U.Fund Dreams!

If you’re one of the many parents who are already concerned about paying for their child’s higher education, the U.Fund is here to help! The Children’s Museum in Easton will be hosting a date of the U.Fund Dreams Tour as a part of Free Fun Friday on July 26.

The idea behind the U.Fund is for parents to have a safe savings account for their child’s future. Parents do not pay taxes on any money earned in their U.Fund savings account or on withdrawing money to pay for educational expenses. Furthermore, “There’s no annual account fee, no income restrictions, and you can start saving with as little as $15 a month. Contributions can be made automatically from your bank account. “*

The U.Fund plan is a Massachusetts 529 college savings plan operated by MEFA, Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority. The U.Fund “combines significant tax advantages and age-based savings strategies managed professionally by Fidelity Investments, program manager of the U.Fund. A 529 college savings plan lets you save for higher education expenses at colleges and universities across the country, with flexible and affordable savings options.”*

To promote this opportunity to parents, MEFA and Fidelity are partnering up with museums and special events around Massachusetts on what is called the U.Fund Dreams Tour. 

On the dreams tour, the “activity pavilion” will give children a chance to pose for portraits dressed up as their aspired future profession i.e. astronaut, teacher, zoologist and more! Children will also get the opportunity to create art depicting what they want to be when they grow up. At the same time, parents will be able to learn about saving and planning for their child’s future.

There are many opportunities to win money on both the U.Fund Dreams Tour and on the U.Fund website here: http://www.mefa.org/mefaufund/

We hope to see your family at the Children’s Museum in Easton, and take part in the U.Fund Dreams Tour!

*Quotes were taken from the U.Fund website and can be found at http://www.mefa.org/mefaufund/.

Exploring Art with Children - Artistic Stages

What to expect at each developmental stage

Always keep in mind

Be flexible.
Children have their own ideas about how materials can be used. Sit back and let their creativity lead them (and maybe you) in new directions!

Variety is good.
Introduce new materials to children, but do it a little at a time. It is very easy to overwhelm a young child with too many options. Give them enough time to master materials before bringing out something new.

Encourage individuality.
Supporting creativity will help children gain self-confidence with problem-solving. Art is the only area where there is no right or wrong, but many viable solutions.

1. exploration
Very young children are fascinated with the concept of making marks, when little hands holding a brush or marker hit the paper and leave a stroke. This process is a discovery in hand-eye coordination.

At this stage, children enjoy:
• mixing all the colors together
• covering the entire paper with paint
• using both hands to paint
• wearing through the paper
• playing/eating/feeling the paint

They are learning:
• coordination and fine motor skills
• how to create marks
• differences in art mediums

Encourage their exploration by:
• giving them plenty of discovery time
• talking about the scribbles they make, the colors they use, the feel of the paint

2. experimentation
During this stage of development, children attempt to draw pictures of actual things. Although not well formed on paper necessarily, these images are real in their eyes.

At this stage, children enjoy:
• working quickly to create a picture
• cutting paper
• naming and renaming the same pictures
• utilizing new coordination skills
• vocabulary words like mark, line, dot
• better use of paper space
• making glue puddles
They are learning:
• new coordination skills
• vocabulary words like mark, line, dot
• how to use paper space

Encourage their exploration by:
• allowing them time to experiment with different mediums
• letting them learn to figure out an
obstacle instead of being told how and what to do
• introducing new tools, textures,
materials
• asking about the art process, not about the final result

3. expressionism
Children begin interpreting events as unfolding stories. Images play a major role in interpreting what a child deems is important– small images or ones with missing parts– are seen as less significant.

At this stage, children enjoy:
• telling stories about what their artwork represents
• knowing exactly the materials they want to use
• using inaccurate colors and sizes
• drawing strange, imaginary creations

They are learning:
• art does not have to reflect reality; they have the power to make it as they iiisee it
• how to make their own decisions
• the limitless possibilities of their imagination

Encourage their exploration by:
• suggesting themes if they are stuck for a starting point
• supporting their individual work styles