For those of you who have followed Playful Learning over the years, you know that I am a huge fan of having a variety of attractive blank books at the ready for the developing writers in our lives. Randi from Swoon! is with us today to share a great tutorial for making lovely, handmade, mini storybooks…
This past summer my sister came home after living abroad for a year. She brought my oldest daughter (Ellie, age 4) a book she had made while away. She had written a story about my daughter and drawn little pictures on each page. Ellie has been dragging that little book around with her ever since! When I saw how fascinated she was with stories, I decided it would be fun to make up some of our own. Can you imagine how great it would be to come home from school and see a stack of these little books waiting for you?
My daughter doesn’t write words yet, but I can see how this activity encourages her to make connections. The first time we made one of these together I asked her what she wanted to write on each page and went through the words with her as I wrote them. She was thrilled to be in control of the story, and wrote it about herself (of course!). I’m looking forward to the day she can write stories of her own. My younger daughter (Addie, age 2) wasn’t really into writing a complete story, but told me to write a description of each of her drawings on the tops of the pages. I love to hear what they’re thinking and what they want to write about. I suspect I’ll be keeping these little books for a long time!
Would you like a make a few of these yourself?
Gather one piece of white card stock, a paper trimmer (or scissors), glue, a ruler, and some pretty paper for the cover (I downloaded mine from here and here).
1. Cut your piece of card stock in half lengthwise, then fold each piece in half.
2. Open one of the pieces of card stock and apply glue to the right side of paper.
3. Turn second piece of card stock over and stick left side of fold to the glue you just applied in step 2 (see photo) to form an accordion style book.
4. Cut your piece of pretty paper down to 4.25″x5.5″ and glue to the cover of your book.
5. Use a ruler to add a few lines at the top of all five pages.
Hopefully your older children will enjoy writing and illustrating their own storybooks as much as my little ones did. These books include five small pages, but you can add as many pages as you need by repeating steps 1-3. Happy story writing!
Participants in the Playful Learning Spaces Workshop will often ask about the best way to get started creating engaging spaces for their children. I think it is most practical to start with something simple. When we start out by wanting to tackle the big areas in our home, it can become overwhelming and often lead to analysis paralysis—and not much being accomplished.
I have seen that little changes can make a big difference and are a great way to build your confidence and create a positive momentum. It is for this reason that I often recommend that people start by finding a little nook or corner in their home where they can leave out a theme-based basket of materials for their children to discover. When you start looking through your children’s toys and materials with the idea of sorting them by themes, you will often find that you already have everything you need to create an inviting nook. You will be amazed to find that old toys presented in new ways can spark a fresh interest in your child.
Randi from Swoon! is here with us today to share a simple and beautiful way to introduce children to the concept of caring for the environment—and much more!
If your kids are anything like mine, they’re fascinated by all things that grow. My middle child is known for picking handfuls of flowers in all the wrong places! We’re hoping to plant a vegetable garden this spring, but for now we’ve decided to bring the outdoors in by making a few terrariums to enjoy in our home. I’ve seen some beautiful and elaborately designed terrariums, but decided to keep things simple so the kids could be involved. Planting and caring for living things encourages discovery and a love for nature. It also teaches children responsibility, self-confidence, and promotes an understanding of cause and effect, as well as the life cycle. It can also utilize your child’s creativity if they are involved in the planning and designing process of planting.
To make a simple terrarium you will need a clear container, soil, and a variety of hearty plants. I love succulents because they don’t require a lot of light or water to survive and they’re not easily broken by little hands during the planting process! I put out the plants and containers of soil and invited my two and four year old to join me outside. I showed them how to put the soil in the bottom of their containers and let them have at it. You will definitely want to do this activity outside so you can give your kids the freedom to get messy and experiment with the planting process. Next we talked about how we wanted our plants to be arranged. The girls chose which ones they liked and I showed them how to put the roots down into the soil, letting them choose the placement of their plants.
We had quite a few plants left when we were done, and the girls spent at least an hour planting them over and over in the containers of left over soil. We kept this activity set up outside for a few days and they returned to it again and again. They enjoyed the structured nature of the terrariums, but they really enjoyed the messiness and fun of playing with the plants and soil however they wanted. I will be sure to leave a patch of soil for digging and “planting” in our future garden!
I am thrilled to have Rebecca from ThirteenRedShoes back with us today. She has a great list of app recommendations for the young scientists in our lives.
Mariah asked me to put together a post on science apps available for children. Here are some great new apps that I have encountered recently. Please do leave the links to new applications in the area of science that you have found, as I would love to see more. This is an area that Master R loves and therefore we are always on the look out for new and engaging applications.
Here are my top science finds for little ones ages four and above:
Planets – This application, which is universal, therefore available for both iPhone and iPad, is very clever. You can manipulate the globe and see where different parts of the world are in sunlight or darkness in real time. Very engaging as a hands on application, which has so many different levels. You can set location by latitude and longitude to see what the night sky is like and also see the visibility of the planets in the night sky.
Smithsonian – This is company creates so many great story book apps, which contain fiction stories filled with factual information. The Smithsonian apps cover a large number of animals such as polar bears, penguins and dinosaurs. The apps are also supported with an educators guide which can be downloaded on the website.
Britannica Kids Solar System – Britannica has an entire series of scientific applications. Earlier in the year we downloaded a few different apps on the planets and space, as it was a huge area of interest for Master R. This application in particular was too advanced for him at age 5 but would suit an older more mature audience. The immigration however was amazing for discussion points and plain visual enjoyment and awe.
Wilderquest – Although this application is developed in Australia and specifically for the state of New South Wales it can easily be incorporated in any location. This app requires headphones and space as you need to walk around listening to the sounds, using the iPad as a large interactive display panel in which creatures in the bush land are hiding. You need to listen and try to find them by moving the iPad around. A wonderful way to learn at Australian wildlife.
Cosmic by the American Museum of Natural History – A beautiful application full of amazing images and information about the universe.
ABC wildlife and ABC Go – Peapod labs create some really engaging application based and the alphabet and different scientific ideas such as animals and transportation. Each letter of the alphabet is linked to a topic in which safe you tube links may be available to watch as well as facts and images.
Brain Pop Jr. Movie of the Week – This free app has some amazing movies. A new movie is available everyday covering a wide range of topics. There are additional levels, which can be purchased, but the daily science videos app is free.
Bobo Explores Light – This app is delightful. It is based on the concept of light and how it has developed over the passage of time. It covers conecpets such as lightening, electricity, photosynthesis and sunlight. I would love to see an audio version in future updates. There is a lot of amazing information included in this app, however it would require an adult read it to Master R, who is a non reader (aged 5).
Ansel and Clair with Cretaceous Dinosaurs – Master R adores this application. It is full of interesting facts about dinosaurs and has been developed with intensive reviews of books, scientific publications, and articles about the Cretaceous period. I think it is the sense of adventure hat really is really engaging about this app, while interesting facts are gathered along the way! There is also an African application based with the same characters. The Cretaceous period is the first in a trilogy to be released.
Make sure to check out Rebecca’s other app recommendations in the posts below (click on the photo)…
Randi from Swoon! is with us today to share the lovely little dress up book that she created for her daughters. I can see that this little book could lend itself to hours of creative play…
Hello! It’s Randi again with a new handmade project for your little ones. I find myself looking for ways to occupy my kids when we’re on the go quite often, We recently took our children on a series of adventures that included a plane ride and long trips in the car. I love technology and the luxury it affords-my iPhone is full of kid-friendly apps-but it’s nice to have other options on hand as well. To prepare for our trips, I recently made a little felt dress-up book for my girls inspired by one of their favorite apps, Paper Town Friends.
The book has a soft fabric cover and features three different animals. My daughters have spent a lot of time playing with the book and can’t believe it was made just for them!
Want to make a book of your own? I put together a step-by-step tutorial for making the book and assembling the three animals, complete with templates. You can download and print the instructions here. If you’re a novice at sewing or crafting, no need to worry! While the book takes some time to make, the steps are simple and easy to follow.
Once you’ve made your book, the real fun begins. Use one of the animal’s body templates to create simple clothing shapes and accessories out of felt. I embellished my clothing with embroidery floss, but there’s no need to get carried away, kids will love putting even the simplest of clothes on their animals!
At times it can feel daunting to tackle the spaces in our homes that need our attention—especially when they are the places that our children inhabit most. We want to create playful spaces that encourage creativity and open-ended explorations, yet it seems like we have so much stuff to contend with.
I often find it helpful, before I get started, to step back and get a clear view of the big picture. Below are some guided questions that will help you to visualize and clarify your intentions and goals for the spaces you create for your children.
Can your child access materials in the play space independently? Are they organized in baskets or bins that are clearly labeled so your child knows how and where to put things away when finished with them?
Are the materials presented in an attractive manner that invites your child to use them?
Do the materials, toys, and games represent a balance between your child’s and your own preferences? Do they represent what you value and thus encourage your child to engage in activities that you feel good about? While it is important to keep your child’s most loved toys available and accessible, it is essential that you strike a balance and expose them to new things.
What is your child currently interested in? If your child no longer plays with dinosaurs, but has been talking a lot about birds, make sure that the play space reflects this current passion. Rotating toys is a great way to keep your child interested in play space activities and ultimately prolongs the life of her playthings. It never ceases to amaze me how excited my girls get about a toy that comes back into rotation. The nostalgia they feel toward a toy they have not seen in a while is almost more than their delight over a brand-new toy.
Is the play space a calming environment that allows one to focus on the task at hand without distracting colors, decorations, or objects?
Are you seeing things from your child’s perspective? Put yourself in your child’s shoes to determine the right height for displaying and storing materials and hanging art.
Is this a space that makes you want to make art, explore science, write stories, and more? If so, would you have everything you need to do what you want to do? What else could you add to deepen or enrich your child’s experience in this space?
Whenever I am in need of a new storage solution or simply a dose of inspiration, I love to peruse the many places around the web that offer creative and beautiful ideas. There are so many amazing blogs, created by extraordinary women… And then there is Pinterest—where we can share in what our friends and role models fancy. What I love about taking all of this in is that the images are planted like little seeds in my mind. Then when I am out and about and spy that special piece, I know to seize the moment. Below are some examples of inspiration that I have found around the web and how we implemented these ideas in our home.
If you are interested in discovering more practical tips for creating inviting spaces for the children in your life, check out our Playful Learning Spacesonline class…
I am a HUGE believer that the physical environment plays a powerful role in the behavior of children. In both the Playful Learning Spaces eCourse and the Playful Learning 101 miniCourse, I go in-depth about how the presentation of simple invitations can inspire children to engage in meaningful activities.
What I love about creating these invitations is that they are easy (you don’t have to tackle that scary closet) and you can use materials and activities that you already have on hand. It helps to think of these invitations as a way to highlight your child’s underused supplies, games or toys. It is amazing how putting together a few thoughtfully selected items on/in a tray, bin, or basket can reawaken a child’s interest.
And, here comes the best part, all you have to do is leave them out for your child to discover. You don’t have to say a thing!
I am really excited that Annie Riechmann from Alphabet Glue and Bird and Little Bird is with us today to launch our Creating Playful Spaces week! Annie is sharing the inspiring project area that she created for her daughter.
Be sure to check back each day this week to discover tips and resources for creating engaging spaces for the children in your life. To celebrate, we are offering a 30% discount on the Playful Learning Spaces eCourse (see coupon below for details).
For the last few years, our family has taken up residence in a small house near the local hospital where my medical student husband spends a lot of his time. Being near to the hospital means that we get to see him more than we otherwise might, but small space living as a family of four (with a myriad of pets) can sometimes be a challenge. Add to this the changing space needs of growing children, and I find that I often need to reevaluate how we are using our space and what we could change to do a better job of making our home a creative and useable, but also peaceful environment.
Recently, I came across Lori Pickert’s fantastic book, Project-Based Homeschooling, and found myself completely overcome with inspiration. I’m not currently homeschooling my daughter, but we do incorporate a lot of projects into our time together at home. Lori’s book made me realize that I really needed to make some changes to my daughter’s art space to bring it more in line with her needs as an older child (now eight) doing more sophisticated projects and artwork.
My idea was to increase my daughter’s actual useable surface area, while also increasing her storage for materials and giving her a little bit of room for display. Oh, and I was hoping to be able to fit all of this into an area of our living room that is about four and a half feet wide, and to do it using only stuff that we already had around the house. The medical school family bit also means that our budget is tight and that there isn’t a lot of extra money to spend on cute organizational tools, fun though they might be.
I settled on moving our existing art table to a small section of wall that is adjacent to some built-in bookshelves in our living room. Having her project space in a central area of the house is important to me; I have never been one to keep the living room decor “adult only.” The kids live here too, and I feel strongly that their activities should be folded into the common spaces in our home. Plus, we literally have no where else to put them. We hung small display shelves on the wall above her table, and she immediately filled them with favorite collections, such as her jar of beach glass and a row of pretty minerals in decorative jars. One shelf is dedicated to some clay models that she has been working on (for a diorama about penguins that she wants to make). I also hung a small bulletin board for hanging notes, displaying work in progress or for keeping lists of materials that would be useful to have for completing a project.
I cleared out some no longer needed books from the shelves next to her table, and instead, filled the space with a collection of things that she might need easy access to for creative endeavors of all sorts. There are field guides and reference books, magnifying glasses, science kits recently sent by some friends of ours, and some boxes of paper. But from her perspective, the best part of the newly organized area is the fact that she now has free access to all the household art supplies. Her baskets and suitcases contain “real” paint (good quality acrylics and watercolors), as well as modeling clay, high quality markers and colored pencils and various rolls of tape; all materials I may have been more cautious with in the past. In her book, Lori makes mention of the fact that children respond to trust about their ability to use high quality materials responsibly by producing high quality work and I am already finding this to be true.
Here is a list of what I’ve included in Mariam’s project space:
pencils, hand sharpeners and erasers
colored pencils, markers and crayons
modeling clay and tools
stickers, labels, tape, balls of string, clothespins
paper, cardstock, stationery and bits of cardboard
paint and brushes
field guides, reference books, plant presses in two sizes
a bug house, magnifying glasses
glue sticks and liquid glues
oil and chalk pastels
card games
a “project journal” where she can keep track of project ideas, make sketches, take notes
a basket for storage of work in progress and for materials being used in the space on a more temporary basis
In all, we are already finding that having easy access to a variety of materials that are well-organized can do great things for productivity, enjoyment of creating and for clean-up too. My daughter is encouraged by her independence with using these materials and, I’m pretty pleased to have been able to find a way to incorporate a more organized project space into our small living room by making good use of what was already here.
I love giving personalized gifts to people. It is the little things that lets that someone know just how special they are… Randi from Swoon! is with us today to share the lovely letter writing kit that she created for a young writer in her life. Oh, and if you have a moment, you may want to go and “meet” the newest budding author in her family, Jack. Congratulations Randi!
Hello, it’s Randi again from Swoon! I don’t know about you, but I still get excited when I sit down to write a letter. While most of my email correspondence is on the go and less than well-written, taking the time to write an actual letter forces me to slow down. I take a little more time with my words, taking care to include all that’s on my mind. The act of actually writing more than a few lines with a pen on paper can be rare these days!
Most kids love to write and send letters, no matter what age they are. Recently, my girls have been wanting to send their drawings and “writing” to family members that are far away. The idea that loved ones will receive it in a few days is almost like magic to them.
Because I love to write, and happen to be obsessed with stationary, paper, and the like, I thought a custom letter writing box would make a great gift for my niece, who just turned 8. I’m not the first to make one of these boxes, but I thought I would give you a peek into mine. I hope it inspires you to pass on the love of letter writing to a child in your life! You can also search the web for “letter writing kit” to see some of the other lovely ideas out there. If you don’t have the space for a large writing center in your home, keeping a box like this stocked and on the shelf could be a nice alternative. I custom designed everything in my kit, but don’t worry if that’s not your thing! You can find everything you need at a variety of stores.
The things I included in my box were:
blank address labels
custom return address labels (you can make these using avery labels and your computer)
3 different colors of envelopes
blank hang tags
pretty tape (to seal envelopes)
pencils and colored pencils
pencil sharpener
pretty cards (blank inside)
blank folded cards (can be bought or made from card stock)
custom letter writing stationary (I printed my niece’s name at the top of textured white paper using my computer)
fun stickers
two lined notebooks for journaling or list making
I found the box itself in the wood section of the craft store. You can usually find a variety of wooden boxes in various sizes. I wanted to add a special touch to the gift so I decided to line the box with pretty fabric. I trimmed the fabric to size and attached a few ribbons to hold pencils with my sewing machine. I also sewed an envelope to the fabric to hold labels and stamps. I used a hot glue gun to carefully attach the fabric to the inside of the box. For a simpler approach, you could use pretty paper to line your box and include a fun pencil case or bag for the smaller items in your box.
The book has a soft fabric cover and features three different animals. My daughters have spent a lot of time playing with the book and can’t believe it was made just for them!
