Play

8 Ways to be Creative (Without Doing Art)

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I am a firm believer (and a perfect example) that you don’t have to be “artistic” to enjoy creating art with your kids. When you focus on experimenting and enjoying the process, art time becomes much less intimidating. That being said, creativity is more than making art. It’s experimenting, problem solving, and thinking outside the [...]

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Leap Day Obstacle Course

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Burn off some energy this Leap Day with a jumping, hopping, leaping obstacle course. I’m sure your kids can think of many different ways to move by jumping. Here are the ones we thought of, to get you started: • Play hopscotch. Draw with chalk outside, or make with masking tape inside. • Try a [...]

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My Favorite Resource Books: Playing and Thinking

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I’ve been reorganizing my bookshelves, so I thought I would share some of my favorite early childhood resource books with you.  These are the ones I turn to when my own creativity is not flowing — they are filled with simple, play-based activities that encourage creativity and exploration. In this post, I’ll share some of [...]

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Ways to Play in December

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Happy December! I hope your month is off to a great start. We are watching the wind blow like crazy today. I have a feeling our trees are going to be quite bare by the end of the day! We’ve made it to our final play inspiration download of the year. I hope you and [...]

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Busy Bingo Game

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Happy Monday! I’m over at Make and Takes today sharing a fun Busy Bingo game to print and play. We’re bringing ours along to play with cousins on Thanksgiving. This bingo game includes some movement, some talking, and some hunting. Fun! Head over to Make and Takes to print a Busy Bingo game for your [...]

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Scavenger Hunt (Times Two)

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A few weeks ago, we were heading out to run some errands with my mom, my sister, and my nieces. Delaney is not a big fan of shopping, so I knew she might not be thrilled with our afternoon plans. Wanting to be proactive, I grabbed a little notebook and starting jotting down things we [...]

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Ways to Play in November

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Happy November! My little Mary Poppins and detective had a fun Halloween.  When I tucked them in to bed last night, Natalie was already talking about getting ready for Thanksgiving.  On to the next holiday, I guess! Ready for some fresh play inspiration? My idea sheet is ready to download! This month’s play ideas include [...]

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Through the Lens E-Course & Giveaway

Mariah at Playful Learning is offering a photo journal e-course for kids (and grown-ups) during the month of November. My girls and I will be participating and we are so excited! Both of my girls love taking photographs, so I know we are going to have lots of fun. Here are the basic details about [...]

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Ways to Play in October

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Happy October! In a few days, we’ll be celebrating Natalie’s 9th birthday. Nine! Hard for this mom to believe, for sure… Ready for some fresh play inspiration? I hope you have some fun and playful times with your kids this month! My idea sheet is ready to download! This month’s play ideas include colored water, [...]

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Ways to Play in September

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Happy September! We are settling into a bit more daily structure as we begin our third year of homeschooling. What’s in store for you this month? It’s time for another monthly play inspiration download – a handful of ideas ready when you need them. I hope you have some fun and playful times with your [...]

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