Our Story
We are true collaborators, dedicated to honoring childhood and inspiring creativity and innovation at home and in the classroom.
Meet the Founders
Shannon Merenstein is an arts educator, play-based learning enthusiast, and the founder of Hatch Partners in Play, an organization based in Pittsburgh, PA, dedicated to helping public school teachers prioritize play. Shannon is co-founder of The Creativity Project, nurturing lifelong habits of creativity and social emotional growth through our art and play curriculum guides and membership community. She is passionate about making The Creativity Project accessible to educators and children in diverse settings and passionately believes in the possibility of play in all contexts of learning. She is the author of Collage Workshop for Children with the Eric Carle Museum, a mom of two school-age children, and an avid thrifter; sourcing interesting loose parts for play is a favorite hobby.
Bar Rucci is the co-founder of The Creativity Project, founder of Art Bar Blog, author of Art Workshop for Children and Cardboard Creations, a graphic designer, and a mom of three young adults. Her books and blog are considered to be essential resources by art educators and parents alike. She offers endless art & craft ideas that emphasize process but yield incredible results that boost the confidence of children and adults alike. She's passionate about creating inspiring, aesthetically invigorating, simple process art invitations that can be explored at home or in the classroom. Bar brings her dedication to beauty and simplicity to the more than 30 curriculum guides that support educators in provoking creativity and sparking wonder and curiosity. Bar is a true artist who plays every day with a wide variety of materials.
Learning happens through art & play
A play-based, creativity-filled curriculum that extends well into early elementary boosts a child’s narrative and writing skills, strengthens vocabulary, and engages the brain in higher-level thinking, such as questioning, generating ideas, and problem-solving.
But more importantly, an education based on art and play — where a child has agency over their choices and doesn’t worry about “right” or “wrong” — brings joy and develops skills that worksheets and formalized schooling can’t teach, including imagination, non-verbal communication, innovation, flexible thinking, and trusting your instincts.
Our Mission
We inspire creativity, empathy, and innovation at home and in the classroom by equipping families and educators with the skills, tools, and mindsets needed to facilitate playful and art filled experiences that honor childhood and establish lifelong habits of creativity.
How We Can Support You
Our cohesive, open-ended curriculum makes educating and nurturing the whole child possible. We will help you create systems and structure that allow you to adopt a more flexible mindset and grow a culture of collaboration in your classroom, ensuring that every child finds their voice.
Your Creative Classroom
When we decide to accept the way our children think, play, and create; allow them to make their own choices and discoveries; and understand that their mistakes and misdirections are part of their journey to their best selves, we cultivate a classroom where children share ideas, find flow, and practice joy.