Inside the mind of the educator behind 50 nature-inspired, kid-tested art projects and an award-winning book!
Sarah Uren has made an extraordinary entrance into the world of children’s literature and education. Her first book, Windy Acres Workshop, has already earned a Bronze Award in the Activity Book (Arts & Crafts) category, one of the most competitive and respected sectors in children’s publishing. It’s a remarkable achievement for any creator, let alone a first-time author.
More than just another activity book, Windy Acres Workshop blends art, nature, and literature into a rich, hands-on resource filled with 50 activities, 100 extension ideas, and over 100 full-colour photos of real children’s work. Sarah draws from over 25 years of experience as a Montessori teacher, ESL instructor, nanny, art educator, muralist, and now a homeschooling mother of four. Every project in the book has been tested, refined, and loved in her own home workshop.
Today, we sit down with Sarah to explore the inspiration behind her award-winning book, her child-led teaching philosophy, and the creative journey that brought Windy Acres Workshop to life.
My job is to provide tools, maybe some basic skills, model my own passions and then step out of the way.
Sarah Uren
Windy Acres Workshop blends art, nature, and literature. What inspired you to bring these three worlds together into one book?
Passion! I once read that all you need is a library and a garden. This book was a way to take the things in life I find most beautiful and put them to the page. Storytelling, painting, getting ourselves outdoors to explore—these things play a significant role in our days.
You’ve worked with families and children for over 25 years in Montessori, ESL, art instruction, and homeschooling. How did those experiences shape the activities and teaching philosophy in this book?
Children everywhere are the same: curious, clever, insightful, and extremely creative. Creating a cookie-cutter sort of styled craft book wasn’t in the cards when I knew what kids are capable of. Although some take to drawing with more ease than others, they can all do incredible things with something as simple as a pencil and paper. My job is to provide tools, maybe some basic skills, model my own passions, and then step out of the way.
You mention that this book originally began as a resource for yourself. What moment made you realize it could help other families and educators too?
Our family spends a significant amount of time at the library. Most of the books I bring home are fiction for family read-alouds. However, for myself, I love non-fiction: education, art, hands-on creating. It’s rare that I find an all-in-one kind of book that serves as a solid resource. If I start dog-earring every other page, I know it’s time to purchase that product. My intent was to create a dog-earred kind of book that families and educators from all walks of life would benefit from. Once the book was polished—activities organized, book recommendations and photos to accompany—it was becoming clear that others would benefit from this resource.
The book features more than 100 full-colour photos of real children’s work. Why was it important for you to show authentic, kid-created art rather than polished adult examples?
This goes back to the second question. Kids are so incredibly creative, I wanted to showcase their work. Most of the photos represent products from my children over the years, but we also asked their friends to submit some works from their homes. I constantly have a camera in hand, even for photographing the stages of a piece before the final shot. I spend my days in awe and rushing to capture it all.
The book contains 50 activities with 100 extension ideas. Which project tends to spark the most excitement or curiosity in your own children?
Hands down, plasticine. With print-making coming in a close second.
What did you learn from the publishing process with Tellwell? Do you have any takeaways to share with other authors?
Tellwell wasn’t the first company I spoke to regarding self-publication. A lot of time and money can go into a project like this, so I wanted to do my research for the best fit. When speaking with Tellwell sales, I didn’t feel rushed or pressured to commit. Because this was a learning curve for me, I spent a significant amount of time asking questions and clarifying details before even signing an agreement. Helpfulness and patience is what had me hooked.
Being creative and writing comes naturally to me, but the tech and business side of publishing is where I needed the most guidance. I chose a marketing package that was thorough and catered to my genre. A lot of the leg work for getting your book out there is yours. Lots of cold calls, emails, networking, festivals and awards to research. The marketing package gave me a good overview of where to start to begin the deep dive. Mostly, I wanted creative ownership of my book and Tellwell definitely delivered.
