SPARK PA

01/23/2026

Four boys. One stubborn tree stump.

No adult instructions. No rescuing. Just time, space, and trust.

This is what learning looks like when we step back.
We don’t intervene unless asked.
We don’t rush the outcome.
We allow children to wrestle with ideas, bodies, and teamwork.

In that space, children learn to problem-solve, negotiate, adapt, and keep going when something feels hard.

Nothing to add. Nothing to rush.

Trusting children’s competence lets growth unfold - organically, intuitively and beautifully.

01/23/2026

Calling all artists ages 10+ ❄️

Join us tomorrow, Saturday January 24th at 11am, for our older kids class where we bring together art history and hands-on painting, inspired by Claude Monet’s The Magpie.

Students will study composition, light, and perspective while learning how Monet used color and brushwork to convey mood and atmosphere.

Using acrylic paint, artists will explore winter palettes, layered techniques, and expressive mark-making as they create their own winter landscapes, developing observation skills, confidence, and artistic voice along the way.

You can register online or DM us to join!

Join us before the snow keeps us inside ❄️

https://www.thespark.nyc/pa-classes/

01/21/2026

Today at It Takes A Village Homeschool Hybrid Community, the topic was language so what better activity than Alphabet Art lesson!

These young learners came together to explore letters not only as tools for reading, but as shapes that can be transformed into bold, expressive graphic art.

We approached the alphabet as a shared visual language, drawing letters in many sizes, shapes, and orientations, and talking about how fonts can feel playful, strong, tall, curved, or dynamic. Each child contributed their own marks, ideas, and energy, turning individual letters into one interconnected poster of typography.

After drawing, students used markers to bring their letters to life with color and pattern. They then connected their alphabetic forms with lines, visually reinforcing the idea that every letter (and every child) belongs to something larger.

We closed the lesson gathered in a circle with a community game called Alphabet Pulse. Holding hands, we sent a pulse around the group while naming each letter from A to Z, practicing letter recognition, cooperation, and trust.

This lesson reflected what both It Takes a Village and Spark PA stands for: children learning through creativity, collaboration, movement, and connection, building knowledge and joy together, one letter at a time.

01/21/2026

We can’t compete with screens.
So we don’t.
We offer something better:
Real life.
🪵🔨🌲

01/20/2026

Friendly reminder!
We are trialing a *just* art class tomorrow at 10am - Van Gogh snow globes!

01/20/2026

Most educational spaces are held and taught by women. And while this work is invaluable, children also deeply benefit from experiencing present, emotionally available men to guide them.

One of the things that truly sets our program apart is this:

The children are taught by devoted fathers who show up with patience, steadiness, and deep kindness.

In a world where emotionally available male role models can be hard to come by, our children experience men who lead through relationship - not control.

They listen.
They model calm.
They are present.
They show that strength and gentleness can exist together.

Having nurturing male teachers expands a child’s understanding of trust, respect, and connection. It shapes how they relate to others and how they come to understand masculinity itself.

This kind of representation isn’t accidental.
It’s intentional.
It was an integral part of our forest school program and how we build a richer, more balanced world for our children.

01/19/2026

Today we were blessed with perfectly white, powdery snow and crisp winter air—neither of which stopped us from diving into our projects: building benches and land bridges. We began by welcoming new drop-in students, reviewing our agreements, syncing up in circle with song, and taking a moment to appreciate how magical the land looks covered in white.

Then it was time to get to work. Thanks to Mr. Sebastian securing SIXTY tree stumps, kids paired up to find matching heights for bench foundations. With snowbanks from the plowed driveway, transporting stumps became an adventure, rolling, sledding, grunting, teamwork, and big feelings of accomplishment when the perfect pair was found.

Next, children chose wood slabs generously delivered by Mr. Adam and used drills to fasten them to the stumps. At the same time, other groups worked on two new land bridges for our trail, hammering planks into place so mud won’t slow us down anymore. Once complete, teams carried the finished benches into the cove and arranged them around the firepit. What an upgrade! The space looks amazing and the pride was palpable.

For art, we warmed up in the studio with monochromatic winter watercolors, using just one color and the white of the paper to represent snow. It was a stretch for some, but the results were beautiful and unique—no two scenes alike.

Free play brought sledding, studio hangs, and cozy connection. Despite the cold, the kids showed so much enthusiasm, resilience, and teamwork. A truly collaborative day full of effort, creativity, and pride.

One final week to go before we wrap for spring! ❄️🪵🎨

01/18/2026

🛠️ Introducing Spark Carpentry 🛠️
Where Kids Build Confidence and Real Skills!

Our first Spark Carpentry workshop was such a hit with kids proudly crafting real wooden tool boxes that we realized there’s a huge interest and need for these hands-on trade skills for kids!

Watching kids measure, saw, and finish their very own creations reminded us how empowering it is when young makers get the chance to learn by doing.

In this workshop series and camp experience, kids will learn real carpentry fundamentals: safely using tools, reading simple plans, measuring accurately, and completing meaningful projects they can take home.

Dates:
March 17th - Birdhouse Feeder
April 12th - Stepping Stool
May 12th - Planter Box

$75 per child which includes tools, all materials, expert instruction, and finished projects.
Spaces are limited to 10 children. Best for kids 6+. Parents/caregivers can drop off or stay unless your child is under 6 then we request you stay.

Spark Carpentry Camp
June 17th-19th - Collaborative Build: Spark Fort
10am to 4pm
$300 per kid, 12 spots available, ages 6+.
This is a drop-off experience.

Whether your kid is curious about building, loves creating with their hands, or just wants a new kind of experience, Spark Carpentry offers confidence, skill-building, and pride in achievement.

Sign up soon and let’s build something amazing together! 🪚🧰

Learn more & register:

Each Monday, explorers will learn about Nature through inspired lessons teaching them how to respect Mother Nature, understand its beauty and most importantly, be in it!

01/17/2026

That moment when a child realizes their body is capable
of lifting, carrying, problem-solving, persisting, is a moment that lives in them long after the branch is put down.

These experiences don’t fit neatly into worksheets or standards.

They can’t be measured with a test or captured in a checkbox.

But they shape children deeply.

Confidence is built through effort.
Resilience is built through challenge.
Self-trust is built when no one steps in too soon.

This is meaningful work.

This is the essence of childhood lost for so many that we are trying to reclaim, one kid at a time 💚🙏🏼 🌲 🪵 💪

01/16/2026

Schedule change for next week!

Instead of our usual Thursday class, we are switching it to Wednesday, January 21st. The class will be at 10am and will be JUST ART. (No yoga or meditation)

We will be studying the playful, expressive world of Pablo Picasso, learning how he broke traditional rules of art to experiment with shape, perspective, and abstraction.

Using a mixed media approach, children will design their own Picasso-inspired snow globes with watercolors, crayon, glue, and collage elements. We’ll layer materials, play with line and form, and encourage creative risk-taking as students create winter scenes that feel expressive, whimsical, and uniquely their own.

This project supports art history appreciation, fine motor skills, creative confidence, and process-based learning, perfect for families looking for meaningful, hands-on enrichment through art.

For more info or to sign up, follow our website here: https://www.thespark.nyc/pa-classes/

*Please note - If you are planning to come to the Wednesday class, on the website sign up for the Thursday homeschool class (Jan 22nd) and we will know to switch you!