Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Boulder Journey School Conference. It was a wonderful, thought-provoking gathering. I highly recommend this conference for an enriching professional development experience. (And the thrift stores in Boulder are amazing!)
I was taken back by the gorgeous environments. I wanted to share a few glimpses into this beautiful school.
I thought this was such a dynamic art making space. I love the diversity of materials and the display of the work.
The school created number cards by taking photos of the children's fingers!
This is a room for the little ones. There is a big cardboard car in the middle of the room for their current investigation. Love it!
I loved the texture in this space – the branch with little lanterns, the wood boards with plants in mason jars, the tall thin sticks in the pot in the corner, the green plants, flowers on the table – and how it felt so warm and comforting.
What a great way to bring plants into the classroom.
This is the school art studio. It is so fresh and full of vitality. I adore the projection on the wall amongst all of the art making.
Another magical space! I love the white lanterns and draping. There are water bottles in the window with graduated colors of the rainbow. So beautiful as the light hit.
There is the coolest sand table under the canopy:
For more information about this treasure, and to keep an eye on next year's conference – go to http://www.boulderjourneyschool.com
A big thank you to all of the teachers of BJS for the gracious and warm welcome into your classrooms. It was so inspiring!
Thanks so much for sharing these photos. I love getting to see such amazing classrooms. Can you tell me more about the wooden racks that are hanging near the windows in the 3rd photo? Do they have a function? I am in the process of creating a small art studio in my classroom and love the look and feel of this space.
Thanks again for sharing.
Those wooden racks are totally a visual element and really make the space magical. I think it is genius! A wood rack canopy! It gives that feeling with out overwhelming the visual space!!
I wonder if you could use them for drying art projects as well, if they are sturdy enough?
Hi Erica,
This is Sam from Boulder Journey School. Great observation! These used to be the shelves from our old drying rack. We repurposed the shelves after the drying rack frame broke.
Best,
Sam
I loved looking at your post on BJS – I was at the conference last year and it is wonderful to see some of the differences/developments.
I am in Boulder right now (and was over the conference, but as my family and I had just arrived from Sweden I put family first this year). Luckily though I will be doing a workshop at BJS in just over a week’s time (Pre-philosophy and the art of listening). so hopefully I will get a glimpse of the preschool then…
How exciting! I was so impressed with the graciousness and knowledge of the BJS faculty, director and founder. What a treasure! I am so excited for you!
I feel so proud and lucky to see our school posted. Thank you for visiting us.
Thank you for sharing your space and teaching so generously. It was an amazing experience!
Thanks for sharing these images, Sally! We hope you can come visit us again soon.
Thank you for opening up the school to other educators and sharing the wisdom! I will be back next year!! Love, love, love the conference!
It was so nice to meet you at the conference Sally! I found out afterward that you are the author of this blog, which I have been following for awhile now. Thank you for providing such a wonderful resource for Early Childhood Educators!
I too was at the summer conference and was so amazed at the simple beauty of each classroom. The respect for the children, nature and space itself is very evident. This conference really changed my perspective on how materials are presented and selected. Thank you so much for sharing this and helping me “relive” the moment if being there! I treasure the entire experience and can not wait to return next year!!
In the 4th picture can you tell me more about the table? Dimensions? Where it was purchased? Anything really. I would love to have a table large enough to fit 12 kids like this! Thank you, for your time.
Nicole, this table is at Boulder Journey School – so I have no way to measure it. You might email them and ask. It is a great table!! Sorry I am no help!
Hi Nicole,
My name is Sam and I work at Boulder Journey School. The table in the 4th photo is actually a 4 panel wooden door that we turned into a table. We have a used construction materials reuse center in town, which is where we found the door. If you don’t have one near you, I know we have also purchased some on Craigslist. The dimensions are 80″x30″. To prevent spills from damaging the wood, we ordered a piece of 1/8″ clear plexiglass to the correct size. We screwed the plexiglass onto one side of the door and caulked the seams, creating a sealed top for it. The table legs are standard metal table legs that we purchased at our local hardware store, but I am not sure of the brand. Let me know if you have any further questions!
Best, Sam
Sam! Thank you for answering and giving such great details. Wonderful!
No problem!
Hi. Love the idea. Where did you get the branches that are hanging from the ceiling with the lanterns? Are they expensive to purchase?
Question for you all. Can you explain how the branches were fastened to the ceiling in Pic 4? I think this is an amazing idea!
Erin,
These were fastened by fishing line, but light wire could be used. Make sure you are checking the fire code in your area to make sure you can use certain materials in your class. I think the branches add such beautiful texture and warmth to the room!
Hi there! I’ve just learned about your resources. Is your e-book on loose parts still available? I’d love to have access to this treasure trove!
Yes, it definitely is! You can download it here: https://fairydustteaching.com/looseparts-startupguide
We also have a clean up guide too: https://fairydustteaching.com/loose-parts-clean-up-guide
How are the drapes from the 2nd pictures hung? What materials are used??
Sally, I just now am getting familiar with the Fairy Dust Teaching website and as I was reading your blog and came across these pictures from Boulder Journey School I thought (at first glance) “How did she get my Boulder pictures?!” I then went back and looked at my own Boulder Visit pictures and realized we were there together at the same time. Then after seeing your picture I remembered sitting and eating lunch with you and sitting in a classroom collaborating with clay together during a workshop. You were so warm, kind and welcoming to me (I was there visiting on my own, not with a school) I just wanted to say thank you for your kindness and praise you for this incredible endeavor and resource that is Fairy Dust Teaching! What a wonderful site for parents and educators alike! I wish you continued success!
Oh my gosh! How wild and wonderful?! Thank you for your kind words. My heart is full.