As my kids have grown from toddlers to preschoolers to young elementary children (in, like, super sonic speed), our playroom has grown right along with us. We clean out and pass along our outgrown toys and stuff several times a year in exchange for new toys, stuff, and new areas for playtime. Something I recently [...]
A Family Attitude of Gratitude: Shared Writing
April 5, 2012 By 3 Comments
Writing with your kids is an authentic way to teach them many concepts of reading and writing. I have a “shared writing” spot in our playroom and you’ll see this in most early childhood classrooms. I now use a giant notebook from a teacher store, but you could use a whiteboard, or easel chalkboard/whiteboard, a [...]
Box City: Lessons from a cardboard box
March 27, 2012 By 1 Comment
Like many rainy days, it started with just one box…some paint…some duct tape… And…some pipe cleaners to make a special attachment for unicorns…naturally. Before long, Box City established itself as a prominent development in our basement playroom. In our Box City society, children, plastic people, singing hot wheel cars and enchanted animals live in harmony. [...]
The Giving Tree: Enchanting Your Child’s Room for Less
March 23, 2012 By 7 Comments
Start with 3-4 rolls (depending on how much space you have for your tree) of brown wrapping paper priced about $4 a roll. OR, save up free packing paper from boxes shipped to your house. Unwrap. Scrunch as you unroll. Scrunch and crunch. You can’t mess this up! Great for kids to help and build [...]
Book Nooks
February 13, 2012 By 3 Comments
If you build a book nook…they will come…..see the book nook? (Look for the dolphin on top!) Arranging a book shelf like this creates a treasured little corner of literacy. I always meant to paint the back of that shelf with chalkboard paint, or make into a feltboard…oh well, we moved before I could make [...]
Is There A Doctor In The House?
January 20, 2012 By 3 Comments
The medical world is an important, very realistic part of our lives. Kids will benefit with role playing at home for future doctor or hospital visits or when family or friends or classmates or teachers or strangers are dealing with surgeries or medical issues or as you talk about nutrition, sneezing in elbows, and washing [...]
If You Build It They Will Come
January 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you build it, they will come. Whether you live in an apartment or a house featured on MTV Cribs, having a playroom with intentional components will not only be a sanity sanctuary but a valuable place for your child to work. Play is their work. Lucky for them they don’t have cubicles or boring [...]
