Guess what? Your favorite open-ended, eco-friendly toy company, Green Toys, now has two new and totally impressive Playsets! Both the Fire Station and Farm are brand new kid-approved Playsets that come with a building, vehicle, characters, and accessories for kids 2 - 6 years old. Scroll down for a chance to win a Playset! Play is linked with empathy according to play researcher Stuart Brown. … [Read more...]
Time to Play and Share with Friends
Friendship and all that it entails with making friends, playing together, sharing, accepting, and so forth is SUCH a huge piece of growing up. This group of picture books (new 2016!) capture those life lessons. Time to Play and Share with Friends We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen Two turtles. One hat. What will they do? Klassen shows the friends together, one turtle's internal struggling with … [Read more...]
Guided Play with Picture Books
Did you know that with guided play, children learn to plan, communicate, and think critically? This is playful learning, the way that children learn best. And one of my favorite ways to begin guided play is with picture books. In guided play, the child is in charge of the direction of play but the adult supports with props, vocabulary, and new ideas. Green Toys, known for its line of simple, … [Read more...]
Zoobs: A Favorite Open Ended Play Toy
Want to know one of our favorite open-ended toys? My kids don't have many toys that have lasted as long in the play rotation as this toy-- ZOOBs. It's pretty amazing considering my kids have been playing with ZOOBs since ages 4 and 7! Now they're 11 and 14 and still playing with them. Which is why I had to share. I mean, that's pretty amazing, right!? It's interesting to watch how the … [Read more...]
Play: How to Raise a Happy, Creative, and Smart Child
You want your child to be happy, creative, and smart, right? Let her play. Yes. Play. Ignore our adult created concept that kids need scheduled activities. It’s not true. It’s not how kids learn. How to Raise a Happy, Creative, and Smart Child Kids actually learn by playing! (See links below to the decades of scientific research proving this.) So . . . what are you supposed … [Read more...]
Fun, Active Summer Activities for Kids
School is out for the summer! With the warm weather here, families are looking for ways to keep kids entertained and active during the summer. That means you'll need ideas for fun active summer activities for kids Toys“R”Us, Hasbro and Duracell are teaming up to show you the excitement, energy, and attitude of the Nerf brand, available at Toys“R”Us, and help you find out why it's Nerf or … [Read more...]
Encourage Play Building Social Skills Kits
It was one of those days. I anguished over social issues with one of my kids. It felt like nothing was improving. But then, a most amazing thing happened. Janine Halloran, blogger at Encourage Play and licensed mental health counselor, reached out to me based on a comment I made on a group thread in FB. I didn't even know her at the time, but her words of encouragement and ideas were … [Read more...]
DIY a Cryoow! Doll for Play and Stories
Cryoow! dolls start with a child’s 2D drawing, transforming it into a jaw-dropping, super-awesome hand-crafted 3D doll. It's so cool. Make a Cryoow! Doll To make a doll, your child draws a picture more than 4 inches tall. We recommend using the game Pick and Draw which taught us so many fun ways to draw faces. Draw your person -- my eight year old daughter drew herself. We sent her … [Read more...]
Our Favorite Summer Boredom Busters for Kids
If your kids are starting to get bored this summer, you may want a few ideas to spark new activities and creative play. You know me, I lots of favorites on my summer activity ideas for kids Pinterest board. But, here are our top ten favorites that we think you will like, too. Favorite Summer Activities for (Bored) Kids 1. Camp Crafts: Ojos de Dios, friendship bracelets, and painted … [Read more...]
The BEST Pretend Play Gift Ideas for Kids
It's getting close to Christmas - and you may need a few more quick gift ideas. Here you go. Pretend play gift ideas for kids! Pretend Play Gift Ideas for Kids Fairy Tale Finger Tattoo Puppets Fun, temporary tattoos that turn normal little fingers into finger puppets! Each pack contains 20 finger tattoos and full instructions Finger Fairytale includes: Witch, Princess, King, Prince and … [Read more...]
Make Your Playful Life Easier: Kiwi Crate
If you're a family that loves creative play and learning, you'll love Kiwi Crate. Hours of fun per dollar spent, it's an investment that really is worth your money. I love it because of . . . clear, kid-friendly directions. engaging and interesting to my kids of different ages. plenty of supplies --you can do the activities several times over. high-quality materials. Look at these … [Read more...]
Ideas and Activities for Summer Learning, Ages 3 – 6
If your kids are ages 3 to 6, you want to find easy ways to keep them engaged, playing, and learning throughout the summer. Don't worry, I got you covered with some snazzy, new ideas and resources. (Those of you with kids 6 - 10, you'll want to read yesterday's post about getting organized and finding fun activities for summer learning. Lots of ideas there, too.) Pretend Play Play is the way … [Read more...]