July 14th, 2010 What to do when “there is nothing to do”? Posted by Melitsa in Education, Good reads, book review, language, play activities

This is a guest post by Zoe Toft. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.

How do you come up with play ideas for your kids? And, perhaps even more importantly, how do your kids come up with play ideas for themselves?

During holiday periods I, like many parents, plan ahead for games and activities we will get up to – using blogs I love (perhaps ones I’ve recently discovered via the Raising Playful Tots Index) but I also want to give my kids the tools to plan and create for themselves, and a rich vein of inspiration for my two kids comes in the form of picture books I read to them. Although it doesn’t always happen (and even when it does, it can be weeks after we’ve read the book) often my kids will create their own games and activities inspired by what they’ve read and listened to.

Three great books we’ve recently enjoyed (with my hope that they’ll sow the seed of inspiration when the time comes) are all about what can be done when it seems like there’s nothing to do.

Something to Do by David Lucas

Perfect for toddlers, this simply illustrated book is full of the adventures a baby bear gets up to having bounced on his dad complaining that there’s nothing to do until Dad finally gives in. Using a twig to draw, baby bear and his dad create places to explore, with no set agenda, just following the lines they make with their sticks.

Nothing to Do by Douglas Wood, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin

Stunningly illustrated with immense detail this book is a delight for slightly older children. Nothing to Do celebrates how wonderful it can be to actually have nothing to do; instead of needing to rush to this activity or onto another class, instead of always being timetabled, days where there is nothing to do are actually something to be relished. Such days are full of endless, exciting possibilities – as you and your kids pour over the glorious illustrations you’ll all come up with ideas of your own, from making toy ships to watching clouds, from making paper airplanes to re-reading your favourite books.

Let’s do nothing by Tony Fucile

A great all-rounder this book will have everyone in the family laughing! Two young boys have done everything they can think of doing and all that is left to try now is – quite literally – doing nothing. It turns out, however, that doing nothing is much harder than anyone had realised! The comic strip style illustrations are full of energy and there are jokes for the adults as well as the kids in this pacey debut from one of the animators behind Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.

One of my stock go-to activities if we seem to have run out of anything to do is to put on some music and just dance with the kids. Here are some great songs that go wonderfully with these three fantastic books about doing nothing:

What Would You Do If You Had Nothing to Do? by Barney Saltzberg

Nothing to Do by Troubadour

I’m Bored by Barry Louis Polisar

I’m Bored by Kentucky T. Dutchersmith and the Rubber Band

Let’s Think Of Something To Do While We’re Waiting by Ricky Skaggs

And if you do want to prepare some activities for your kids taking your cue from these books, here are some I think would work brilliantly alongside reading these stories:

Try really drawing with sticks with some inspiration from this post at Art Adventures with Middle School Students, or this amazing large-scale drawing in sand done by artist Jim Denevan

Watch some clouds together with your kids and then enjoy making your own cloud book like this one from fun4kids, or your own puffy cloud paint like this from Bilbified

Play sleeping lions with your kids – see how long they can do nothing for!

Zoe Toft is a mum of two young girls and they really love words and they really love to make stuff.
Sometimes they make or do something and they want a good book (or poem / song / audiobook) that continues the game, that captures some of the magic we’ve enjoyed. Sometimes it’s the other way round and they read a great book which inspires them to get the glue and glitter out.

Either way, they’ve always got plenty of books around the house, boxes of “crafty stuff” and a desire to have fun. However, her memory is /terrible/ So Playing by the book is Zoe’s way of celebrating and reminding herself of many of the things they get up to as a family, of the books they’ve read and loved and that you might just fall in love with too.

April 15th, 2010 Lighting their fires Posted by Melitsa in book review, play activities

Back in January I outlined a few books I wanted to read this year because I wanted to parent more intentionally.

How?

By seeking out information as I would for anything I’m learning.

As usual I’ve been sidetracked and have read lots of others things but I will get back to my list.

Since I read a lot of books for pure pleasure and escapism and the non fiction usually has an immediate purpose or need. I was happy to see a book that was written to inspire me.

Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World

First of all, I love books written by teachers. I feel like I’m in the classroom with them and so much of what they write I feel empathy towards.  Rafe is an elementary school teacher. I have a son that is in elementary school. Also I felt that whatever he had to say could relate to the rest of the family. I wasn’t wrong.

The book was split up into innings. The game metaphor goes throughout the book which for me was tough going as I am not into this particular sport. However, it didn’t spoil the reading of the book and I got the gist of what was being said even if I didn’t quite understand the play by play. Rafe has a easy reading style that mixes common sense parenting with real examples and ideas of how he’s seen it work.

As with all inspirational work. There was a lot of head nodding with agreement and “Yep. Done that.” But the difference in this book wasn’t that he was trying to teach some secret formula to happiness but instead, I feel, he was reminding us the secret is in what we give to our children. The gifts of things that can’t be bought but nevertheless need to be taught or is that caught.

The typical layout of the book is a story about the game the students are watching or what happens while they are in the stadium. He points out some elements of the story and how he would deal with it to illustrate his point. The final section of the chapter are ways that we as parents can work on these points with our children.

Some of the many points he hits on that had meaning for me

1. Using weekends to teach time management.
2. Punctuality and its ramifications in life.
3. Time and history
4. The intellectual backpack
5. Paying attention and working to focus

Throughout the book , Rafe illustrates his points with movie and book titles and examples to direct you towards making this happen in your family. He does make it look easy but he’s had plenty of time to develop this style. However the points hit home and the ideas are possible. He’s not an extremist but does have some firm views on television, reading, Shakespeare and a few other things that may surprise. Fortunately these are ideas not a method that you must follow to the letter so it’s easy to dip and choose what will work well for your family without feeling that you’ve taken all the fun things out of life. He offers lots of fun ideas but they do require a willingness to change your world view.

As with all inspirational books or how to books. If you’re reading it is because you need it, usually, and where you’re at now and where the book is leading maybe poles apart and seem unrealistic or even unobtainable. However, this book mustn’t be overlooked because of it’s commonsense notions. The story give you a chance to substitute your family and see how it would work for you. Slow implementation is one thing I got from this book as well as be intentional about what you want your children to be.

The opportunities they have later are reduced by the choices we give them now. That’s not always about money. There are plenty of things we can work on with our children that have nothing to do with money.

I read the hardback version and with 195 pages is a quick read. I read small sections at a time and took my time with the book making notes and really thinking about how I would apply this to my family. It would have made a good non fiction book club book to share with other parents. Especially for the opportunity to share resources and experiences. This is what I enjoyed the most about this book was talking to others, mostly my husband. It gave us a chance to put into words what we thought we both knew about raising our children. Namely that we want them to  be “..extraordinary in a mixed up muddled up shook up world” and the way to do this is have a plan, a path, and a direction that we both agree on- said out loud.

I’ve read before some book and movie reviews and people are disappointed if they are not wowed by the entire book. I guess I’m easily satisfied because I’m happier to have a few take away points from the books I read. This book wasn’t an electrifying read. I did learn a lot of things and it made self reflective and talk more. He talks a walk I’m familiar with so there were a lot of head bobbing moments. I’m all for having more ideas and examples up my sleeve. Raising children……… I’ll take everything I can get.

It’s a book I would recommend to parents anytime up to before their children go to elementary school. It gives you a school overview and perspective namely that parents and teachers must work in partnership and not us and them. If that is a radical concept then this book will knock your socks off. For those almost there or there then this book will show you concrete ways to inspire your children to be less mediocre and more extraordinary. Extraordinary in an age appropriate way.

February 23rd, 2010 Einstein contest winner Posted by Melitsa in book review

Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn–and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less

Contest winner & comment:
Larry H. (cakeblast)
cakeblast.comThe best parenting book I have ever read is “To Train Up A Child” By Michael and Debi Pearl.
Larry H. (cakeblast)´s last blog ..Funny Foto Friday XXl My ComLuv Profile

Congratulations! Book on its way

February 15th, 2010 Einstein never used flashcards contest Posted by Melitsa in Good reads, Podcast, Sites to visit, book review, play activities

Thanks for the entries this contest is now closed

I have a few favourite books that I have out a lot ,read and comment about. I was talking to a friend the other week and we got to talking about how hard it is to find books that teach and are practical. As the conversation went on I knew I had to share my top favourite book Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn–and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less

We were walking and talking.  As we got home I was happy to show the book but really couldn’t give up my dog eared copy. I was wondering if we could make a virtual parenting play list……..what books have you read that you feel every parent should read?

Since this is a blog about play books that are play related would be great but parenting books in general are fine.

Contest

• What parenting book is your Top 3 must read list? It touched you in someway and you talk about it all the time or would recommend it?
• Leave the book title ( and author if you know it) in the comments. If you can share a little bit about the book that would be great but optional.

For an additional entry

• Tweet: @playactivities My must read parenting book ” add your title”

Contest is open to Canada, US and Europe. Is there an Amazon in Australia? Void where prohibited.

Contest is open today, Monday 15 February and closes Midnight Sunday 21st February 2010 MST.

Winner is chosen by random.org.

Winner is contacted via email left in the comments. It’s automatically captured once you enter it once in the second box. ( name, email, comment)

Winner must reply with postal address within 48hrs otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Looking forward to your entries……………………..

(Disclosure: I will be buying and sending the book. )

Raising Playful Tots is an Internet radio or Podcast available 24hrs a day . Host: Melitsa Avila of Play Activities. Download each episode yourself visit each show notes to do this or have iTunes do this automatically for you.

Week 7th Feb 2010: There are no mistakes in Art! Help! You want to try Art but oh not really…. MaryLea of  pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com shares her inspirational art ideas for the little ones and shares some practical ways to try Art suitable for all levels and stages. Listen to the show .

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