Beyond the Author: Hevre Tullet, Part II

If you recently read our post taking you Beyond the Book: An Author Study with Hevre Tullet, , you know we're on a real process art kick here this summer. While in previous years I was organized and planned out specific themes for the Sprout Scouts Playcamp and even did a whole unit on Art and Artists in the Garden, this year it has felt most comfortable to follow my kids' lead. They've had a lot of fun so far and one of the best parts of exploring artist, author and illustrator, Hevre Tullet is that the grown ups have had fun, too!

I've touched upon the value in process art with children before. Process art targets a variety of developmental skills and milestones while nurturing and honoring children's creativity and inherent artistic abilities at their own level. I am not an all-or-nothing type of gal, so we also do project based artwork here, which has value in its own right. I particularly love Hevre Tullet's combined use of art and literature to promote an environment for children to explore both in a playful and aesthetically beautiful way while gaining skills in literacy, writing, art and play. What I did not initially take into account as we began exploring his work is how much I was gaining through it as well!

"Press Here!"

"Let's Play!"

"Have Fun!' with the book Mix It Up

Yes, today, I am inviting the adults to join in! This is our play time and our opportunity to rediscover process art. I would never classify myself as someone who is artistic, but why? What is it that defines a person as artistic or not? And when does that switch go off? I do remember creating artwork as a child, uninhibited and filled with joy and wonder. And while every child grows to different interests and preferences, I do wonder what outside factors emerge to nurture certain concepts of self and quell others. I remember putting on my own art show at home once and displaying my works on the wall with (eh em) school glue (oops)... I had ample access to art supplies and craft materials and a mother who really nurtured the idea of process art and encouraged us to work with these items at our own discretion. But somewhere along the line, children do gain the concept that art should represent something and look a certain way. From there, I think many decide whether or not this is a strength or a challenge. I maintained interest in crafts and hobbies of that sort, but more open ended type artwork was a bit intimidating.

And along comes an artist like Hevre Tullet who can splash paint on a page, make squiggles and lines and doodles and dots come to life and get everyone engaged and playing and creating. And all of a sudden, I was taken back to the same child-like joy I had when I was 5 years old! Even my husband got in on the fun! And in setting out stations this week to invite the whole family to join together in art, I noticed some wonderful things that were happening:

When he finished painting on paper, Y explored painting
on the vase that was holding our paintbrushes! I was
almost sad to wash it off--maybe glass will be a "canvas"
in our future....

• We were all on the same page and in the same playing field: Many times when adults and children work together on art, there's a pretty clear division between who is 2 months old and watching from a swing, who is 2, who is 5 and who the adults are (T and I will keep those numbers to ourselves for now). But when there's one giant sheet of paper and the only instructions are to "Have Fun!" or "Mix it Up!" or "Jump on a Trampoline!" we're all on the same level. Well, to be fair, C is still just watching from the swing and smiling and cooing. But there's no pressure for a child to create something in the same way an adult can. There's not even pressure for a 2 year old to create something in the same way a 5 year old can. 
• Inhibitions Go Out the Window: I actually loathe when children ask me to draw something. Not  because I worry so much that it will create an unattainable standard for their smaller, younger hands (although this is a concern), but more because I do not think I am particularly adept at drawing. When I dipped into our art explorations this week, I felt no hesitance at all. I had just as much joy at squiggling and doodling and dabbing and dotting as anyone else!

  

  S ran to the table on the morning of this art invitation.
  He started off slowly and a bit tentatively mixing it up. He
  dabbled into some red, and then a bit of yellow. "Look!
  I made orange!" and then he got all in and mixed it up
  across the entirety of the page! It was time for some more paper...

• Connecting through Dots: art was a great way for us to join together as a family and connect. It wasn't forced, it wasn't suitable more for one age than another. It wasn't on a schedule and there was no agenda. The paper was simply set out with the materials to use on it. It would remain there as long as we wanted. We could come all together, one at a time, go as needed, return as desired. If we needed another sheet of paper, we got one. If we felt all done, we set it to dry and in the end we'd hang our work in the Family Museum Wall. Sometimes the art told a story. Sometimes it made a sound or a song. Sometimes it was silent. Imagine connecting as a family in this way and then imagine it in a classroom or in a community at large.
• Art in Motion: this is not your sit at the table or stand at the easel type of art or reading for that matter. Hevre Tullet's books and work get everyone moving from those tiny fine motor muscles to the larger gross motor ones. As my boys use their fingers to trace the lines along the pages of his stories or press dots or rub circles, they are practicing the same tracking skills that will help them to read and write. 
• Art and Inclusion: Navigating shared paper and space with art is helping us all to develop important social skills, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. Rather than art being a solo activity, it is an opportunity to be inclusive and work together. 

Somehow, the "dirty" paint tray is so beautiful to me! We used a dollar tree
plastic silver serving tray. The mirror quality adds such a unique
element when mixing and exploring paint colors. Painting on mirrors indoors
and outside is a great way to add a unique element to process art...

I've been creating my own art invitations and provocations this week using pages from Tullet's books Press Here, Mix It Up!, Let's Play! and Say Zoop! Choosing materials and seeing what happens with them is part of the fun for me (and my own creative process). However, for those who would prefer a bit of direction with this, there are some great ideas on Pinterest. Hevre Tullet also has an incredible blog, and if you are not fluent in French, you can view it translated into English. I also highly recommend his book Art Workshops for Children. I recently purchased a copy and am so eager to bring this as an addition to my nature-based playgroup when I host an Art In the Park session next month. I can't wait to see art in action with a mixed age group of children and adults. The art activities in the book can be adapted to individuals, small groups (family setting/siblings/a few friends), larger groups of similar age or larger groups of mixed ages and even adults.

I don't have a goal with our exploration of art this summer other than to follow my kids' interest and perhaps also preserve this time of wonderment, competence and confidence in art. Perhaps I also want to reignite this in myself as well! There are mornings when everyone runs to the table right away and morning when the paper is still mostly white by 11:00, but the invitation is there. It's on the bookshelves: read me! It's on the kids' table: paint me! It's on their art supply shelves: create! It's stowed away in my diaper bag for outside of the library or at the park: let's doodle! It's a continued reminder that art is everywhere around us and within us and all it needs is a space to know it is valuable and beautiful in its own right. That it is a process and an action, not a product or destination. That it never needs to be finished but it is complete in its current state. That it is lovely in all shapes and shades and sizes and colors. In fact, art is not so different than we are!

Happy Playing!

Music-making with Young Children (and Grown-ups, too!)

Last year on the day of S's 4th birthday, I took him to the dollar store to pick out anything he wanted. What could possibly go wrong for $1? I'll tell you what can go wrong for a dollar...

Yup, that's his "flute," and it was "just like" the one a favorite teacher of his played. Oh. Dear.

So fast forward to a couple of [very loud] days later, and S had taken his favorite flute to bed with him. Well, I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I kind of sort of accidentally [I think] stepped on it while it was on the floor next to his bed and, um, it broke...

Clearly nothing a little tape couldn't fix...

The Mommy-guilt set in and we headed back to the dollar store for flute #2...

...and eventually upgraded to a "real" recorder after that. Although this one lives upon a high bookshelf for proper protection from my accident prone feet in between jam sessions.

It's true, my boys love music. Their parents are also recovering musicians. My husband played guitar for years and was even in a heavy metal band at one point (no, I can't actually imagine this, either). I was between the ages Y and S are now when I started to play songs I heard by ear on toy pianos, xylophones and anything else I could get my fingers on. This culminated in 15 years of classical piano training, over a hundred original compositions and some years of saxophone lessons and band geekery in there as well. 

The benefits of musical exposure and training in young children is proven and documented in respected long-term studies again and again. However, even beyond that, making music for young children is a very natural creative process. And this can continue well into adulthood! Both of my boys have gone through what I refer to as the Everything-is-a-Drum Phase.

...even an actual drum...

....or simply a set of metal spoons and pans outside!

S's drumming phase was closely followed by his Everything is a Flute Phase, and Y requests to play the guitar (a ukulele) every day when he wakes up in the morning and again after his naps. Every so often S will ask to have a music party at night, which means we get out the whole basket of instruments (even the ones strategically hidden on the top shelf or in the back of the kids' closet) and jam!

Every Jam Band needs a conductor...

I wouldn't say it's quite Carnegie Hall worthy...yet, but these hootenannies are such great fun for us all! And I'm not sure if either of the boys will pursue music through formal study, but I do know that allowing for exposure to instruments in our home and encouraging their natural interest and creativity, we are planting some pretty important seeds regardless of what fruits they come to bear.

So when other parents ask me what are the most important toys and playthings for babies and young children, I always include musical instruments on that list. My husband's musical pursuits likely stemmed in part from his very musically talented mother. My own parents were not particularly musical themselves. The one thing both of us had in common was exposure to musical instruments and encouragement. And not just toy instruments, but real ones as well. My home (and my husband's) had real instruments we could touch. We both grew up near music studios or schools that allowed and encouraged children to touch and use real instruments--even very old or delicate ones. And so I stock our own collection of instruments with a collection of musical toys (maracas, bells, tambourines, xylophones, etc.), homemade ones (shakers and percussion instruments) and "real" ones, too. 

I have found beautiful drums and percussion instruments (as well as toy sets) at secondhand shops and thrift stores. These are great places to look (along with garage sales) for instruments that are still in their prime but looking for a set of hands or lips to help them make their melodies. Building your band need not break the bank and never forget the inherent value in a set of pots and pans and a wooden spoon. If (like me) you are averse to very loud sounds, you can be selective about when instruments come out for play. And you can also take this pro-tip from a 4 year old boy I know and love: if it's too loud, just play louder yourself! Yes, I encourage you (the grown-ups) to join in the jam sessions, too. It's a great way to lift everyone's spirits on a dreary winter's eve or just to have some casual and creative family fun. 

The outdoors is a great space to take your musical play times (though this can get trickier when you live in close quarters with neighbors). If your space permits, a consider building a sound wall. (There are many great ideas for construction on Pinterest). You'll need a collection of pots, pans and recyclables either thrifted or rescued from the recycling bin/trash/donation heap and some carefully selected sticks or wooden spoons for mallets. If you don't have the space for a permanent wall, a basket stocked with these types of materials is perfect (and they can double for use in your Mud Kitchen).

In general, when building up an instrument collection, don't forget to inquire with friends, family and neighbors. Somebody, somewhere, has an instrument (or two or ten) collecting dust in the attic and awaiting a new loving home!

And to extend the fun, I highly recommend family field trips to music shops (especially kid friendly ones where children are encouraged and allowed to test out or see how instruments work) and attending musical performances in your community when possible. 

Wishing you all a home filled with melodious magic and, as always...

Happy Playing!

The Day We Had a Birthday Party for my Son's Imaginary Friend (and Why)...

When we were growing up, my big sister had an imaginary friend, Kimmy Grape. Naturally, as with anything my big sister had, I was jealous. I circulated through multiple imaginary acquaintances of my own, including Johnny Strawberry,  a set of boy/girl twins, respectively named Sean and Shawn and numerous others whose names I can't recall. Sadly, none of these relationships developed into the kind of quality relationship my sister had with Kimmy Grape. So when S developed a fictional friendship with a young character named Jerome, I was more than a little eager to see where it would go.

Jerome lived in S's belly button and was discovered there a bit after Y was born. Shortly thereafter, Jerome moved out of his belly button home and has since lived in many nearby and faraway locations, depending on where we are and where we might be traveling to. It has become apparent that he also lives with a character named Sallie and that they have a mother living there as well, though I am not clear as to the status of their relationship. It was also recently revealed that Jerome is 37 years old. Jerome was very prevalent in S's life as he adjusted to big changes like siblinghood, getting used to being in preschool and toilet training last year. He became less frequently active in S's life over the summer and into this year, but still emerges in conversation when something exciting, new or anxiety provoking is happening. He is reachable by phone--



Early this week, S announced the exciting news that Jerome was having a birthday, specifically on Tuesday!

He proceeded to write an invitation, stuff it in an envelope, secure it with a sticker and placed it in his toy mailbox. I proceeded to party plan. After all, everyone has a birthday and everyone who has a birthday ought to have a party! We started the morning before school by decorating birthday cards. S decided to make and mail some additional invitations. Then he went off to school for the day and I headed to the store to pick up some party plates, napkins and balloons. The boys had pizza and "Frenchy fries" for supper. We had cupcakes for dessert. We decorated party hats and even a chair for our invisible honored guest. S and Y used leftover wrapping paper, tape, scissors and recycled boxes to wrap "presents" for the birthday boy. They even got little goody bags at the end. But why go through all this trouble and silliness for a fictional birthday celebration?

Because childhood is short. Because it's the middle of winter and for two days it had been too cold to play outside. Because on the heels of a visit to family up north, Tu b'Shevat and the annual Jewish Food Festival here, we needed something else to celebrate. And because sometimes you don't need a reason to celebrate but you do need a cupcake on a Tuesday afternoon. Soon--a lot sooner than I'd care to admit--Jerome will vanish from conversation altogether. He will become a name reminisced about about with humor and nostalgia. S knows fact from fiction. I don't worry about his relationship with Jerome, because he has many healthy relationships with factual people as well, both his peers and significant adults. He has a tender and vast imagination and even larger than that is the size of his heart. I don't know if he will remember Jerome's Birthday Party when he grows up or even if he will remember Jerome. But I like to think that he will. And I know that Jerome, although we cannot see him, has helped my son through life experiences of all kinds. For that, I am so very grateful! Happy Birthday, Jerome, wherever you may be, and to everyone else...

Happy Playing!

A Very Merry Un-Birthday to YOU!

Is today your birthday? Mine either! But today is everyone in our family's Un-birthday, and that's something to celebrate! Today in S's school, all of the children who have birthdays during the summer got to participate in a special birthday celebration. It truly is so thoughtful and considerate of the principal and his teachers to organize this each year for students and parents who never get to celebrate in school during the academic year (shout out to all you moms who survived being Very Pregnant in the heat of the summer!). It also increases the excitement S feels about his actual birthday, which is still over a month away. Boy is it ever hard to wait! So this afternoon, we are having a Family Un-birthday Celebration. A certain little boy who is *still* 3 is so excited about this, he is singing to himself through nap-time...

An Un-Birthday Celebration can be as simple or elaborate as you like! I chose a few activities I thought the boys would love. So crank up the classic tune from Alice in Wonderland and wish everyone you know who isn't celebrating a birthday today a Very Merry Un-Birthday!

Birthday celebrations at our preschool always involve a walk around the sun through the months of each year. S decorated his very own birthday sun this morning and it's featured on our own family living room rug this afternoon for everyone to get a turn being the Un-Birthday Person. Presents are certainly not a must for an Un-Birthday Celebration, but there's something super fun and exciting about unwrapping one--especially when it's not a birthday or holiday. You can scrounge the closet stash, hit up the dollar store or do what I did, and visit the children's book section of your local thrift store. I always find great books there and love to give them a second life.

I picked up a couple of balloons and put out some party hats, necklaces and party blowers for each family member. After dinner we'll have a surprise ice cream party (especially exciting for S who keeps asking for Shavuot to come back so he can have ice cream again!) and we'll spend our afternoon with a fun Homemade Puffy Paint Cupcake Craft and playing in our Vanilla Cupcake Scented Birthday Bash Sensory Bin.

One of S's favorite things to do in any sensory bin is pretend to make cupcakes. In this one, rainbow rice is meant to resemble sprinkles and an added scent of vanilla extract will leave your mouth watering for the real thing! I tossed in some plastic dishes, birthday candles, birthday confetti, necklaces, blowers, bows and tiny present decorations I had stashed away in a drawer. Both my boys will likely love to play in this one!

If you've never made homemade puffy paint, you really must! You can go buy puffy paint in most craft supply stores, but making your own is super easy and fun. All you need is shaving cream and white glue. If you've ever seen my husband's beard, you know that shaving cream in this house is purely a sensory play product. Squirt about equal amounts of both into a cup (you can't really go wrong here) and add paint or food coloring to get a color you like. Mix with a plastic spoon or craft stick and you're ready to go. Some kids love the feeling of this on their hands for finger painting and others prefer a brush or craft stick to work with it. Either way, it can be helpful to have a wet washcloth nearby. In this activity, I prepped some paper cupcake liners from brown construction paper and printed origami paper. I folded them like a fan and then unfolded and flattened them. Kids can definitely help with this part as well! In the spirit of process art, I always set out the materials all together for this type of craft, but if you do prefer your finished products to resemble a cupcake, you may want to first set out the glue stick and cupcake bottoms and next introduce the puffy paint. Finally you can add in any decorations you like. We are using real sprinkles, birthday confetti and small birthday candles. Once dry, the paint hardens and remains puffy! It's quite fun!

Well, we'll be back (with our next Sprout Scouts Playcamp Theme!!!) soon. Until then, a Very Merry Un-birthday to YOU and, as always...

Happy Playing!

Introducing Sprout Scouts Playcamp!

School is nearly out and summer days are shining just around the corner. For some that means counting down the hours, minutes, milliseconds... and for others, there is a bit of angst as we wonder how to fill and structure the time at home with children. Whether you're looking to fill the whole day or supplement hours at home after camp programs, our summer Sprout Scouts Playcamp is a resource I am excited to create and share with friends and family near and far. Today I will introduce our outlined themes for the summer ahead. In the days and weeks to come I will post on play activities related to each theme. Each theme will include art activities, sensory play ideas, dramatic play, science, cooking, building activities, book suggestion, family field trip ideas and more! Some will be great for indoors and others best suited for outside. Most activities will be mainly geared toward ages 0-7, however, many can be adapted and modified to work with your own family structure.

Sprout Scouts Playcamp is designed to take some of the stress and planning out of the summer ahead. I happen to love planning (sometimes that's even helpful), but I also know that especially in the summer months, things do not always go as planned. I, for instance, have been summonsed to jury duty for two weeks in June! In our southern summer heat, there's plenty to sweat over--don't let planning family fun be one of those things. Our play themes and activities are designed to be U-pick style with none of the backbreaking, bug-biting, blueberry bucket filling labor of visiting your local farm (although that is on my personal Summer Bucket List). You can use what you have, choose what you do, and decide how much and how often.

Our playcamp themes this summer will include:

Digging in the Dirt: Every great sprout starts with great soil! Explore dirt, mud, worms and composting with activities that will get you digging, playing, cooking and creating.. and maybe a little bit dirty!

Rock-It Science: Explore the fascinating world of rocks today and long, long ago. From the tiniest grain of sand all the way to the biggest boulder, we're going to play all about rocks and stones and dinosaur bones!

Creepy Crawlers: Bugs, insects and butterflies, oh my! We will be repeating our summer tradition of growing our own butterflies and learning about the wonderful winged (and non-winged) creatures that creep and crawl in our backyard and beyond.

Grow Your Own Green Thumb: Whether you have a huge backyard garden or only a single pot, some soil and a seed, we've got you covered. Explore vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruits and trees and even some fun ways to help care for and protect the environment as a family. Savor the flavors of the season as you try some of summer's bountiful harvest. If you've always steered clear from beets until now, they just might grow on you...

Art & Artists in the Garden: Got a budding artist growing in your home? Gain some inspiration and encouragement as we explore some of the greats who were greatly inspired by nature. Don't forget your paintbrush!

Down on the Farm: Whether you live near a farm, have access to a local farmers' market or simply dream of raising urban chickens, this will surely be a family favorite. Explore the world of farms and farm animals wherever you live!

Water, Water, Everywhere! You'll be splashing up a storm as we explore rain, pond life and water play in many forms. Warning: you may get wet!

Wind, Wind-chimes and Sounds of Summer: Sometimes the weather really blows and when it does, we make our own wind-chimes, windsocks, pinwheels and other ways to explore the miraculous melodies of summer...

Sun & the Solar System: Summer sun makes us reach for the sunscreen, but what else does can the sun do? We might as well blast off to outer space and discover more! Astronauts in training of all ages are welcome; they will be home before dinner.

A Camping We Will Go: It's time to pitch your tent, whether you're headed to an actual campsite, your own backyard or no further than your living room... Grab a stick and a marshmallow and a camping we will go!

Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Long before Twitter made tweeting popular, backyard birds have been gracing locations worldwide with their sweet melodies, colorful feathers and other unique characteristics. Come get a bird's eye view on some feathery fun and check out your own backyard birds!

Stay tuned in the days to come for more information on each topic. You can also join our Sprout Scouts Playcamp page on Facebook. Summer is coming and the days are sure to be long ones, but we will be happily playing and earning ourselves some scout badges in our Sprout Scouts Playcamp! Hope to see you [virtually] there and in the meantime, feel free to revisit some of my previous Summer Survival Tips...

Happy Playing!

Playtime for YOU: Nurturing and Rediscovering Our Own Creative Side

Moms, Dads, Grandparents, Educators and Caretakers of all kinds--this playtime post is for US--the grown ups. I write here a lot about the importance of play in children and more recently, I've remembered how important it is for adults as well. We might call it self care or hobbies or "me time," and there are a number of ways we might choose to spend it. And while we often recognize the need for our children to have free time in which to play and explore and express themselves creatively, we do not always recognize (or honor) that need in ourselves. For me, it comes out as feeling completely spent by the end of a day, desiring something more, something challenging (well, differently challenging than getting through a day with a 10 month old and a 3.5 year old!). There are many ways in which we can care for ourselves:

• Physical/bodily self care might include nutrition, fitness, enjoying a manicure or a massage...
• Spiritual self care might include observance of holidays/traditions in the home, religious or spiritual practice, meditation or whatever practices are meaningful to you
• Social self can involve engaging with friends, family and community--everyone's needs in this area are different and depend largely on where one falls on the spectrum of being introverted or extroverted
• Mental/emotional self care encompasses the paths we utilize to navigate difficult emotions, resolve conflicts and work on personal growth
• Intellectual self care can be expressed in how we continue to pursue education in areas of personal and/or professional interest. For some that may be taking a class or joining a club, for others it may be meaningful to engage in volunteer work or connected specifically to your career

For the sake of this post and in regard to the basic theme of this blog, I am focusing today on creative self care. I have heard so many of my friends claim that they are "not creative," and I could not disagree more! I think there are a lot of ways to express creativity, although many of us associate it in particular with artistic work. That being said, anyone who has seen very young children explore art materials can see that there is no struggle in early childhood to express creativity! Children are process oriented, rather than focused on a product. And then, somewhere along the line, a message about art and creative work is internalized: art should look a certain way. I would not personally describe myself as being artistic, though I do feel I am a creative person. I find it meaningful to engage in activities that create something. I especially like activities that use my hands--where I can touch materials and manipulate them into something else. I believe that being creative is like being fit--you need to exercise the muscles involved. I would further argue that exercising those muscles is just as important! And while it is easy to go through days and weeks of "not having time" to nurture that side of ourselves as we are busy with family, work, household tasks and other obligations, there is a price that we pay ourselves and inherently, a tax that is put upon those whom are in our care. Perhaps you feel guilty or selfish pursing personal hobbies and creative activities during "family time," but I have recently re-framed my thinking about that. Not only is it important to integrate self-care into your daily routine for YOU, it is equally important for our children to see and intuit that this is important. Children who see their parents being creative and experiencing joy in that process will likely grow to value their own creativity and self-care down the line.

When it comes to creative expression, there are a lot of activities that are enjoyable for different folks. You may already know what you enjoy. Perhaps you want to try something new or perhaps you have no idea at all where to start. Websites like Pinterest are a great place to search a wealth of artistic, culinary and other creative activities. Library shelves are also stocked with books full of great ideas. Many libraries and parks and rec centers also offer free or low-cost classes to adults to try out a new hobby or craft. Art supply stores and craft stores often offer classes for adults as well as aisles stocked with materials, books and even free pamphlets for project ideas. Taking up an old hobby or even starting a new one does not need to break your bank either. You can utilize materials you already have, purchase secondhand or perhaps borrow from a friend or family member. 

Here's a peek at some of the creative work I have found meaningful lately. I'd love to hear about your favorite ways to play--feel free to comment below! (I may or may not be looking for more hobbies...)

Whenever I think of my grandmothers, I always remember their hands being full of yarn, knitting or crochet needles, tapestry and embroidery work or other portable projects. They often worked in front of me and sometimes even showed me a thing or two about their craft! They also created beautiful gifts and priceless heirlooms for their loved ones. My own parents were also very creative, though often their creative hobbies were reserved for later hours after we were asleep. My mother was quite crafty and I remember waking up to the results of her late night labor. I did not know until adulthood how long it took her to fabric paint canvas bags or sew us a pillow case. My father took up hobbies like guitar lessons, tennis classes and Tai Chi in adulthood and gave over the important lesson that you do not need to be incredibly talented in an activity to enjoy it. (Dad, I hope you'll forgive me for saying that!)  Additionally, my parents both supported me (without pushing) in my own creative endeavors as I was growing up, whether the activities were ones they personally enjoyed or not--I think this was a huge factor in why I am a creative adult.

Knitting & Yarn Crafting: I took up knitting as a tween and revisited the craft with fervor in my college years. I always imagined once I was married and had children, I would knit all kinds of things for my children and husband. Well, it never happened. Until recently. I let go of long, complicated and detailed projects for the time being in favor of simpler, smaller projects that can easily be picked up and put down as needed. These are the One-Skein Wonder Years and since I like to see the fruits of this meaningful labor rather quickly (or at least in this decade) I tend to gravitate toward little projects like loom knitting pumpkin hats for my boys this fall or some little hats for their baby dolls or even an abundance of washcloths and dishcloths. I can easily leave a ball of yarn and needles with a small work in progress in a few rooms of the house so that wherever we might be, I can grab it and go for a few minutes when the timing is right. Whereas I used to have bin loads of yarns and needles and UFPs (Un-Finished Projects) in college, I now favor and savor a handful of carefully selected yarns and a few sets of quality wooden/bamboo needles. 

I used to wait to knit only at night or nap times. Recently S asked me to make a hat for his baby doll and the next morning when he woke up, there it was! He was ecstatic! Then his other baby doll wanted a hat. The next morning, when he awoke to the second hat, he asked if he could cut it with scissors. My gut instinct was to be appalled and offended. I'd spent a couple of hours working that yarn into a doll hat and he wanted to cut it?! Then I realized that was his way of wanting to work the craft of knitting as well, although he'd never seen it done! I leave a "knitting basket" out for him to explore that contains bits of yarn and string too small for other projects and allow him to explore and experience the textures of the different yarn with scissors, glue and paper and whatever else draws his inspiration. Yesterday, he saw me knitting for the first time and saw how each little knot with the yarn caused that string to slowly, slowly, slowly turn into a piece of functional fabric: a washcloth! He was amazed. He wanted to knit, too, and this knitting basket was the perfect way (for now) for him to experience the craft. Y, too, can enjoy exploring the colors and textures of a ball of yarn or a homemade Pom-Pom. In this way, you can include your children in your own hobbies, even if you are working simultaneously on different levels of a craft. 

Paper-crafting is another hobby revisited for me. I used to scrapbook and make greeting cards in abundance when I was in college. I don't feel as drawn to those particular crafts at this point in my life but I do love recycling my children's artwork into simple greeting card sets for a meaningful holiday gift or making bookmarks with S to use in one of my other favorite hobbies, reading!

The nice thing about paper crafts is the pretty instant results and the ability to work with materials you already have at home. The two dimensional aspect of it is also a big space saver--your hobby won't need to take up a whole room!

I had been inspired by needle-felting for over a decade but always thought it would be "too hard" to learn the craft. S has a teacher in school who is quite a talented needle-felter and gifted me a little starter kit for my birthday. It proved to be one of those gifts that just keeps on giving! I instantly fell in love with the craft and invested in a few more tools and some additional roving. As it turns out, there is something hugely rewarding about repeatedly poking and prodding wool with a needle and watching it turn into something! It is a remarkable forgiving art form and the results are so much fun to use in play and display.

Speaking of play things, I've really enjoyed painting peg dolls for use in our play areas, indoors and out. I love the feel of natural materials in play and the creativity more open-ended play materials inspires in children.

S has enjoyed woodworking creatively with his Tatty, using simple kits and sometimes even scrap wood, nails and a hammer. I so appreciate that building together is an activity my husband has taken on to do with S. So much of our children's exposure to creative work comes from female adults--most commonly teachers, mothers, grandmothers. Fathers and grandfathers also have hobbies and are creative and particularly for my sons, I feel it is so important for them to see male role models being creative and enjoying such hobbies. My husband is one of those folks who would describe himself as "not creative," though I strongly disagree. Nonetheless, this does not stop him from joining in to create a huge family picture with markers and crayons and easel paper on the floor or painting pottery with the kids at a paint your own pottery shop. I love that about him! 

My husband is also more likely than I am to ask for us to spend an evening creating art together! I had this in mind when I purchased some discounted sketch books a while ago for each member of the family. Journaling was a huge area of creative expression for me as a child, teen and young adult. Journaling can take on many forms at different ages and stages. It can include drawing, writing, collage, photos, poetry and more. The only boundaries are the book that is used to contain it! I favor a blank paged sketch book particularly for pre-writers so that drawings and later, early expressions of written word can be accommodated. I'm excited to try out art nights here using our journals for a variety of means of expression. Perhaps you might try out the concept of still life by setting out something from nature or indoors that is visually appealing. With young children, we mostly focus on what colors or shapes they see or how an object makes them feel. A couple things to keep in mind with journals and sketch books:

• Using real, quality materials from the journal itself to the art or writing materials you choose can add a feeling of importance and value. I admit that I have "my own" markers and crayons and ones that are always accessible to S (and eventually Y). Nonetheless, there are times I "share" my own art materials with S and I favor quality art materials in general over quantity. Better to have a small set of chalk pastels that really work than an abundance that do not work as well and cause frustration. I find of a lot of art materials inexpensively at places like Five and Below or even thrift stores. It's also helpful to reserve those 50% off coupons at craft supply stores for things like this. The use of a journal or sketch book also indicates a level of value to children that plain paper may not. A book is "permanent" and shows a huge level of respect to children's creative work. Even children who are less drawn to drawing (pun intended) might love to do so in the space of a leather bound sketch book.
• Personal space extends to a journal. In this particular style of journaling, I encourage respecting those pages as an extension of each person's personal space. I do not draw or write in a child's personal journal and likewise, my own journal is entirely my own. We do shared work in other mediums. While we might engage in a set-up that invites a certain idea of expression, I don't specifically tell anyone what to write or draw about. Our journals are always accessible to grab and use on a whim or we can set a specific time to all use them. As children get older, they may wish to journal as a way to express and contain private ideas and I really encourage parents and caretakers to respect that privacy.

And the biggest rule of thumb for creative expression as self care--both your own and your children's--is that if and when it is not enjoyable, don't do it! If you don't love a hobby, set it aside. If the timing is just wrong, set it aside. This is a safe space to try something and totally fail at it. It's also a safe space to try new things and learn a new skill. I'm actually quite eager to begin exploring the art of embroidery with S and we are both beginners! He is at an age where he can use a blunt needle and some burlap in a smaller embroidery hoop to explore the texture, color and experience of this needle art. I will be right there learning with him! That beginner's mindset is one that is so important to cultivate in our children and continue to nurture in ourselves.

Wishing you all meaningful, creative playing!

A Playtime Post: Pumpkin, Pumpkin!

You know those obnoxious people who start going crazy over all things pumpkin in the middle of July? I'm one of 'em! I love Autumn and I love pumpkins, and I don't care if it's not even Labor Day, I'm gonna start pumpkin spicing everything.
By September, we took an afternoon outing to my favorite local produce shop to pick some decorative pumpkins and gourds for our table...

By the beginning of October, although temperatures were still in the upper 80s here, I had concocted my own loom knitting pattern to whip up a couple of pumpkin hats for my own little bumpkins:

Maybe I'll just crank the AC up and let them wear these inside...

And yesterday, we accompanied S's preschool on their Fall field trip to a local farm to pick pumpkins!

I learned a lot on our field trip...

• Did you know the flowers on pumpkin vines that actually bare fruit are purple, not orange?
• Managing 20 preschoolers belonging to other people on a field trip was way easier than managing my own preschooler on a field trip--he literally turned into a pumpkin in the middle of a pumpkin field requiring me to football carry him back to the hay ride...
• If your preschooler refuses to put on a pumpkin hat you spent three days knitting to pose for a photo, you can bribe him with pretzels and then he will undoubtedly refuse the reward until you agree to take half a dozen more photos...
• Pumpkins come in all shapes as they evolve from seed to plant to flower to fruit...our adult vision may gloss over some of those incredible early stages of life as we eye the prize of a bright orange giant of a fruit, but you can be sure your little ones will notice and appreciate even the tiniest, most incredible signs of growth and life!

S was enamored with these teeny tiny little baby pumpkins. He really wanted to pick one but chose to leave them on the vine so they could grow into great, big pumpkins all in due time! I admired his fascination with everything from the purple flowers to the still-green pumpkins to the giant orange prize-winners and everything in between. We came home lugging one big orange pumpkin, one medium sized green and orange specimen, and a little green guy, along with two tuckered out boys ready for a good, long afternoon nap!

As tired out as we all were after the big morning, I was in the mood for some more pumpkin themed fun. While the boys slept, I cooked up a batch of my favorite stove-top playdough adding red and yellow food coloring to give it a lovely shade of orange and a generous dose of pumpkin spice for scent. After naptime, both boys dug right in to the playdough fun! Along with our playdough, I set out a laminated playdough mat of a pumpkin patch scene that I printed off for free from this great website. I demonstrated to S how to roll little balls into pumpkins, which he loved doing. He also took it a step further and began "smashing" pumpkins, which led to baking pumpkin cakes and pumpkin cookies until he noticed the bag of dried pumpkin seeds that his Safta sent last year from a pumpkin that grew in her garden. He asked if he could open the bag and use the seeds in the playdough, and while I hesitated at first, I decided to let him have at it. After all, how many years do I plan to save dried pumpkin seeds?? And with half a dozen pumpkins gracing our dining room table right now, there's plenty more where that came from!

S had so much fun using his fine motor skills to pour the seeds into a little dish, to pinch and pick up seeds as they spilled or fell on the floor, and pinching and poking the seeds into his playdough to "plant pumpkins." This is the joy of child led play and exploration! I, the adult, rolled little balls for pumpkins in a pumpkin patch, but S, a child, had a pumpkin patch, a full service bakery and a raised bed garden for planting pumpkin seeds! Y enjoyed teething on the pumpkin shaped cookie cutter...

S also loved using some laminated cards depicting the life-cycle of a pumpkin that I printed off for free over at montessoriforeveryone.com. There are a great variety of free printables here as well as some fabulous articles and resources for families and teachers who are inspired by the Montessori method. S used the cards both to retell the life-cycle sequence and to talk about things we had seen on our trip that morning. Then he asked to read a book from our shelf, Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington as he continued to play with the playdough.

That was all the pumpkin themed fun we could squeeze into one day! There are so many great activities you can do with pumpkins, and if you're looking for some more, you can revisit some of our favorites from last year. S really wants to bake a real pumpkin cake with a cooking pumpkin he bought with his Tatty and I have a few other ideas up my sleeve for the weeks to come. Until then...

Happy Playing!