enchanting play!

JULY 8th - 11th

Under-sea Explorers

Each child will adopt a sea creature stuffie and will create a habitat for their new friend! All this in a studio transformed to feel like we are under-the-sea!

AUGUST 19th - 22nd

I Love Myself Week

Each child will be empowered to dive deep into who they are and what makes them lovable - through a series of self portraits using different art mediums!

What happens each day at camp?

9:30am Each session begins with open play so that children may separate from their grownup and begin their time in a way that feels just-right and comfortable - through hands on experiences with thought-provoking materials.

9:50am Next we gather for a refueling snack together (nut-free, brought from home in an effort to create a home-to-studio connection). Snack time also provides a lovely opportunity for children to begin sharing and connecting.

10:05am After snack we gather for a small community meeting where we sing songs, greet one another, exchange ideas, and introduce materials and their possibilities. These meetings allow us to begin to know one another in a deeper way - as peer relationships are a cornerstone of the Community Play Atelier experience.

10:20am From our meeting we set off to work on our project of the day - often surrounding our theme of the week and influenced by our observations of the children and their interests. When children feel finished working on their project they may choose to continue with open-ended play stations.

11:15am Some days will end with a closing circle, where children may choose to share about their work and/or techniques, or we may engage in community problem solving or highlight what to look forward to on the following day. We also use this time to read stories!

11:30am Dismissal

REGISTRATION FOR CAMP IS AVAILABLE BEGINNING FRIDAY, MARCH 22ND!

Due to popular request we will be adding additional one hour caregiver participation sessions! For the latest up to date information please keep up with us on Instagram!

Open Play Fridays

Join us on Fridays for our open studio play sessions! For children ages 1-6. Caregiver participation required.

Various play stations will be available for you and your child(ren) to engage with at their own pace. Make lasting memories while fostering your child’s development and imagination. Best of all, leave the cleanup to us!

Summer Fridays

9:30 - 10:30am

$20 per child

*Sibling discounts! ($20-$7= $13 for each child after first full priced child).

*No charge for infant siblings (under 1).

*Pre-registration required each week

If your child is ready for a magical summer please click on the links below to register:

Summer Camp Registration

Open-Play Friday Registration

*Please note that all class payments can be made using Venmo through account @communityplayatelier.