Let’s Play: Guerilla Play
Feb
20
2013
Play it Forward This month we need to spread the play. It’s cold out. People are looking for signs of spring. I think families can brighten a little corner of our world with kindness and have great fun doing it. Many people are helping neighbors near and far. Knitters have made blanket squares for victims [continue reading]
Let’s Play: Great Day for Snow Play!
Jan
16
2013
Go Out in the Snow a Bit Each Day! It’s a great day to get out into the snow! Just add kids and go! But before you head out, prepare so as to optimize the fun! Set up a healthy snack for the kids to energize and hydrate, then have them take a bathroom break [continue reading]
Let’s Play: Simple Play at the Table
Nov
21
2012
Where did all the play go? Am I the only parent that is mourning its loss? The new math makes sense to me. I read Old Dogs, New Math: Homework Help for Puzzled Parents last winter after a friend with middle school aged children mentioned the math concepts coming my way. I like to be [continue reading]
Let’s Play: Alternate Identities
Oct
17
2012
Alternate Identities: Masks I know a 7 year old that loves to dress up. She rarely wears her star covered, super hero cape to school these days (peer pressure). She does continue to pop out of her room on a Saturday afternoon dressed in a cobalt blue, sequin covered leotard, felt crown and flower twirl [continue reading]
Let’s Play: Collages
Sep
19
2012
Crazy Collage Our days have changed. School routines. September is in full swing. Fall is definitely here. I put a bit of effort into keeping our days calm. Chaos be gone. Life brings enough automatically. Last year at this time I was chatting with another parent at school pick up. I commented on how busy, [continue reading]
Let’s Play: Monsters and Creative Free Play
May
16
2012
Monsters Here are the results of my very informal pole of 5 kids on the subject of monsters: Monsters bite. They are white. No hair. Teeth. They live in caves. Monsters bite everything. Nice monsters don’t bite. They are small, tiny. Why? Because they are monsters. Monsters are brown, purple and pink. Two eyes. Five [continue reading]
Let’s Play: Puppets and Creative Free Play
Apr
18
2012
Puppets Puppets can be very open ended and offer children of all ages the opportunity to re-create favorite stories and often inspire new tales. They come in all shapes, sizes, materials and complexities. You can purchase them new, or just use odd socks, your hands or paper. You can create a stage, or not. But [continue reading]
Let’s Play: Books and Creative Free Play
Mar
21
2012
Debut Column: This is the first of a new monthly post encouraging all to add more and more creative play into our families’ lives and into the local community. Each month I will present ideas to jump start your creative thinking with variations between family interactions at home and ways to get families playing out [continue reading]