Workshops & Events at TLC Studios
The Reynolds Center TLC is excited to provide a wide array of hands-on workshops for educators & students at TLC Studios in Dedham, MA. All workshops are facilitated by experienced professionals in education, writing, creativity and edtech.
Sign up for our e-news to get updates, as workshops and events are being added every week.
If you have any questions email Andrea Calvin at andrea@reynoldstlc.org.
TLC Studios is located at 390 Washington Street in Dedham, MA. Easy, free parking can be found at Keystone Lot (10 Eastern Ave.).
Weekly Event: Early Risers Storytime
Early Risers Storytime meets every Saturday morning at TLC Studios, 390 Washington St. in Dedham, MA. Bring your little ones to enjoy engaging storybook readings, movement, singing, music and creative art extension activities. These events are usually hosted by Kiersten Case, a local music educator, and children’s performer, who also happens to be a neurodivergent adult with special sensitivity to children who learn differently. Grown up kids are encouraged to get get coffee, hot chocolate and treats from The Blue Bunny/Mocha Java around the corner.
When: Every Saturday, 8-9 a.m.
Audience: PreK-2
Featured Workshops & Events
Student Workshop: Making Watercolor Postcards, Expressing Gratitude
Join Sarah Ling, lifelong artist and card maker, for one hour to create 3 unique watercolor postcards! If you are interested in character symbolism, color gradients, and nature illustration, this is for you! Or, if you simply have a lot to say and be grateful for, this class will give you the perfect way to artistically express your emotions! Each postcard will come with baseline watercolor instructions but the freedom to customize for whomever you want to send a little of yourself to.
When: Thursday, Feb. 13, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Audience: Students in grades 1-8
College Essay Bootcamp
Whether you have an idea, no idea, or a first draft, this two-day workshop will help you get past the knot in your stomach and jump start and/or refine your personal essay for college.
The two day, two hour sessions will be held Tuesday Feb. 18 and Thursday Feb. 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. You must attend both sessions.
When: Tuesday, Feb. 18 and Thursday, Feb. 20 from 1-3 p.m.
Audience: high school juniors and seniors
Cost: $75/person
Student Workshop: Coding with the DASH Robot
Join STEM Superstar Liz Dorgan at TLC Studios on Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 10-11 a.m.. and make a SPLASH with Dash.
Take on coding challenges and make your own programs for the Dash robot using Blockly block based coding interface. Programming lets you turn your silliest or most ambitious ideas into reality!
This workshop geared for elementary school students (Grades 3-5). Space is limited so reserve your spot today.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 19, 10-11 a.m.
Audience: Students in grades 3-5
Student Workshop: Design a Cardboard Marble Run
Get ready to roll! In this hands-on workshop, kids in grades 1-5 will design and build their own marble runs entirely out of cardboard and other simple materials.
This event is held at TLC Studios on Wednesday, Feb. 19, from 1-2 p.m.. Using problem-solving skills and a dash of creativity, participants will plan ramps, loops, and twists to guide marbles from start to finish.
This workshop is perfect for young engineers who love to tinker and create, as they’ll explore principles of gravity, momentum, and basic engineering concepts—all while having fun! Kids will take home their custom-made marble runs, so the fun keeps going even after the workshop. All materials are provided.
When: Wednesday, Feb. 19, 1-2 p.m.
Audience: Grades 1-5
Using Your own Life to Write a Murder Mystery
Discover your inner detective with Jan Brogan, an award-winning journalist and novelist. With four published four murder mysteries, Final Copy, A Confidential Source, Yesterday’s Fatal, and Teaser, to her name Jan is poised to guide you on your writing journey. This class is for adults, 18 and up: Students will write and workshop one or two chapters and create a blueprint to keep writing and progressing after the course is over. We will also discuss agents, publishers and publishing options.
When: Monday, Feb. 24; March 3, March 10, and March 17 from 7-8:30 pm. Participants must register for all four weeks.
Audience: Educators
Cost: $200/person for 4 weeks
Appetizers with AI: Deliciously Easy Teaching Tools
Sample a smorgasbord of AI-powered strategies and apps to make teaching easier. Learn how to write smarter prompts, design creative projects, and better support your students—all while savoring delicious appetizers. Massachusetts educators will receive a certificate for 1.5 hours of PDP after attending the workshop.
When: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 4:30-6 p.m.
Audience: Educators
Cost: $25/person
Student Workshop: Create a Hidden Message Valentine Card
Join us for a fun, hands-on making session where students will create 5 unique Valentine’s Day cards using watercolor and cardstock. Perfect for students in grades 2-5, this event will guide participants through creating designs to celebrate the season of love. Space is limited to 10 kids, so be sure to sign up early!
When: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Audience: Students in grades 2-5
Coding for Kids! Educator Workshop: Integrating Computational Thinking into Early Childhood Play
This interactive workshop is designed to equip early childhood educators with the tools and strategies to seamlessly incorporate coding concepts into their students' everyday play experiences. Participants will explore the power of computational thinking and discover how it can enhance problem-solving skills, creativity, and logical reasoning in young children.
Workshop participants are asked to bring a device (computer/tablet).
When: Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 10-12 p.m.
Audience: This workshop is designed for early childhood educators. Massachusetts educators will receive a certificate of 2 hours toward their PDP credits.
Informational Comics with Jonathan Todd
TLC Studios is excited to welcome Jonathan Todd, author/illustrator of TIMID and 2024 New England Book Award winner, for a six-week course all about comics and cartoons.
Week 6: Informational Comics: Comics are great tools to communicate educational and instructional information, including science, history and how to accomplish certain tasks—such as how to cook a favorite dish. In this workshop, we’ll practice breaking up information and translating it into a fun, comics form, whether it’s a comic about Australian animals or the invention of the telephone.
When: Tuesday, Jan 14, 3:30-5
Audience: Ages 7-17 and Educators
Biographical Comics with Jonathan Todd
TLC Studios is excited to welcome Jonathan Todd, author/illustrator of TIMID and 2024 New England Book Award winner, for a six-week course all about comics and cartoons.
Week 5: Biographical Comics: I pair off students, and they learn to interview each other to create a one- page comic about the other person’s life. They also learn how to draw likenesses of real people in cartoon/caricature form. Students can later use these skills to create reports of famous and other real people using the comics medium for school or just for fun.
When: Tuesday, Jan 7, 3:30-5
Audience: Ages 7-17 and Educators
Zoombinis Club: Got to Save them All
Zoombini Isle has been taken over by the evil Bloats and they need your help to find a new home in a distant land, Zoombiniville!
Calling all gamers and problem-solvers, join other students for a morning of collaboration, problem solving, and fun! Use your critical thinking skills by solving puzzles that will send your little blue creatures across sneezing bridges and cooking pizza for trolls.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10:30-12 p.m.
Audience: Students in grades 3-6
Cost: $25/student
Spark Box: Color-ISH Creations
Spark Box is a creativity toolkit designed to inspire children aged 5 and up to explore their creative potential. Rooted in the concept of "thinking ish," inspired by Peter H. Reynolds' book Ish, this workshop invites children to engage with various ISH prompts. They will draw, paint, and use materials to create imaginative representations of humans, objects, and their surroundings.
For example:
Color-ISH: Kids will mix and create colors based on prompts like, "Can you make the color of a warm summer day?"
Things-ISH: Children will draw an imaginary chair that can tell stories.
Using a variety of materials, participants will craft several ishful creations to take home.
When: Monday, Dec. 30 from 1-2 p.m.
Audience: Ages 5-10
Cost: FREE
Science of Writing: Writing to Learn
Roll up your sleeves and let’s get writing. The Science of Writing: Writing to Learn is the perfect intervention to layer onto your current curriculum or use as your go-to curriculum.
During this introductory one hour virtual session, get started with this evidence-based program built on the researched foundation of self-regulation strategies and proven metacognitive science (SRSD).
Writing to Learn inspires students to become aware of their strengths and weaknesses and take ownership of their writing. It begins with motivational techniques like positive self-talk, goal setting, and creating a collaborative classroom. Here, peers learn to score each other's work while you model your thinking process as you work through the challenges of planning and writing.
Virtual: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 5-6 p.m. (virtual)
Bonus: Attend this class and get $100 off the entire course.
Do you want to make a LEGO snowman?
Bring a winter wonderland to life in this creative hands-on LEGO workshop. Kids will build a LEGO snowman and design a winter scene using FabMaker Studio, a fun digital platform that lets you create 3D paper designs. All materials are provided—just bring your imagination!
When: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1-2:30 p.m.
Audience: Ages 5-12
Making Autobiographical Comics with Jonathan Todd
TLC Studios is excited to welcome Jonathan Todd, author/illustrator of TIMID and 2024 New England Book Award winner, for a six-week course all about comics and cartoons.
Week 4: Making Autobiographical Comics: Graphic memoirs are huge among middle-grade and tween readers. I share my approach to creating them, asking students to reflect upon personally meaningful moments in their lives and think of precise ways to express these memories—and their significance—in comics form.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 10, 3:30 - 5 p.m.
Audience: Ages 7-17 and Educators
Dedham Square Circle Holiday Stroll
TLC Studios is proud to be a premium sponsor of this year’s 18th annual Dedham Square Circle Holiday Stroll. On Friday, Dec. 6, from 5-8 p.m., TLC Studios will join 30+ vendors in Dedham Square to bring the festive winter spirit!
Stop by TLC Studios at 390 Washington St. Dedham, Ma to make your very own FabMaker Studio North Star ornament for our tree and yours.
How to Create a Graphic Novel Page with Jonathan Todd
TLC Studios is excited to welcome Jonathan Todd, author/illustrator of TIMID and 2024 New England Book Award winner, for a six-week course all about comics and cartoons.
Week 3: How to Create a Graphic Novel Page: I will explain the elements of a story, panel planning/creating thumbnail sketches, penciling and inking a graphic novel, and I coach students through creating their own graphic novel page.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 3:30 - 5 p.m.
Audience: Ages 7-17 and Educators
Writing and Drawing Comic Strips and Gag Cartoon with Jonathan Todd
TLC Studios is excited to welcome Jonathan Todd, author/illustrator of TIMID and 2024 New England Book Award winner, for a six-week course all about comics and cartoons.
Week 2: Writing and Drawing Comic Strips and Gag Cartoons: Before there were graphic novels, there were comic strips and one-panel magazine cartoons. In this workshop, students will get practice writing and drawing one-, two- three- and four-panel cartoons that will make their reader laugh, think or observe something interesting.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 26, 3:30 - 5 p.m.
Audience: Ages 7-17 and Educators
NCTE Open House at TLC Studios
Join Peter H. and Paul Reynolds at TLC Studios in Dedham, MA for an after-hours event. We’re excited to open our doors and connect the dots attendees of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention in Boston.
Come enjoy light refreshments and a splash of creativity!
Build Your Own Cardboard Marble Run
Get ready to roll! In this hands-on workshop, kids will design and build their own marble runs entirely out of cardboard and other simple materials. Using problem-solving skills and a dash of creativity, participants will plan ramps, loops, and twists to guide marbles from start to finish. Kids will take home their custom-made marble runs, so the fun keeps going even after the workshop.
When: Wednesday, November 20, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Audience: Grades 1-5
Cartoon Drawing and Inking with Jonathan Todd
TLC Studios is excited to welcome Jonathan Todd, author/illustrator of TIMID and 2024 New England Book Award winner, for a six-week course all about comics and cartoons.
Cartoon Drawing and Inking – In this workshop we cover the basics on how to draw cartoon figures doing almost anything and get practice using a brush, ink and felt-tip pens to create finished comic art.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 3:30-5 p.m.
Audience: Ages 7-17, and Educators
STUDENT: Thanksgiving Electricity Paper Circuit Cards
Come create your Thanksgiving Electricity Paper Circuit Cards at TLC Studios on Wednesday, Nov. 13, from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Designed for kids in grades 3-5 this engaging STEM activity has young creators exploring the basics of electricity by crafting their own Thanksgiving cards that light up. Using simple materials like LED lights, copper tape, and batteries, kids will learn how circuits work while decorating festive cards to share with family and friends.
When: Wednesday, Nov 13, 3:30-4:30
Audience: Grades 3-5
Make a SPLASH with Dash: Coding Workshop
Join Liz Dorgan at TLC Studios on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 3:30-4:30 (ET) and make a SPLASH with Dash.
Take on coding challenges and make your own programs for the Dash robot using Blockly block based coding interface. Programming lets you turn your silliest or most ambitious ideas into reality!