I love stories. I love hearing good stories and I love telling stories. I can still remember my unbounded delight when my elementary classmates enjoyed hearing installments of my magical sagas. And these days I love the moments I steal from work to write stories of fantastic islands for my favorite young people. Stories take … Continue reading
Recently I had the chance to make spring sugar cookies with a group of young friends. We had all the cookie cutters you might expect–flowers, butterflies, hearts, rabbits, and eggs. The children had a grand time rolling out dough, cutting cookies, and later frosting them. Some of the cookies looked typical, but the ones we … Continue reading
Even in Michigan, there are hints of spring. While we can’t guarantee we’re snow-free yet, the dirty snow heaps are gone and I can begin to see buds on the trees. For many of you, spring break may be right around the corner. Here’s an idea for some family fun or art-lesson magic for your … Continue reading
I wasn’t allowed to have Barbie dolls as a child. My mother—ahead of her time, for sure—objected to doll’s the unnatural proportions. She did not want anything in our house giving the message that her daughters needed to look like something other than a normal human female. One night, hearing a banging, I found her … Continue reading
In the United States, it is almost time for Thanksgiving, our national celebration of gratitude and food. Two years ago at this time our household was recovering from a fire–nothing huge, but enough to fill the house with smoke and our lives with chaos for weeks. It reminded us of the many things we take … Continue reading
As soon as Halloween is past, it is time for Dinovember! Dinovember started in 2012, when Refe and Susan Tuma spent the month convincing their children that their plastic dinosaurs came to life at night, just for the month of November. Their photographs are glorious. Dinovember became a media sensation in 2013, leading to a … Continue reading
This is the time of year for celebrations of creativity that may not show up on traditional calendars: Dot Day and the Global Cardboard Challenge. I’ve written about both before (Dot Day, Cardboard Challenge), but if you haven’t had a chance to celebrate yet it doesn’t hurt to have a reminder. I’m grateful for the … Continue reading
Once more this year, I’m taking a break from blogging for part of the summer, this time from mid-July until early August. While I’m not doing anything nearly as exciting as last year’s trip to China, I still hope to return in a few weeks with adventures and insights to share. After all, creativity requires … Continue reading
I was going to start my blog vacation today, but I couldn’t resist one more post to share this: Camp Google. How’s this for problem finding? Camp Google is a free online camp, focused on children ages 7-10–and it starts July 13. While activities (obviously) start online, they are designed to get kids up and … Continue reading
I’ve always loved Rube Goldberg machines. So when I discovered a book designed to help make “Chain Reaction” machines out of LEGOs, I jumped at the chance. Together with a 10-year-old friend, we built the first contraption in just a few minutes. It looked almost identical to the photo at the left, and was made … Continue reading
