Young Children and the Arts: Nurturing Imagination and Creativity examines the place of the arts in the experiences of young and very young children at home and in out-of-home settings at school and in the community. There is great need for development of resources in the arts specifically designed to introduce babies and toddlers to participatory experiences in the visual arts, dance, music, and storytelling/theater. This book presents valuable guidelines for early childhood teachers, families, caregivers and community organizations. Young Children and the Arts presents a comprehensive approach to the arts that is aligned with early childhood developmentally appropriate practice and that combines an exploratory, materials-based approach with an aesthetic-education approach for children from birth to eight years of age. It addresses both how the arts are foundational to learning, and how teachers and parents can nurture young children's developing imagination and creativity. The models presented emphasize a participatory approach, introducing young children to the arts through activities that call for engagement, initiative and creative activity. Additionally, Young Children and the Arts addresses the intersection of early childhood education and the arts--at points of convergence, and at moments of tension. The role of families and communities in developing and promoting arts suffused experiences for and with young children are addressed. Young Children and the Arts examines the role of innovative arts policy in supporting a broad-based early arts program across the diverse settings in which young children and their families live, work, and learn. This book contains two parts. Part I, Experience, Creativity and Imagination in the Early Years, contains: (1) Defining a Place for the Arts in Early Education (Carol Korn-Bursztyn); (2) Families and Communities: Supporting Imagination and Creativity in the Early Years (Carol Korn-Bursztyn); (3) On Creating a Meaningful Experience: A Relational Approach to the Arts (Carol Korn-Bursztyn); and (4) Cultivating Imagination and Creative Thinking (Carol Korn-Bursztyn). Part II, Imagination and the Arts: Case Studies from the Field, contains: (5) Joy in the Making: Young Children and the Visual Arts (Kirsten Cole); (6) Museum Visits with Young Children: A Teaching Artist's Perspective (Judith Hill Bose, Carol Korn-Bursztyn, and Barbara Ellmann); (7) Art-Making with Young Children with Disabilities (Dana Freed and Alberto M. Bursztyn); (8) Integrating the Theater Arts: Creativity and Inclusion (Barbara E. O'Neill); (9) Playworlds and Early Literary Arts Education (Beth Ferholt); (10) A Journey of Musical Collaboration (Judith Hill Bose); (11) Music-Making with Young Children: African Orff and Rhythmic Intelligence (Andrew Aprile); (12) Dance and Play (Herman Jiesamfoek); and (13) Discussion: Arts and Imaginative Pedagogy--The Art of Classroom Improvisation (Carol Korn-Bursztyn).