From the category archives:

Simple Play

How to Make a Frisbee

September 2, 2010

Those who know me well – or even if you’re marginally acquainted with me – know that I’m no good at crafts. Making play food out of Play-Doh or stick figure drawings is about as artsy as I get. Oh, I’ll provide the supplies for my kids. That’s not a problem. There’s always paper and [...]

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Put Play in a Bag (And See What Comes Out)

August 23, 2010

Dara is the mom who wakes up at 3am with a great idea for the blog. She called saying, “I came up an idea, but I’ll have to deliver it in person.” How much fun is that? The suspense killed me! A play surprise. For me? Turns out it was a surprise Play Challenge. It [...]

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Cardboard Magic: A Boat That’s Not a Boat and A Plane To Make Imagination Soar

July 29, 2010

My recipe for Cardboard Magic: Mix one grown husband with 2 kids and a large cardboard box. Instruct husband on sharp object safety. Cover eyes and try not to think about it. Leave the premises. MacGyver strikes again! I escaped to run a few errands and came back to find a cardboard plane sitting in [...]

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Color Walks with Kids and a Camera

July 21, 2010

Color walks are soooooo easy. They are perfect for any age. When my children were younger, finding colors provided a great opportunity for learning identification. Now they are pointing out different shades and patterns in the colors! Color walks are not a new idea. I first read it in Fun Outdoor Activities (a guest blog [...]

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June 9, 2010

Feet. I marvel at mine for all the things they can do. The load they carry. I’m conscious that not everyone has them, so they are worth appreciating. For Simple Play Wednesday, we’ve covered Towels, Flashlights, and Brown Bags. Let’s think about what we can do with our feet. Shoes on: Climbing trees is one [...]

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June 2, 2010

Dara came up with brown bags as a Simple Play Wednesday idea. A brown bag – or two or three or four – can bring all sorts of creative play into your day. I can think of craft ideas needing a pile of supplies, but we’ll leave those up to the experts. Have you ever [...]

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May 26, 2010

Flashlights are the shining stars of child’s play! Our power went out last week and I went to my emergency box to pull out one of six flashlights I have stored there. They’d all disappeared! Despite my nagging “You guys need to remember to put those back in case we lose electricity!” So just like [...]

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Simple Play Wednesday: Towels

May 19, 2010

Dara and I talk about play. Like, a lot. Simple play is something we think is highly underrated. Sometimes, all kids need is a prop to get excited about free play. Dara suggested we start running posts on just that idea. So, on Wednesdays we’re going to start spotlighting one item you might have around [...]

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