Category: All posts

Crafts for Kids: Printable Bunny Mask

By Mariah Bruehl, 25th February 2013

Now that Valentine’s Day is behind us, we have a serious case of Spring fever around here. When stuck indoors for many days in a row, finding things for your children to do can seem a daunting task. Here’s a little bunny mask craft you can pull out on the inevitable rainy day in the near future. We made these the other day, and lo and behold, the sun showed up!

To make a mask you will need: Mask template (download and print here), scissors, markers or crayons, hole punch, and two pieces of string or ribbon.

1. Print template on to heavy paper and fold in half lengthwise.

2. Cut your bunny out! Older children can do this by themselves, but little ones may need help with the eyes.

3. Unfold mask and flip to the backside. Color the tip of the nose with crayon or marker. We kept things simple for the sake of photos, but if you’re kids love to color, get busy coloring the whole thing! You could even print the template on watercolor paper and let them paint their masks (allow drying time before moving to the next step).

4. Flip mask back to the front and fold the nose down over the front of the mask. Fold the whole mask in half on the crease to make nose lie flat. Unfold mask, poke holes in side tabs, and tie on some string!

If you love to do paper projects with your kids, here are a few great books to have on hand:

Taro Gomi’s Play All Day

We are Paper Toys by Louis Bou

Paper Wonderland by Michelle Romo

Daily Affirmations for Kids

By Mariah Bruehl, 19th February 2013

Our daughters are at the age where they begin to tune in closely to the thoughts and opinions of their friends. During this process they have started to internalize flip comments and at times come home from school feeling less than confident about themselves. During these moments it is our natural instinct as parents to shower them in praise, but it is not quite the same when it comes from us.

So… one day I thought it would be fun to leave little affirmation notes around the house, in spots where my daughters would least expect to find them, as way to get important conversations going during more neutral moments.

I started out by coming up with a list of positive messages that I felt were relevant to the girls’ lives. While comments from friends can be painful, I also find that my daughters are their own toughest critics and I like the idea of having these mantras around the house, as a tool for changing those inner voices.

Leaving specific notes along with inviting materials can lead to wonderful opportunities for shared moments. This combination of encouraging notes and inspiring supplies create engaging invitations for your child to…

Read…

Write…

Discover…

Persist…

And end the day knowing that they are indeed smart, strong, creative, and loved…

To keep the magic going, it is fun to leave out blank cards that you and your children can fill at just the right moment!

Click here for the printable affirmations.

Click here for the blank printable (soon to be) affirmations.

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Yoga for Kids: V-Day Edition

By Mariah Bruehl, 14th February 2013

Monique Barker is with us to share a lovely way celebrate Valentine’s Day—partner yoga. Don’t miss her informative printable of poses at the bottom of this post!

I am thrilled to be back to share some more Yoga for children with you. In keeping with this month’s Valentine theme, I thought a sequence of partner poses would be appropriate. Your child can pair up with a sibling, a friend, or you.

Before you begin, take the opportunity to talk with your child about the importance of showing kindness to others; about offering encouragement and support; about how we are all connected and that each of our actions impact others.

Perhaps you would like to start by reading one of your favorite books that touches on these subjects.

Through these poses, children will get to practice observation skills and cooperation. They should feel a connection with their partner and share their positive energy. Most importantly, they should have fun!

To get started, download the poses and instructions:

Valentine’s Partner Yoga download

To learn about introducing Yoga to children through storytelling and to view some Yoga resources, you can review this post.

Enjoy and have a wonderful Valentine’s day!

Twelve Picture Books about Love

By Mariah Bruehl, 13th February 2013

Rebecca from ThirteenRedShoes is with is with another one of her wonderful lists! Today she is sharing her favorite, love themed, children’s books.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, it is always lovely to share books which inspire kind, loving, honest and good thoughts. The following titles all tell the story of love in their own unique way. Be it between a Father and his children, a Grandparent and Grandaughter or between a stick man and his stick family! I adore a story abut love and these are some of our family favorites from our home library:

1. The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers – The Heart and the Bottle is a story about loss and love by the wonderful Oliver Jeffers, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year with my Little R. This book brings a tear to my eye, each and every time I read it. We have the version with the audio CD included. The amazing voice of Helena Bonham Carter reads the story with such eloquence and emotion that it is certainly not only for the littles. There is also an iPad app , which I would love to download for the boys this Valentine’s Day. You can find more information about the app here.

2. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney – In Australia, this story is a classic and every child receives at least one copy when they are born, or even earlier! The story is about Little Nut Brown hare and his Father Big Nut Brown hare and a game they play to see who loves who the most. A delightful tale that shows how difficult it is to measure love. We have three or four copies alone, including an audio version. I love audio books!

3. I Love series by Anna Walker – Anna Walker has created a lovely little series, each title based around different family members. There’s Mum, Dad, Grandmother, Grandson, and the list goes on. Her illustrations are beautiful and suit the simple text perfectly. See Anna’s blog for some lovely inspiration.

4. & 5. My Dad and My Mom, both by Anthony Browne – These titles both have a lovely flow and have been read so often that both my husband and I know them by heart. Anthony’s illustration style is so very original and is adored by children around the world.

6. The Shape Of My Heart by Mark Sperring and Alyson Paterson – This title is new on the market, only released this month. The illustrations are bright, bold and ever so adorable. The world is full of lots of different shapes, but the most important shape of all is the shape of your heart. We love is book!

7. Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady love and his stick children three and suddenly he is not there any more! This is a story of adventure, as we follow Stick Man on his journey home to his greates love: his family.

8. The Potato People by Pamela Allen – This is a beautiful story about a Grandmother and her Grandson. They love spending time together. When they are separated, Grandma misses her Grandson so very much and longs to be reunited.

9. When I Was Born by Isabel Minhos Martins and Madalena Matoso – This is a story about all the things that you are exposed to as you grow up by those who love you. When I Was Born was originally published in Portugal, but now has been released in numerous languages.

10. When You Were Small by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Julie Morstad – Little F, aged two, adores this book! At the moment it is part of his nightly bed time story request. It is the story of a Dad sitting down each night and sharing stories with his son of when he was small.

11. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox Helen Oxenbury – In my eyes, Mem Fox can do no wrong. Her books are precious and so beautiful to read. This book is the perfect gift for a new baby.

12. Ivy Loves To Give by Freya Blackwood – Freya Blackwood is an amazing children’s illustrator and now, also a children’s author. This book is all about the love of giving and receiving. The main character, Ivy, loves to give, but sometimes her intentions, which are well meaning, can be a little bit muddled.

Using Visual Schedules with Children

By Mariah Bruehl, 7th February 2013

Today Monique Barker is with us to share a simple way that we can offer predictability, teach responsibility, and help our children feel a sense of accomplishment on a daily basis…

It’s easy in today’s world to get distracted, overwhelmed, and feel like there’s just not enough time. It can be hard to stay focused on our daily goals. Our days go much more smoothly when our plans and expectations are clearly laid out and it’s rewarding to look back at what we were able to accomplish. It’s really no different for children.

When I taught in a preschool environment, I learned the many benefits of using a visual schedule to communicate the daily activities. It aided in the comprehension of our routine, decreased any anxiety the children may have had about what was to come, and established clear expectations.

When I had children of my own, I began using visual schedules at home. Over the years I have created different schedules for various reasons and have always found them effective. So what exactly is a visual schedule and what does one look like?

A visual schedule is a symbol or picture representation of a series of activities. It can be used to communicate the overall flow of the day or to break a task into more manageable parts. The photo above is of daily responsibilities that my children have and are expected to accomplish independently. It is displayed in a highly visible spot where my children see it as they come down the stairs first thing in the morning. To signify that they have complete a task, they turn the card over where they will find a hand written note of appreciation from me.

We also have a simple visual schedule that is used for our home-education activities. We review the schedule each morning during our morning meeting as the activities differ slightly each day. My children can clearly see the expectations for the day and it also helps keep me on track.

Using a visual schedule with children can help:

Establish routines and expectations
Break the day or an activity into manageable parts
Provide support with transitioning from one activity to another, especially when it is something out of the normal routine
Minimize resistance to less-preferred activities
Foster self-confidence and responsibility
Support independence

Visual schedules can also be used with very young children and children not yet reading and may help reinforce language development and emerging reading skills.

If you would like to use a visual schedule with your children, here are a few pointers:

Experiment with different methods to see what works best for you and your children
Keep it simple and concise
Involve your children in the planning of the schedule
Display it in a highly visible location that is easily accessible to you and your children
Be consistent. Always use the same picture and label for a specific activity
Have a way to signify the end of an activity or completion of a task, like turning the picture over or removing it and putting it in an “all done” pocket
Keep it fun!

You might be amazed at how a simple thing can significantly improve the flow of your day!

More examples of visual schedules…

Poetry with Children: Alice Walker

By Mariah Bruehl, 4th February 2013

There’s a hand inside my soul holding me.

We recently revisited one of our all time favorite picture books, There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me by Alice Walker. It is a lovely, poetic book that gently shifts the reader’s paradigm while filling his or her mind with stimulating visual imagery.

There is a dance deep inside my body moving me.

The main character brings us through a variety of incredible experiences, yet instead of presenting these journeys from the perspective of the girl being the one who is acting upon her environment, the world seems to be acting through her.

Reading this book together created a wonderful opportunity to talk with each other about our passions, what inspires us, and to explore the intangible feeling—that when we are truly tapped into what matters most, life seems to flow through us in unexpected ways.

I even tried my hand at writing and painting…

My heart is full of lessons teaching me.

I love these family moments when we are able to sit together, create, and converse. When the girls and I found ourselves seated around the table, surrounded by art materials, with plenty of time, we seemed to simultaneously breathe it all in and tune the rest of the world out. Which is exactly what we needed…

What is your favorite poetry to share with children?

If you have shared a Playful Learning experience with your family, we would love to see and hear about it! Use the hashtag #playfullearning on Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter to share your photos and stories. We will be looking out for you!

From the Pinboards: Five Reading Nooks

By Mariah Bruehl, 25th January 2013

Here’s a little inspiration to kick off the weekend! Five cozy, orderly, reading nooks designed for kids: … Continue reading

Small Acts: Love Letters to Your Children

By Mariah Bruehl, 24th January 2013

We can all look back on a time in our lives when an encouraging note or “love letter” had a huge impact on us. Letters are a great way to put our feelings into words and express our love in a thoughtful way. Whether your children can read on their own or not, I’m sure they would love to receive a love letter from you this season!

This idea can be taken in any direction, whatever suits you best. Perhaps you prefer a simple letter, drafted on pretty stationary and tucked into a place your child will be sure to find it. You could even mail a love letter to your child and have them discover it in the mailbox. The possibilities are endless! The important thing is to find a way to express your love through written words.

I love to make things, and have an abundance of paper products on hand at all times, so I decided to make a little “book of notes” to give to each of my children sometime during this season.

The idea came from the many books that Danni has made , and is basically an encouragement overload for the recipient. Pages filled with personal touches and envelopes of all sizes containing little notes and words of love. Wouldn’t you love to receive a book like this?

Obviously, this project could become very involved and complicated, but I decided to keep it simple. Each small book contains four pages, all tied up with pretty string. Just a few envelopes, paper scraps, and pieces of printed tape to decorate each page. An hour’s work for something special.

I’m still busy writing notes, but I can’t wait to sit down and give these to my children. The experience of focusing on the positive things I want to say to them has been refreshing, and I would love to make this a regular thing in our home. Who knows, maybe we will make some together to give to others?

Small Acts: Simple Origami Hearts

By Mariah Bruehl, 22nd January 2013

I have been pondering the approaching Valentine’s Day season. This year I thought it would be fun to focus on simple, small acts that remind the people in our lives how much we love them.

When I came across this DIY on origami hearts, I know it would be an activity that we could share in as a family and that would lend itself nicely to this notion of leaving sweet little surprises for the ones we love in places where they will least suspect them.

Because of this simple tutorial, the girls picked up the steps quickly. We had a lovely time chatting and making a plethora of sweet, colorful origami hearts.