Want to add a little sciency fun to your after school activity? Watch what happens when you pop a water balloon in space. It’s pretty cool.

Three easy steps:

Step 1 Draw dots randomly on a page.
Step 2 Have your child connect those dots.
Step 3 See what they create.

Rules: 1. you don’t have to use every dot. 2. the thing that they’re drawing can change over time. 3. discuss what he/she created.

Dots are randomly placed on a piece of paper

Parent: What is it? Child: I think I know what it is but I don't want to spoil the surprise.

Adding color

Child: It's a map! It looks like a map in real life. Look there's your state. It's purple and everything in it is fancy—fancy restaurants, fancy places. Here's my state. It's striped. Everything in my state is cool.

Post your child’s creation on the Ellie Bellie Kids’ fan page. We’d love to see what they created!

My first grade school picture

Even though my school days are long gone, I still get the back to school jitters. Except now it’s over my children’s first day.

I guess that’s why yesterday, when I put out the call on Twitter and Facebook for how to wrap up our Back to School Week, this request jumped out at me:

Ummm, easing first day jitters… Theirs and yours!

Let me say that I’m no therapist. But I have learned a couple things that may help with making those back to school jitters a little less, well, jittery. Here goes…

Do a Little Recon

Them
If it’s the first time your child is going to a new school, pay a visit to the school with your child before the first day. Many schools hold open houses where kids get a chance to briefly meet their teachers, see the classroom and scout out the location of the nearest bathroom.

You
Introduce yourself and your child to the teacher but don’t pounce on her like I’ve been known to do, running down a play by play of your child’s likes, dislikes and any problems you fear they’ll encounter. ACK! Be cool Jen, be cool.

Buddy Up

Them
See if you can’t find a kid or two who’s also attending your child’s new school. Set up a playdate at the playground so the kids can get to know each other. Seeing a friendly face at school helps set a mind at ease.

You
Ask the neighbors what they know about the school. If that isn’t an option, call the school and ask if they can put you in touch with another family who goes there. If they’re unsure (because of privacy laws) ask if you can speak to someone on the PTA. These parents are usually more than happy to speak to a new family. And you’ll make a new friend. Awww!

***“But wait!” You say. “School starts on Monday and I haven’t done any of these things. You’re making me more anxious now. AAHHHHH!”***

Deep breaths. Okay, you’re right. Some of these tips have expired. ‘Tis true. But have no fear, there are still some things you can do. Plus these next ones are really for any gradeschooler (not just those entering kindergarten)

Prepare the Night Before

Theirs
Before bed, have the kids pick out their clothes and ask them what they’d like in their lunch for the first day.

Yours
Have things ready to go the night before: lunches packed, baths taken, clothing laid out. Then take some extra time to read a book together, chat and ease into the bedtime routine. Just don’t make it run too long. They need all the sleep they can get.

Discuss Discuss Discuss

Theirs & Yours
Talk to your kids. Let them know they’re not alone in feeling nervous. It’s normal. If they have any questions, help them brainstorm solutions. Question: how will I know what bus to get on? Response: Who can you ask for help?

Just make sure you don’t dwell too long. We can end up talking too much and it makes it worse. Stay light and positive.

Which brings us too…

Monkey See Monkey Do

Kids pick up our moods. I know my kids do. If you’re feeling overly anxious, here are some thoughts that help me: Kids are resilient and smart. They’re going to a place full of trained professionals.

And I know this doesn’t “exactly” fit in here, but here’s an easy you can help ease jitters: tuck a note in with lunch. It’s a little reminder of home and that you’re there for them. For younger kids who can’t read yet, include a picture, drawing or doodle.

Enjoy Yourselves!

Theirs
Remember to give the kids at least half an hour or so to decompress after the big day. If you’re home when the kids get home, start a tradition of having sharing an after school snack. If not, set aside a few moments when you do get home for a cup of tea, glass of lemonade, or whatever floats their boat. I’d go with a rootbeer float myself.

Yours
Breathe a lovely deep cleansing sigh of relief. You made it!

Do you have a school or first day picture you’d like to share? Post it on our fan page and share your back to school memories.

I can find almost any reason to celebrate: the change of a season, doing something new, a clean sink…okay, the party over a clean sink is really more of a happy dance, but you get what I’m saying here.

And what are we celebrating today folks? Why it’s the new school year of course! cue confetti and party horns

This is a big year for me. My youngest heads off to kindergarten. And we’re not talking one of these half-day things, but all day kindergarten. It’s the first time in six years that I will be on my own for the day. (hold me)

Now I’ll admit, this summer I had a few melancholy moments thinking about this new change. But the time for that is over. Now we dance! So here are few easy ways to welcome the new school year and get everyone excited about all that learnin’ they’ll be doing…

Back to School Dinner

I first saw the idea for a back to school dinner on the Nie Nie Dialogues (seriously, how amazing is that family?!). So we started this tradition ourselves. Our neighbors brought over their china and I hung up a few pompoms in the school color and we dined together and talked about the things we were looking forward to learning. It has become one of my favorite meals of the year.

Back to School Breakfast

Another food one? Quelle surprise! I love a big breakfast. On that first school morning, we enjoy a buffet of buttermilk pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs and fruit. Then we head to the bus stop and wave as the kids head off. Nothing starts the day off right like a full belly. Well, at least for me anyway.

Here’s my recipe, as lifted from Betty Crocker, for Buttermilk Pancakes. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Pancake Recipe:

Cook on a hot skillet. Flip when they get all bubbly on top. Serve with copious amounts of real butter and real maple syrup. Trust me, you don’t want to be skimping on the real parts of those things. They taste so much better than the artificial stuff. MMmmmmm…..

Back to School Gift

What’s a celebration without a little gift? You know, nothing huge, but something small that has some meaning. Last year, I was feeling all craftsy so I made little pencil bags and tissue holders.

This year I’m thinking of doing something geared towards an after school snack. Perhaps a mug for some peppermint tea or hot cocoa?

Hmmm…I guess I still have a couple days to figure that one out. Any suggestions?

Okay, so there you have it. A few things to get everyone in the celebratory mood. Remember: Never hesitate to celebrate! As far as mottos go, it’s a pretty good one no?

Sincerest wishes for a wonderful school year for you and the kids!

Do you have any back to school traditions or celebrations to add to the list? I’d love to hear them!

I blame an elementary school experience with a Milk Bag. Seriously, who’s idea was that? What did they expect to happen?

I blame one of my classmates calling me green pepper girl. I let that nickname make me cry. If only I would have had the internet, I would have turned it into a kick-ass meme and cashed in on my instant fame.

Today, I find myself no longer the lunchee, but rather, the lunch lady. As the lunch lady, I find the whole lunch prep to be…well, honestly it can be a drag.

So the challenge for me is making it fun. Really the challenge should be to make it nutritional, and it is. But there are whole revolutions addressing that.

I have two years of lunch prep under my belt, so naturally I consider myself an (ahem) expert. So without further ado, here are my tips for making lunch prep enjoyable:

1. Get the kids a fun lunchbox, like this one from Oots! I’d go into how it’s eco-friendly by cutting down waste, easy to use and smart in design, but I’ll let the company do that. What I’m going to tell you is that aMuse is giving one away! (disclaimer: aMuse is one of my all-time favorite toy stores who happen to carry Ellie Bellie Kids, so you know they’re cool!) All you have to do is visit their blog and tell them one of your healthy lunch favorites. How easy is that? I’d say it’s easy peasy lemon squeezy.

2. Get some fun accessories, like this supah cool menu (inspired by my daughter who suggested menus made lunch fancier) designed by Jennifer Vallez.

And these very cool napkins which not only will make your children appear sophisticated but teach them proper table manners (Hello?! Cloth napkins? How debonair are your kids? I’d say very!)

3. Get some fun cook books. There’s nothing worse than a lack of inspiration at an obscene hour (honestly, why must school start so early?). So I keep some references close at hand. How about this one from Funky Lunch

Or this one from Jennifer McCann (you don’t have to be vegan to find this one chock-full of inspiration)

After I flip through the books, I turn to my faithful companion, my computer, and ask it for inspiration. Here’s what it offers: our foodie gift guide (aww yeah!), the alphamom bento box tutorial, Healthy Happy Life, and of course Ann Cooper (I like to pretend we’re related).

3. Avoid milk bags. Or if you do give a seven year old a bag of milk, have a box of rags close by.

4. Skip the name calling. If your child does earn a lunchroom nickname, take a page out of today’s instant celebs playbook and merchandise, merchandise, merchandise. That college savings account doesn’t fund itself.

Okay I’ve shared my expert tips, now I’d like to hear some of yours. What have you got for me? What have I missed?

Now with all this bubbling enthusiasm, it’s easy to get a bit anxious about school.

Here’s how I imagine greeting my kids on their return from the first day:

The bus pulls up. Enthusiastic inquisition begins. “How was your day dear?” “Did you make any new friends?” “Do you like your new teacher?” “Huh? Huh? Huh?”

Then I open the door to a nutritious after-school treat over which my children continue to share the a play by play of their day. Excitedly they exclaim, “We can’t wait to go back tomorrow!”

SCREECH!

That’s intense. Even for me. And talk about transferring anxiety. If my kids weren’t anxious about school before, they certainly would be now. Yikes!

So what can you do to bridge the gap between home and school?

First, you wait. Whenever someone transitions from work to home (and let’s face it, school is work) they need a period of time to decompress, relax. A real change from work mode to home mode. Give the kids at least 30 minutes of free time. They can have a snack, run around outside or even *gasp* watch a short tv show.

Then when you do tackle the subject of the school day, avoid interrogating. Rather, ask a few specific questions to see if you can get them talking. The goal is to have them share what they think is important. It’s easy to get what the teacher thinks is important by contacting him or her. For now, it’s about the kids.

Also, really listen. This is extremely challenging sometimes for me. It’s easy to want to jump in and solve the problem or respond globally to statements like, “I don’t like school!” with, “You don’t hate school.” But these are great times to ask follow up questions: “What could you do when Sally says she’s not your friend?” or “What happened to make you feel that way?” You’ll find that in most cases, there is a specific thing that happened. Once they’ve worked through it, things will seem much more manageable to your child.

When you talk to your kids about school, you’re doing more than just finding out about their day. You’re offering them the chance to identify problems and develop their own solutions (hello creative thinking!), encouraging stability while letting them express their point of view, and showing them there is a continuum between home and school. It’s when kids feel confident, connected and supported that creativity flourishes.

Now let’s hear from you! What are some of your tips or techniques for getting your kids to talk about school?

Want more? For an excellent list of tips on getting your kids talking about school, visit PBS.org.

I appreciate Jenny’s non-judgmental approach to inspiring families to re-connect over a meal. On her blog Dinner A Love Story, she offers advice, simple recipes, and sharing ideas for getting the family talking. It’s not just about the food, it’s about the connection; the stability.

Why did you want to write a cook book? What do you hope readers take away from it?
When I worked at Cookie, Alanna, Pilar, and I would talk about dinner nonstop. Every morning before Pilar went to her own office, she’d stop by mine and ask me what we ate, what the kids ate, what we were planning for the next night. I’d always get emails for story ideas from Pilar that were sent at 7:00ish saying “Mix and Match Dinner! Remind me in the morning!” or “So you have some…Miso! Let’s do it for October!” So we were constantly talking about food and the food pages at the magazine were very popular (especially that “So You Have…” column which allowed you to follow recipes visually flow-chart style across a page, i.e. if you have pasta go that way, if you have a head of lettuce, go this way) so it was an idea that came about very naturally. There are 20 expanded pages of the “So You Have a” column in the book, by the way. It’s pretty great.

The title of your blog is Dinner a Love Story. When did this love story begin?
I suppose it started when I was little (I grew up in a house where family dinner was a command performance) but it really took off when my husband and I had kids. I didn’t want the blog to position dinner as a problem. It is, of course — a big, complicated one that has lots of tentacles (including picky eating, overscheduled kids, long work hours, no help from a spouse, etc) but if you can change your mindset a little bit and focus on how rewarding it is — and how many benefits it reaps — then I think readers and parents will be more willing to commit to it. Telling parents that their kids will be on drugs by age 12 if they don’t do family dinner doesn’t seem to me to be a very nice way to get them to commit.

It’s interesting to think about eating together as a family as a modern tradition. Why do you think it’s so important to bring back this ritual to modern day life?
I can’t speak for everybody, but in my life, it’s pretty much the only time we are all sitting down in the same place attempting to engage with each other. The important thing about it for me is that it forces us all to stop moving. It doesn’t have to be some three-course gourmet spread with discussions about current events. It can be completely restorative for me when dinner is 5-minute flatbread pizza with a 10-minute discussion of Mad-Sad-Glad. I also think that the modern day family dinner has to be more of a communal effort. And with so many two-working-parent homes and the 24/7 office, it’s unrealistic to set the bar at family dinner 7 days a week. That’s just setting people up for failure. Pilar, my co-author, has a strategy to address this called “If I Could Just Make it to Wednesday” and in fact that’s the name of Chapter 3 in our book.

It can be difficult to prepare meals while keeping the kids occupied. Any tips for keeping the kids entertained while we cook?
On the blog I address this a lot. If it’s a weekend and I have time, as you know, I make paper dolls and craft projects with my daughters with the sole purpose of starting them off on a long game of imaginary play…which usually gives me enough time to make something. For parents with toddlers, we recommend putting together a “Babysitter in a Box” for the kitchen filled with food-related items so they feel like they are “helping” mom in the kitchen…when really it’s just one more example of parallel play. The book has detailed instructions on how to assemble one.

What is your fondest meal memory?
That is a tough one — there are so many. I will say that one of the most pleasurable moments of my life was being greeted with the most unbelievably delicious rum punch when I arrived at an Anguilla resort for my honeymoon a dozen years ago. (Should I worry that my fondest meal memory is in fact a drink memory?)

When does Time for Dinner become available?
It’s available right now and my friend just texted me a photo of it in bookstores. Hooray!

Time for Dinner co-authors: Pilar Guzmán, Jenny Rosenstrach, Alanna Stang. Jenny Rosenstrach was the food and features director at Cookie magazine. She is the founder of Dinner A Love Story, a website devoted to family dinner, and lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband and two daughters.

For essays and more thoughts on food (plus a link to print out the popular lunchbox menus designed by Jennifer Vallez), visit our Food Issue.

See
Roanoke Island Aquarium Learn about regional aquatic life. In addition to viewing tanks, the aquarium has two touch tanks where kids (and grown ups) can encounter skates, starfish and horseshoe crabs. After strolling through the aquarium, stop by the fossil pit where aquarium goers sift through sediment to find shark teeth. Best part? You get to keep what you find.

Do
Jockeys Ridge State Park They’re the tallest natural sand dunes in the Eastern United States. At the top, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Roanoke Sound. Kids and grown ups will enjoy watching hang gliders float along the dunes. Bring along a kite and watch it sail high above the dunes.

Eat
Breakfast | Sam and Omies This family friendly restaurant has been an Outer Banks institution since 1937. The restaurant atmosphere is welcoming and the staff is charming. Pancakes received two thumbs up from the kids and grits and home fries received two thumbs up from grownups.

Lunch | Cahoon Grocery Store Stop by this authentic beach grocery store to stock up on sandwich supplies, snacks, and drinks for a picnic lunch on the beach.

Dinner | Tortugas Lie We liked it so much we went back again. This restaurant features Caribbean inspired fare. The kids found entertainment in the two salt water fish tanks (one of which housed a little green crab our kids aptly named crabby) and grown ups enjoyed the mellow pace, authentic atmosphere and delicious food.

For essays and other thoughts on travel, visit our Travel Issue.

For each step, each member of the family takes a turn. NOTE: This is a lesson in creativity, not logic. Tell your child that anything goes!

1. Characters | Listen to the conversation and look for how the story changes as each person adds a new character. When our second-turn taker decided to draw a mermaid, the first turn-taker changed his character into a scuba diver.

When our second-turn taker decided to draw a mermaid, the first turn-taker changed his character into a scuba diver.

2. Scene | Ask questions about what the area the characters are in looks like. How did they all get there?

"The mermaid and the scuba diver are friends. She’s going to show him where she lives."

3. What happens | Is there a conflict? Does everyone get along? Is there a new character that needs to be introduced to help the story move along?

Mom: "You can't meet a silver crayon." Child: "Mommy, you said anything could happen!"

4. Ending | How does the story resolve? …or does it?

"It's a limousine submarine. It's going to take the scuba diver home."

]]> http://www.classic-play.com/story-relay/feed/ 2 http://www.classic-play.com/story-relay/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ClassicPlay/~3/ZLcnGsFJnv8/ http://www.classic-play.com/cooking-with-robot-hot-fudge/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:56:32 +0000 Jennifer Cooper http://www.classic-play.com/?p=3389 In our Sports Issue we featured a neighborhood party that ended with hot fudge sundaes. But when we went to the store to buy hot fudge for our friends, all we could find were jars of chocolate-like products whose first ingredient was high fructose corn syrup. Bleech! So what did we do? We made our own.

Today we’ve invited our friend the Robot to show us a super easy recipe for making hot fudge on your own. There’s only two ingredients! Kids, ask a grown up to help. Grown ups, enjoy yourselves—have a sundae!

Color

Cut

Stick

Share your child’s stickers by posting a picture of them on our Fan Page.

The new school year is just around the corner. Build excitement and nurture enthusiasm for heading towards school with a paper chain.

You’ll need:
Paper
Scissors
Tape or Glue

Step 1
Cut paper into strips

Step 2
Turn each strip into a circle and tape or glue.

Step 3
Thread paper through circles to make chain as long as necessary.

Step 4
Hang. Each night before bed, have your child remove one chain. As the chain is taken off, ask the kids what they’re most looking forward to and what, if anything, they’re anxious about. By talking to them, you can allay fears, problem solve ahead of time, share your own school stories and most importantly connect with your kids.

Share your tips for preparing for the first day of school on the aMuse toy store Facebook fan page. I’ll see you there!

It’s here! It’s here! The new issue of Classic Play has arrived. This issue is dedicated to all things sports. Inside it you’ll find crafts and a download for color-in stickers for the kids. You’ll also be treated to some fantastic essays.

Oh, and we have an extra special treat in this issue. It’s a short story featuring The Fox and The Polar Bear, two of my favorite characters. It’s fun for the whole family.

Plus you’ll find our idea for a neighborhood party that everyone is sure to love—we all did!

So click on over (the icon to the right or from the Issues tab up top) and join us.

While I had visions of a garden rivaling Versailles, what we ended up with was a small plot of carrots. And by plot, I mean a teeny, tiny little patch of earth. You may have to break out your magnifying lens to see it.

But oh! Oh, I don’t think I could be prouder of our little carrots. They came from a modest plot of land. And yet, they made us wildly happy.

So it should come as no shock that when I ran across a charming new site dedicated to kid’s celebrations I thought, “Oh! this is fantastic! I must share it with everyone I know!” (everyone I know translation: you of course!).

So today I’m going to introduce you to Suann Song, creator of the delightful new blog Hip Hip Hooray. Suann was gracious enough to answer some questions I had about her inspiration for starting the new site. Here’s what she had to say…

Tell us a little about Hip Hip Hooray.
Hip Hip Hooray is a daily blog where we catalog all things kid’s parties. We’re thrilled to have some fabulous people contributing including: Amy Atlas, Jordan Ferney, Maria Cooke and Kate Headley.

Why did you start Hip Hip Hooray?
With the closing of magazines like Martha Stewart Kids and Cookie Magazine (though a lot of their archives are still available online – hooray for that!) I wanted to create an resource for moms – our focus is on fresh, stylish, creative but affordable and approachable parties.

The focus of Hip Hip Hooray is on real parties. Why did you feel it’s important to focus on real world parties?
I wanted to provide a place where anyone can come and get fun ideas they can do themselves. I’m a mom and I work full-time. And I know how much time putting a birthday party can take …. so I thought it would be helpful to provide a gallery of real parties as well as party resources.

What’s your favorite type of party?
I love a comfortable, creative, personalized and just plan fun party – for both kids and adults. It doesn’t need to be over-the-top – personal and thoughtful touches, creative activities and being around your loved ones makes a great party.

What are some of your tips for making a celebration special?
I love taking a basic supply and adding a little personal touch to it. I also love adding pops of color and or pattern. Whether it be balloons, bunting, confetti, striped straws or just colored napkins. A little pop of color goes a long way … and is just plain cheery!

You are passionate about parties and celebrations. What is it about them that inspires your passion?
Kid’s parties and birthday are just so sweet. I have a 3.5 year old little guy and he’s just coming to the age where he LOVES parties and everything about them. There’s just something very special about birthdays and the childhood memories you build around them.

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid?
Anything to do with paper. I collected every bit of paper imaginable. And my dream has come true…I have a full time letterpress printing studio and happily play with paper all day, every day!

By day, Suann Song runs SIMPLESONG Design, a letterpress and design studio based outside of Washington, DC in Old Town Alexandria. In addition to the recently launched Hip Hip Hooray, Suann also has a lifestyle and design blog that is update daily. Suann is mom to little guy, Ike, who turns 4 in October. While she hasn’t started planning quite yet, birthday themes are on both of their minds!

But the fact is, Steve and I didn’t always get along. Siblings squabble. You’re particularly aware of this fact if you have two or more children home with you all day during the summer.

So what can you do when the bickering starts? Here are some suggestions:

Change the scenery – This is one of the first things I do. Simply sending the kids out to play, taking them to the park or just a walk around the neighborhood can make a world of difference.

Break ‘em up - Kids can’t seem to play together nicely? Well then perhaps they need a little time on their own. I find that when I tell my kids they can’t play together, they all of the sudden start getting along.

Let them work it out – When my kids come running to me about some slight, or disagreement, I take the time to listen. But if there’s no imminent danger or bullying involved, I tell them they need to work it out themselves. Then I use what I call my ninja-parenting skills. I monitor what they’re saying while making it appear as if I’m not listening. That way, I’m still able to jump in if negotiations fail.

What do you do when the kids start the summer squabble? Share your tips!

This weekend enjoy a little old fashioned fun with this super easy project.

When I met Melissa, I was incredibly impressed by her vision. She wants to teach the next generation of girls that they can be strong, independent and not afraid to reach for the stars—literally, blast off into space and study the universe.

Pigtail Pals is a sponsor of Classic Play and shares our vision of creating a world for our children where they are free to be creative, open and just be themselves. I asked Melissa here today to share a bit about her philosophy and why she started Pigtail Pals. Welcome Melissa…

During my first pregnancy I spent endless hours planning the perfect gender neutral nursery. Vintage Italian alphabet flash cards for wall hanging? Check. Gingham bedding? Check. Stack of classic children’s stories in board books? Check check.

My daughter was born and I would spend the day holding her and dreaming about catching lightening bugs, teaching her to ride a bike and kick a soccer ball, reading Little House On The Prairie, and flying kites. A childhood fit for a Norman Rockwell piece for the Saturday Evening Post.

Then I went shopping. I needed diapers or pacifiers or some such thing. I came home mystified. My eyes were glazed over from pink pegboard and walls of plastic dolls that looks like sex workers and tulle and tiaras and slogans on every shirt, right down to 3M, that read “Daddy’s Princess”, “Sweet as Candy”,  “Angel” and “Sassy, sometimes Sweet”. The excess of butterflies and rhinestones had done me in.

This was girlhood? This was how I was supposed to raise my daughter? And why was everything pink? I couldn’t understand it, and thought perhaps my post pregnancy hormones had made me time travel. You know, to 1950.

I didn’t want to raise my girl to wish upon a star and wait for her prince. I’d rather teach her to get into a rocket ship and reach that start for herself. I’d like that on a onesie, but couldn’t find it. Then I had one of those a-ha moments and I filled page after page with ideas and drawings and plans…..for what would become Pigtail Pals.

I don’t see childhood as having a boy side and a girl side. At least, not in the first several years. I see childhood as a time for brightly colored unstructured play fueled by powerful imaginations and the understanding all young children seem to have that the world is their oyster.

I have worked diligently to keep our home media literate, gender neutral with toys, and full of playthings that are open ended. My husband and I try to keep gender stereotypes and sexualization out of our home.  I certainly will not be teaching my daughter, who was named after Amelia Earhart, to sit quietly and be pretty. I flatly refuse to teach her that her beauty is her worth.

I believe girls deserve better. I believe we need to change the way we think about our girls. I think girls should be allowed to dream in every color. I think girls should have the freedom to imagine growing up to be a doctor, a race car driver, a pilot, or an astronaut. I raise my girl to be smart, daring, and adventurous. I don’t think those things belong on the boy side of the aisle. I simply think they belong in the middle of childhood.

Melissa Wardy is a mother of two who owns and operates Pigtail Pals – Redefine Girly,  an online store and media literacy blog that aims to change the way we look at girlhood. Our empowering products show girls they may be smart, daring, and adventurous.

I think I mentioned before that my dad is sort of an astronomy enthusiast. If you came to my house for a visit, you’d find no shortage of astronomy magazines, slides containing images of planets, books about constellations, and the like.

My dad loved to share his passion with us. Even if we weren’t always as, er, enthusiastic as he probably would have liked. When birthdays or Christmas rolled around, my brothers, sister and I would unwrap packages containing lights that cast constellations on the ceiling, glow in the dark star stickers, and static cling planets to hang on our windows. There were many family trips to planetariums and late nights spent in the backyard watching meteor showers.

Fast forward some years. I’m 20 years old and traveling across Arizona. It’s my first trip out west (born and bred East Coaster here). That first night as we drove through desert, I looked out the window and gasped. I had never seen so many stars before. They filled the sky. I couldn’t believe it. No wonder the stars had captured the imagination of people since the beginning of time. I mean have you seen them?! Incredible. Breathtaking. They make you feel so…small.

It was a moment of magic.

I’ve tried to share the love of the cosmos with my kids. I’ve pointed out Venus (it’s the bright one) and taught them how to spot Mars (it has a red hue). We’ve talked about Orion’s belt and the Big Dipper.

Now if my attempts to inspire the kids haven’t taken, I know my dad’s certainly have. At night, when I go to peek in on the kids, I find them snuggled in one of the beds together, flipping through the book about stars Peepaw gave them. I take a moment, then tell them it’s time for lights out.

But before I leave, I draw up the shades so they can see the stars.

Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this wish, I wish tonight.

This weekend take your kids out to gaze at the stars. Make up your own stories about the heavens above. Or make it educational and grab a book to take out with you. Whatever you do, enjoy the magic and be sure to make a wish of your own.

The fountain in Olympic Park. Atlanta, Georgia.

Folks, the heatwave is here and it hit us hard. Those meteorologists aren’t lying when they say it’s hot. Temperatures are expected to reach into the 100s again today. Humidity is at an unbearable level. The air is sticky and oppressive. The only thing I can think about is water. Well that and watermelon, popsicles and running through sprinklers.

I’d write more. But it’s too hot to think.

But before I go, I wanted to tell you about a special discount on Ellie Bellie Kids gear for our facebook fans. I was inspired by the heat. Go check it out. Then eat a popsicle. Or jump in a pool. Or run through a sprinkler.

Stay cool my friends.

He always brought back gifts from the far away places he visited. It was a tradition. There was a hand-carved table from Haiti, a book of nursery rhymes from England, a wooden shoe from Denmark and a doll from Puerto Rico.

Recently my husband traveled to Mexico City for work. (you can view photographs from his travels here) And he, like my dad did before him, brought back a gift for the kids. He said he looked all over to find something special. Something unique.

What he found were Lucha Libre masks. They may just be the coolest travel gift ever.

Did your parents travel for work when you were a kid? Did they bring back trinkets? Do you or your spouse travel now? What traditions do you have on your return?

For more discussion and essays on travel visit our Travel Issue.

Jennifer Murnaghan from The Brothers Trimm not only has an enviable eye for style, her philosophy on childhood is as good as it gets. Jen believes childhood is something to celebrate and is currently in need of saving. It’s a crusade that’s near and dear to so many of us who seek to make play the primary job of today’s children.

I’ve gotten to know Jen and I’d best describe her as charming, genuine and just plain cool. I thought, you know what? I should introduce her to everyone. I just know they’ll love her. So I asked Jen here today to share a little about herself and why she started The Brothers Trimm. Here is her story…

Sometimes the really obvious answers are the ones so hard to find. And just when you think you’ll never figure it out, Wham! There it is. The Answer!

This is a little how The Brothers Trimm came to be. After the birth of our second boy in early 2009, I often wondered what I’d do when the time came to return to work. I had a background in creative marketing and small scale editing, so I started to conceive a notion of self employment. With no immediate family nearby and a recent relocation from big city Sydney to smaller scale Hobart (in the southern Australian State of Tasmania), the idea of generating employment that allowed me to work from home, and around our children’s schedules was of paramount importance.

I had started a blog, a personal journal, like so many other mothers, which allowed me to share stories of the boys, dreamy aspirations and general inner ponderings, with my family and friends across the globe. I’d often be complimented by my writing style and so on a sunny Sunday afternoon, after a few moments of rare quiet chat with my husband, it dawned on me. The boys… I’ve got to write for the boys!

And so, The Brothers Trimm was born. A play on my husband’s surname with a nod to those famous storytelling Grimm Brothers, I knew in an instant what I needed to do: create a premium resource that celebrated boyhood. Move over girly pink, stand aside glitter fairy, it was time for us to champion our chaps! Resurrect the good old fashioned notions of what it is to be a boy and rescue childhood from the evil clutches of commercialism.

With strong and loving support from family and friends, and a steadily increasing group of fabulous international followers, The Brothers Trimm is rapidly becoming a popular resource aimed at boys aged two to twelve. Featuring craft ideas, ace apparel, toys that teach, boyish books, decor, and a little food (when I can tear my chef husband from his kitchen), it now boasts a popular music and film section, contributed by our good friend, music maestro (and proud New Zealander), Chris Familton in Sydney, and my animation all-star sister and fellow Irishwoman, Julie Murnaghan, in London.

If nothing else, The Brothers Trimm is my crusade to nurture our boys’ development the best way I can. It’s not all about needing stuff; although I do love great design and savvy street wear! Above all else, it’s about nurturing their imagination and finding the tools to help them (and us) along the way. Our aim is not to aspire but to inspire; we strive to be a resource rescue, a brotherly brigade, joining forces to help celebrate what it is to simply, be a boy.

Of course, my notion of perfect self employment is still an imaginary figment, and most evenings are lost to research and reading. I have been fortunate enough to find a bright and busy little corner of Hobart to exercise my previously honed marketing skills, which pays, at least, for our weekly grocery bill. That is, until The Brothers Trimm becomes the reality I am still dreaming of!

Jennifer Murnaghan, her chef husband (left) and two boys reside in Australia. You can also find The Brothers Trimm on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to writing for The Brothers Trimm, we are excited to announce Jen will join the Classic Play team for our next issue—the Sport Issue—arriving in early August.

In our Travel Issue, we offered an idea for a backyard playdate where kids create a magical plane ride to anywhere their imaginations take them. (Click the picture below or the links above to get the full article.) While we hosted our playdate in the backyard, you can easily adapt it for the indoors if you live in an apartment or city.

Enhance the journey by providing a few travel themed books the kids can read and/or flip through for inspiration. Here are a few books off our family’s bookshelf that are sure to jump start the spirit of adventure:

Usborne Children’s Picture Atlas
M. Sasek’s This is Paris
Paddington and the Grand Tour
Curious George Goes to the Beach
Zoe Sophia’s Scrapbook: An Adventure in Venice
Barefoot Books Magic Train Ride

What are some of your family’s favorite children’s travel books?

*Did you host a Destination Anywhere playdate with your kids? If so send us a picture and we’ll feature it here on Classic Play.

Trying to get our picky eater to try a variety of food has resulted in many a standoff. Between the picky eater, my husband and me, meal time can quickly turn into a scene straight out of a Spaghetti Western: tumble weeds blow through the dining room and our eyes dart nervously back and forth. I imagine I’m the Good. In reality, I end up the first man down. Making me which one? The Ugly or the Bad?

Since I know so many of us face this same battle, I’ve asked Blogger Kristin Potler, from LoveFeast Table, to offer her tips for getting the kids to put down the bag of chips and walk towards the healthier food light.

And with that, I turn it over to Kristin…

Often I get asked the question, “How do you get your kids to eat so well?” It could be that they’ve been raised with good food and a variety of foods since they were young. They were exposed early on to different flavors. At the age of two it was pretty normal for our kids to be eating avocados and hummus. They would quickly move onto finger foods such as baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and red peppers.

I found that if it was colorful and small and came with a dip of some sort, it would get eaten! Little ramekins are a mom’s best friend. It makes the food more manageable and not so overwhelming as a plate piled with food. I’d slice grilled chicken and offer it with a dip of yogurt.

Another favorite around here is the “snackable lunch” which is a healthier version of a pre packaged snackable. I pull out a large platter (I have five kids) and I slice up salami or some kind of hard smoked sausage. I also slice up hard cheddar, put out a whole grain cracker, veggies and a choice of honey mustard or peanut butter. I pile on some grapes and strawberries or apple slices. They each get a small plate and spend time creating their own lunches.

Another thing that I think helps children eat healthy is to give them choices. They love to feel in control. Now, by choices I don’t mean you let them stand in front of the refrigerator at dinner and choose what you are going to make for them! I am no short order cook! But, I do mean, when you set out a tray loaded with healthy choices, they feel in control, they don’t realize that any choice they make is a good one and they have fun eating!

I think another thing that helps my kids make good choices with their eating is I don’t have “no zones”. So many moms I meet, that want their kids to eat healthy, don’t have a single crumb of sugar in the house.

You may think you’re controlling their world and you may very well be! You may have compliant kids who all through their lives will take your word for it…never try the sugar and be amazingly, well balanced eaters. Or you may have the kind of kids that the moment they hit the school cafeteria, they buddy up with the Tasty Cake, Ho Ho, Twinkie packed lunch box kid and enjoy some bad-for-your-body stuff while you’re not looking.

Chances are if you have multiple kids, like I do, you’ll have a mix! So, our solution is to offer up lots of choices in the way of candy, but in small portions.

I have come up with the candy drawer, healthy snack drawer solution in my house. The healthy snack drawer is loaded with granola bars, dried fruits, nuts, multi grain cereal bars, etc…

The candy drawer looks like this.

The drawer is kept stocked with individual size pieces of candy. Both drawers are easy to reach. If they are hungry they know at any time they can get a piece of fruit or vegetable without asking. But, if they want a “snack” they ask. I say, “Yes, you can have something out of the healthy drawer.” Or if it’s after lunch, I may surprise them and say, “You can pick two things out of the candy drawer.” And, again, they have choices without realizing I have helped them to make good ones.

About LoveFeast Table
“Join us at the Table or we’ll meet you at yours!” LoveFeast Table is about what happens on and around the table…the food, the conversations, the guests and the inspiration. Pull up a chair to our Table or invite us to yours! Let’s take this journey together!

About Kristin Potler
Kristin co-writes LoveFeast Table with best friend Chris Ann Brekhus. Kristin is from urban Baltimore and Chris Ann from suburban Minneapolis.

Kristin spent 16 years in the restaurant industry, 3 of which she owned Jahva House in historic Ellicott City with her chef-husband Devon. She holds a degree in Hotel Restaurant Management. She has traveled the world with her family, including her 5 children. Her and her husband have prepared feasts in places like China, Ireland and the Philippines. She loves to gather people at the table, hear their stories, try new foods and take in the sights and sounds while dining! She sees the act of sharing a meal as a living art installation. No two meals are ever the same!

We’re heading into the weekend which means we’ll be out and about. But I didn’t want to leave you without something to read. So, I’m sharing some of my favorite posts I’ve run across this week. Enjoy!

Black Bean Brownie Recipe on 101 Cookbooks
I’ve made these and they really are delicious. Don’t be scared off by the black beans.

Does a Mommyblog by any other name smell as sweet?
Classic Play contributor Cheryl Rosenberg weighs in on the debate

aMuse Toy Shop joins the Hand Made Toy Alliance blog week
And they featured us! We love you aMuse and HTA!

A Road Trip gone wrong
Classic Play contributor Ciaran Blumenfeld shares the story of her family road trip. The old saying, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger comes to mind.

Guest posts on Mommy’s Still Fabulous
Erica rounded up a diverse group of contributors while she was away. (and I’m not just saying that because you’ll find me over there) I love being introduced to new writers.

When a teddy bear is more than just a teddy bear.
Jill aka Scary Mommy shares a touching tale of her son’s Bo-Bo bear and reminisces about her own childhood lovey, Polar.

What were some of your favorite links this week?

Skype
Lemonade
Antibiotics
Great neighbors
Dining outside
My family
Living near the water

What are you most thankful for at this moment?

First up is my guest post on Mommy’s Still Fabulous. I wrote about compassion, empathy and the new girl. Please stop by and say hi to Erica. She’s funny, smart and really is fabulous. I am so excited she asked me to post!

The other link I wanted to share is to Charlotte’s Fancy. The very lovely Molly featured the Storm Trooper lanterns from our little man’s birthday party the other week. Thank you so much Molly!

And finally, I wanted to ask everyone how the father’s day celebrations went yesterday. Dave spent his day building legos, watching the World Cup and going to the movies.

I hope all the wonderful Dads out there enjoyed their day. They certainly deserve celebrating!

The other week, I dropped my daughter off at school midday. Her class was out a recess. As we came into view, her classmates started cheering. This was my daughter’s home away from home. These were her friends welcoming her back to their community.

The teacher ran over and gave my daughter a hug. She was happy to see my daughter return to school after battling a little illness. Then the kids came over to give her hugs. One of the boys in the class asked her to play. Many of the kids smiled and waved to me. “Hi, Mrs. Cooper!”

It was exactly what I had hoped for my children’s school experience. If they must be away from my care, then this is how I wanted them to be treated—warmly and with respect.

This strong sense of community, and the warmth and respect, is in large part, the work of a great teacher.

So for this year’s teacher’s gift, we wanted to make it special and personal. It had to be something that came from the heart.

The day I dropped my daughter off at recess, she had overheard the teacher comment on my motherbird necklace. My daughter must have taken mental notes. For when it came time to make a gift for her teacher, she chose birds to be the central theme.

Inspired a little by this and some of that, we chose to turn an old olive jar into a gift with the help of a little paint.

Directions:

You’ll need a glass jar that has been washed out an dried, paint made for glass, a piece of paper, and paint brushes.

1. Cut out a piece of paper that will easily fit into the jar. It’ll be your template.
2. Have your child draw a picture on it. Trust me, teachers love your child’s drawings, even if they’re stick figures, swirls or geometric shapes.
3. Put the drawing inside the jar and use it as a guide for where to apply the paint.
4. Apply glaze. It should come with the set of paint.

It’s pretty much that easy. Don’t forget to add your child’s name and school year. Thanks Cheryl for that tip!

We presented the jar as a vase by filling it with flowers. Later, it can sit on the teacher’s desk to hold pens and pencils.

A couple weeks ago, I posted about our Memorial Day strep mess? Well, it seems the ol’ streptococcal is still making the rounds. Deep sigh.

Remember sick days as a kid? My memories are of watching MPT (Maryland Public Television), Bewitched (with both Darrens) and I Dream of Jeannie reruns. I tried to watch an episode of I Dream of Jeannie recently. Yegads, that show was sexist.

One of my favorite shows though was Book, Look and Listen.

As a kid, sick days were the best and the worst, depending on what you had. As a parent, sick days are usually the latter. There are runs to the pharmacy, thermometers, medicine dispensation, and on those really, really bad sick days, a whole lot of clean up.

Thankfully, yesterday was just strep.

The kids were in relatively good spirits, albeit a little run down, and were starting to get bored. And honestly? I was getting bored too. So we took the opportunity to make our quarantine a smidge more bearable with a movie,

and indoor smores. Our moods lifted. A little quarantine might not be so bad after all.

What are your childhood memories from days being stuck at home sick? How do you try to make sick days now more bearable—for both you and the kids?

Flashlight Tag

To play:
1. Choose a player to be It.
2. That player counts to 20 with his or her flashlight on while everyone else hides.
3. To tag, It shines a light on a player and calls out their name.
4. Once all the players are caught the first person tag becomes the new It.

Slideshow

The Party
As party guests arrived they were given a walking stick and burlap backpack containing furry ears and a small bag of nut-free trail mix. Then they were directed to a station while where they could make a wooden bead and feather necklace while we waited for all the guests to arrive.

Once everyone arrived, guests were gathered and told there were reports of storm troopers in the area. Their mission was to find and capture all the troopers. Partygoers then went on hike led by parents. Storm troopers were hidden along the trail. When spotted, kids used their sticks to bat them out of trees or pick them up to be captured. The captured storm troopers were carried back to camp on a long branch held by two kids and the party began.

The celebration featured cupcakes, lemonade and a round of Happy Birthday. After eating, we played a series of games using the storm trooper cans. The kids knocked down stacked cans with beanbags and also used the cans in a beanbag toss game. After games, it was present time which was followed by free go-crazy time.

Each guest left with their burlap backpack stuffed with ears, necklace, Ewok, and Lego pod racer.

Inspiration & Further Details
I wanted to make sure that there was a strong element of nature present. We chose to have the party at a state park. State parks are very inexpensive but require a bit more planning and prep (like making sure you bring trash bags, making the most out of minimal gear, etc). The goal is to leave no trace. Oh and you’ll also want to avoid things like balloons as remnants left behind can harm wildlife.

For this party, I used a good deal of natural and recycled elements. The coffee cans, glass jars, fabric for Ewoks and sticks were all recycled or reused. We avoided plastics (except for the lego pieces of course) and didn’t purchase paper plates or plastic cups. Not only did this cut down on waste, it cut down on costs too.

Snacks were laid out for guests to munch on. There was a buffet of fresh asparagus spears, sugar snap peas, chips, and sliced apples. The trail mix distributed at the beginning of the party contained: sunflower seeds, banana chips and raisins.

Terrariums were used as centerpieces on the table and were one of my favorite elements. Each one was like a little scene from the movie. The kids enjoyed finding characters in the jars. Not only was it was a fun project, I now have a little terrarium garden I get to enjoy. Score!

Finally, I wanted to mention that we worked hard to keep the party fun and age appropriate. Many kids enjoy getting into character. Mine certainly do. So we wanted to provide them elements to let their imaginations run wild (i.e. ears, walking sticks & backpacks, storm trooper scene set up, etc). Oh and we may have encouraged them to yell Yub! Yub! once or twice. What can I say? Kids need guidance.

Resources
Want to host an Ewok party of your own? Here are some links I either used or found helpful…
Buttermilk Cupcakes These are my favorite cupcakes to make for birthday parties.
Make your own terrarium
Lego Store
Ewok Movie
Eechi wa wa! Ewok cartoon
Yub Yub! The ultimate Ewok inspiration Notice the storm troopers heads?

Special Thanks
Special thanks goes to: my sister and Ellie Bellie Kids partner, Sara, who made all the kids ears and screen printed the ewoks; Dave who spent an hour at the Lego store collecting all the pieces for the pod racers and then spent a couple more hours constructing them all; and my mother-in-law, Linda, who not only helped set up, but also stayed behind with me to frost all the cupcakes while the kids went on the hike.

The fireflies o’er the meadow
In pulses come and go.
-James Russell Lowell

Now here’s the real question, which camp are you in? Fireflies or Lightning Bugs?

My introduction to summer included none of those things. I spent the entire weekend sick in bed with strep throat. Well, actually that’s not entirely true. We did spend a couple hours driving around trying to find an urgent care clinic.

This past weekend however more than made up for missing the start of summer. We visited the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, picnicked with friends, strolled through a state park, dined al fresco overlooking the water, and finished off with a little summer treat.

Isn’t it amazing what a week and a heavy dose of antibiotics can do?

So if you missed the fanfare of summer’s grand entrance like I did (or even if you didn’t), I’d like to offer this wish for you: may your summer be filled with sunshine, lemonade and moments of magic.

So over the next couple weeks we’re aiming to bring you some ideas and inspiration as you dream about, or plan for, some summer fun. First up: Packing!

If you’re like me, you need a little, okay a LOT, of help organizing. Here are a few links to help get you started.

Meredith Levy of Pint Size Social offers up some stylish finds in the travel gear department.

Now we have the gear, but what do we pack?!

Check out this a link for a handy dandy packing list from Real Simple. I’m printing out my copies now.

So what about you? Do you have any favorite packing tips or travel products to share? I’d love to hear them!

This week my son graduated from preschool. It was a milestone. For him, it means he’s now a Kindergartner. For me, it means one parenting chapter closes and a new one begins.

It seems fitting to celebrate such a milestone this week. As we head into this long weekend we also head into a new season—helloooo summer!

Now, before I leave you to slather on the sunscreen, I want to share a story with you. You’ll find it over at Special Sauce in the House—the home of my friend and Classic Play contributor, Cheryl Rosenberg. Cheryl is simply amazing! And if you haven’t visited yet, let me be the first to say, you’ll love it. In fact you may not want to leave. What am I saying? She lives in Southern California! Of course you’ll never want to leave.

In my post, Love is a Three Legged Race, I discuss love, magical moments and making the most out of car rides with the kids.

So come on over and say hello.

My friend Jenny was the first to tell me about the power of books in the home. She’s an avid reader and an educator. So when she tells me something, I listen.

Today, I was reminded of the conversation Jenny and I had when another educator, Lindsay of Coffee In the Classroom, shared this article in the Chronicle. By the way, if you’re not familiar with Lindsay’s blog or follow her twitter stream, you should go check them out.

So what do you think? How important is it to you to have books in the home? And what about new media (e.g. wikipedia, blogs, online news sources) and new technology (e.g. kindle, ipads, etc)? Will it dumb down our kids?

Molly
Sarah
Lori Anne
Candice

I’ll contact each of you shortly. Thank you all so much for spreading the word.

Karma, paying it forward or just plain ol’ sharing – whatever you choose to call it, may the good stuff find its way back to you.

We need some help spreading the word about the new issue of Classic Play. So we’re pulling out the big stuff and asking our friends (that’s you!) for help.

Here’s what we’re doing—We’re giving away four pairs of prizes: one for your child and one to give to your child’s friend. Sharing is caring! Want a chance to win? Just share the Food Issue of Classic Play on your blog, twitter or facebook then comment below with a link or where you posted it.

We’ll randomly select four winners to win one of the following: 2 comic hero capes, 2 story book crowns, 2 robot bags or 2 reversible tutus. Entries must be received by Friday, May 21 at 5:00 pm eastern. No purchase necessary to win.

From the entire team here at Classic Play, I want offer our heartfelt thanks for helping us spread the word!

What’s the old adage? When it rains it pours? Or was that always just a marketing slogan for Morton’s salt?

In any event, May has been a big month for us here at Classic Play and Ellie Bellie Kids—we launched our newest issue, Food!, our contributors have been all over the internet, and one of my favorite toy stores was kind enough to ask me to guest post on its blog. *humbly happy sigh*

What’s that you say Rod? There’s even more? Why yes, studio audience. There is more. I’m also going to announce a new contest here shortly. We’ll be giving away over $300 in prizes. So please stay tuned!

Until then, I wish you a very happy May!

It’s here! It’s here! The new issue of Classic Play just arrived. We baked it fresh and added lots of love. Mmmm, mmmm, good!

So grab a cup of tea, coffee, maybe a cookie or organic, free-range snack of your choosing and tuck in for a lovely bit of reading.

Bon Appetit!

Please take a moment to read this call to action from Classic Play contributor, owner of the magical toy shop Craftsbury Kids and president of the Handmade Toy Alliance, Cecilia Lebovitz:

Republicans and Democrats disagree on CPSIA amendment that would offer relief to thousands of small batch children’s product makers

Thank you!

I could not dream of a world without handmade toys. Small batch artisans have long been making toys and children’s goods that are beautiful, thoughtful, creative and above all safe. Please make a call today.

We can’t save handmade without you.

Sara
Gretchen

Congrats you two on winning a copy of The Jimmies CD! I have no doubt you’ll have tons of fun dancing and singing along with the kids.

She wears short skirts, I wear teeshirts.
She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers.
You belonnnng with meeeeee.

This troubled me. This troubled me a lot.

Now kids singing songs that are laden with more mature themes is nothing new. My husband recalls belting out such classic hits as, Cold as Ice and 867‒5309/Jenny, as a young kid. I myself, have the vivid memory of being in the produce section of a grocery store with my mom, staring up into the slanted mirror above the lettuce, and giving Ebony and Ivory my best shot.

Now I suppose I understand why, given the choice between the kiddie music of the day and letting the kids listen to a song about phone numbers found on bathroom stalls, Tommy Tutone won.

But that was then. This is now. Now we have the Jimmies.

The Jimmies make music that you’ll enjoy listening to no matter what your age. But it’s especially lovely for young impressionable minds (ahem! I’m looking at you school bus driver!). And it’s great music for a family dance party. Now, don’t pretend you don’t have family dance parties. It’s totally okay, you’re among friends here.

In addition to their CD, the Jimmies have created a DVD of videos that are refreshingly clever, exciting and wickedly imaginative. I’m not ashamed to admit they make me want to jump right into the screen.

And who’s that leading the Jimmies? Why it’s Ashley, the band’s singer/songwriter. She’s as creative, as she is smart and a heap of fun. Ashley is joined by a talented band of guys in ties. Together, they make kid-friendly music that’s enjoyable for everyone.

Now I’m not guaranteeing that by listening to the Jimmies you’ll avoid questions from your seven year old like, “Mommy, why does her boyfriend like girls in short skirts?” But it’s worth a shot right?

Now onto other big news (in addition to me introducing you to one of my new favorite bands):

It’s time for a GIVEAWAY…GIVEaway…giveaway…

The Jimmies are giving away signed copies of their CD to two lucky Classic Play readers. That’s right! All you have to do to be entered to win is tell us your favorite childhood music memory—whether it was your dad introducing you to AC/DC, your mom leaping across the room to turn off the radio as soon as the first few beats of Like A Virgin played, or if you watched Free to Be You and Me a few hundred times.

Comment below. Two winners will be chosen at random on Thursday, April 29.

PS Midwestern readers – you can see the Jimmies live on stage! They’ll be performing at Jiggle Jam in Kansas City on Sat May 29th from 2:00 – 3:00 pm.

When I was in my late teens, I took up gardening. It’s kind of a strange thing for a young adult to take up, isn’t it? It was as if one day, I woke up and said, “Today, I’m going to start a garden.” There was no real rhyme or reason to it as I recall.

I had my then boyfriend (who incidentally is my now husband) help me start a garden in a plot of yard at my parents’ house. I grew all sorts of herbs and veggies. I used loose straw to make pathways and broken tree limbs to section off beds. I even put up a little white picket fence from which white twinkle lights were hung. It was magical.

Now I would be lying if I said I was a good gardener. I wasn’t. The veggies didn’t grow much. I planted the garden next to a black walnut tree. Apparently, black walnut tree roots send out toxins to prevent any sort of competition. Who knew? But the one thing I was good at growing were weeds.

Thankfully, there are farmer’s markets.

But the lack of successful growing didn’t stop me from having my Martha moment. Each morning I would take a little stroll to see what was happening in the garden. Did the peas finally sprout? Did the eggplant blossom? Perhaps I was a strange kid. But creating a productive space from just ground and seedlings? Well, it was quite a remarkable feeling. And it’s something I’d love to have my children experience.

That’s where Sue over at Motherhood and Me comes in. I heard she was hosting an Earth Day Party. I was so positively inspired by her idea, I just had to share it with you. It’s a creative way to celebrate the earth and teach how the earth, when treated properly, provides our nourishment.

Here’s what she’s doing: She’s invited her daughter’s friends over for a planting and lunch party. She instructed everyone to bring a fruit or vegetable to plant and a lunch dish to share with the group that involves the fruit or vegetable they are planting. Brilliant right?! It’s the perfect blend of community, education and fun.

She’s also planned to have some other fun kid-friendly activities that you should check out. Sue is a mama after my own heart!

I’ve lost some of my gardening mojo over the years. It seemed that either working full time, being pregnant or running after little ones, took up so much of my time that I let my love of gardening slip away. Right now, my little plot of backyard is looking rather pathetic. But I’m hopeful. And I’m determined. Plus, my kids are old enough now to do their part.

And when we all do our part, everything is better.

For more inspiration, check out Ed Emberley’s Great Thumbprint Drawing Book.

Do you have a link, tip, project or idea for celebrating Earth Day with the kids? Share ‘em below!

“…the more buttons and batteries the toy has means the less sounds and noises the child is making. How are you pushing your child to be creative and teaching them to grow if their toys do everything for them?”
-Pamela Paul, author of Parenting, Inc

For the past week, we’ve been hard at work on the next issue of Classic Play. Oh yes, we’ve been busy little bees here: writing, crafting, photographing, designing and drawing. We’ve been so busy that I looked up to see that there’s been no post in a week! Yikes!

But I’m here to rectify that oversight by bringing you the sidebar discussions we’ve been having with friends this past week during our coffee breaks:

-We wished Kirsten of Nilsen Life a very happy birthday!

-We shared a great sale (30 percent off!) over at Ellie Bellie Kids for facebook fans.

-We were shocked to find out the veggie burgers we’ve been chomping on contain neurotoxins. Eek!

-We whipped up some yummy scrum-dili-umptious buttermilk cupcakes. Soooo yummy!

-We watched the Paris Roubaix race and thought it was super cool that Fabian Cancellara won.

-We gave three cheers when Cheryl revealed she was quoted in a CNN story on breastfeeding.

-And we chitchatted about twitter and asked the question: if we tweet it, will anyone respond?

So how about you? What have you been up to since we last chatted?

Can’t make it to a museum this spring break? You can still have a museum experience by encouraging the kids make a museum of their very own.

I’ve asked my good friend, Clare Brown, an exhibit designer whose recent work can be viewed in the First Ladies exhibit at the National Museum of American History, to share some tips for kids who want to create a museum of their very own. Here’s what she had to say…

1) Make a collection of objects – a museum is different from a book because it has REAL objects!

2) Make sure there is a story that you can tell either about or using those objects. Do a little internet research about your objects, maybe find some new images or new stories about your objects.

3) Write labels about your objects to identify them and/or tell a story about them.

4) Make it look pretty! Display them so that people can see them easily, lift them on to blocks so that they look important, place different objects next to each other to highlight relationships and/or differences in the objects.

5) Entice people to move from object to object using attractive colors, or images to get people to move through your space.

6) optional: make it interactive! Get people to learn through doing.

7) optional: Make a reference book where people can “learn more” after they have finished looking at your exhibit.

Extra credit: Another thing to think about, but this is on a higher plane of thought… the difference between resonance and wonder. Resonance refers to making objects mean something to visitors. Wonder refers to creating a space where visitors experience awe just by looking at objects. It’s kind of a neat thing to think about as both are valid approaches in exhibit design.

And for more serious museum planners out there, they’ll want to consider the following:

1) security – keeping objects safe
2) conservation – protecting objects in a good environment for them
3) accessibility – making the space and information accessible to all kinds of people

I want to thank Clare for offering all of these fantastic ideas and tips. Now go out there and give a try.

Send us a picture of your child’s museum and we’ll feature it here on Classic Play.

Today is World Autism Day.

I figured this was the perfect day to teach my kids a little about autism. While I spent a number of years working in early intervention with kids with autism, I don’t think I’ve ever actually talked to my kids about it.

It’s been a number of years since I’ve been out of the field. So this morning, I spent some time sifting through sites in an attempt to brush up. I wanted to find something that illustrated that people with autism think differently than most people. I ran across many stories, but some of them seemed to focus on things kids with autism won’t grow up to do, not what they could. Others were too clinical. I don’t want my kids to fear or pity people with autism. I want them to be patient, kind and accepting.

In my search, I ran across a brilliant site I just had to share with you: Mom-NOS. It’s beautiful, insightful and one of the best examples of explaining autism to kids (and adults for that matter) that I’ve run across. In it, a mother explains that kids with autism are hairdryer people in a toaster-brained world.

She also explains what her son’s classmates can do to help her son—always make school a place where it’s okay to be different.

There’s one other thing I wanted to share today. It’s the video below of a little boy that reminds me of so many of the kids I used to know. Bright and full of potential. While I’ve been through my share of tantrums and non-compliance (it’s not a cake-walk folks), what I remember most are the brilliant moments. The moments of breakthroughs, the moments of giggling.

I could climb atop my soap box and tell you how desperately funding is needed for autism therapy, education and respite care. But for today, I’ll just ask that if you don’t know about autism to read up a bit and share what you learn with your kids. With rates as high as 1 in 110 children chances are you, or your children, will one day have a friend with autism.

Jen – Art Ditto

Emily – Close Up: National Gallery of Art

Chosen by Random.org

Thanks everyone for playing along!

This is a picture of me with my kids during a recent visit to Walters Art Museum. I love museums. Love them, love them. This enthusiasm for museums developed at a young age.

When the first nice day of spring rolled in, my parents would declare it adventure day. Then they’d pack the six of us into an old beat up van and head into Washington, DC for some sightseeing.

We’d hit the mall and walk for miles and miles. The route was typically the same. First up Natural History, then it was American History. Next we’d tour the National Gallery of Art. Usually we’d finish at Air & Space, where my dad would buy slides featuring constellations and planets to add to his collection. The ultimate finale? A pack of astronaut ice cream for us kids to share. Sweet, sweet freeze-dried neapolitan goodness.

There were three things that would always happen after our adventure: 1. I’d complain endlessly that my feet and legs hurt, 2. we’d get lost heading out of DC and 3. I’d dream about what I saw that day.

However, the reality is that not every kid is as enthusiastic about going to the museum as I was. That’s where making it a game comes in.

The founders of Birdcage Press have created a variety of games that get kids excited about going to the museum. The games are clever, fun and great for a variety of ages.

I honestly love the Birdcage Press mission and their products. And I’m not alone. Their games have won the Oppenheim Best Toy Award, Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award, Teacher Choice Awards and the iParenting Media Award among many others.

And now for the giveaway…

The amazing women at Birdcage Press have graciously agreed to give away three of their games to three lucky readers: Art Ditto, National Gallery: Close Up and the Impressionist Art Game.

All you have to do to enter is comment below. I will randomly select three winners on Monday, March 29.

Good luck!

“You see things and you say Why? But I dream things that never were and I say, why not?” -George Bernard Shaw

Sometimes a quote really hits me. Either I desperately need the inspiration or I find it articulates how I feel. The quote above is a mixture of both.

Having an active imagination isn’t just for kids. While we most often focus on encouraging children to think abstractly and creatively, ultimately, it’s a family affair.

So today I bring you two links about creativity, curiosity and the power of imagination—one featuring a world-renowned writer and the other, one of the most brilliant scientists of all time.

JK Rowling Stresses Role of Imagination
Einstein on the importance of Imagination

What do you say? How important is an active imagination in your life?

Join us on March 27th from 8:30 to 9:30 pm as we turn off the lights in celebration of Earth Hour.

Last year, nearly one billion people across 4000 cities and 88 countries united in one action—turning off the lights. This year, our family is pledging to join them.

To make it meaningful, the World Wildlife Fund has created resources for both you and the kids. They’ve created free lesson plans and a website for kids called earthhourkids.org.

For more information on Earth Hour visit myearthhour.org

Lights out.

In one of the first issues of Classic Play, we featured a twist on the traditional scavenger hunt where kids took pictures of things we wanted them to find. We distributed a list of items and a disposable camera. Then we told the kids to snap away. Not only is it a great introduction into photography, you get to walk away with souvenirs of the adventure.

One of the things I love about this idea is its flexibility. You can come up with a list of items in the neighborhood or just as easily turn it into a grander adventure by pairing it with a trip to the zoo by including animals on the list. I also love that while it’s guided, there’s plenty of room for self expression. In my book, that’s just about the perfect recipe for play.

For pictures from our original scavenger hunt and more ideas, check out the feature here.

So tonight as you’re gathered around the dinner table or tucking the kids in for bed, try one of these exercises. You may find you have your very own Mark Twain living in your house:

Story Improv: assigned each family member a section of story (beginning, middle, end). The first person starts the story and passes it to the next. That person gives it to the next person and so on until the last person is reached and needs to wrap up the tale.

Character/Setting/Problem/Solution: Each person is assigned to come up with one of the follow: character(s), setting, problem or solution. The list is compiled and one or more family members craft a story incorporating all of the elements generated. You use this one as a frame work for the story improv exercise above.

What Happens Next: This is one in which you choose a common story (e.g. Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, etc) and you ask what happens next? Each person gets a turn to tell what they think happens after the original story ends. Another option is to have everyone come up with new endings for a chosen story.

Mad Libs: For those of you looking for more direction here’s a link for free printable Spring themed Mad Libs. It’s a great tool for learning about parts of speech. Plus you don’t have to face the scary thought of starting a story from scratch. While I personally find that part rather thrilling, I understand the need to wade before going all in.

A Few Notes:
-If the kids get stuck, ask them a few questions to get them started again.
-Have a signal for when a story should start wrapping up. I find that sometimes one can get so engrossed that they forget to keep the story on track for an ending.
-Don’t be afraid to be silly!

I’ve shared a few of the things our family does for storytime. Now it’s your turn. What are some of your favorite storytelling activities?

Didn’t win the iStopMotion software but still want to make your children’s stories come to life? You can by using the Iconographic technique. In essence, you use a video camera to pan and zoom over an illustration to create the illusion of movement.

You can also use still pictures. I ran across this tutorial tutorial for those of you who have iMovie.

For more inspiration check out this 1963 recording of M. Sasek’s This Is Israel.

I’m hoping no one tells my kids the date today.

Most people herald the first of March – FINALLY! The Beginning of Spring! Six foot drifts of snow on the ground be damned! For the kids in my house, it marks the end of the most groundbreaking, radical experiment ever.

Exactly four weeks ago, on a Sunday evening we broke the news to the kids that we wouldn’t be watching TV in the month of February. (You can read about how we sold it to them here.) We were fully prepared for wailing and gnashing of teeth, but our first surprise was that the kids treated the news with more suspicion than anything else. They couldn’t quite believe their parents would undertake something this outrageous.

Even our friends and family thought we’d well and truly lost it. “You do realize this means YOU’LL be on the hook to entertain them, right?!?!” was the gist of most commentary. One lone voice offered her guess that after a week or so they wouldn’t even miss it. I wasn’t sure, but I was convinced that come dinner prep time, *I* would miss it. Even my husband, when we hatched the plan, wondered if I didn’t want to build in some magical trump card that would allow me to turn on the tube without shame.

The first week was comical. My four year old would wander up casually, throw in a hug for good measure, and ask sweetly if he could watch some Pink Panther. My answer was a cheerful “Nope!”, every time. When my toddler woke up in the mornings and demanded SHEEEE-VEEEEE! I would giggle like she’d said something charming, and offer my same cheerful “Nope!”

The crazy thing is, they didn’t ask twice. By the end of that week, they’d stopped asking at all. They’d stopped thinking up loopholes and alternate schemes like The Great Watch TV ALL DAY EVERY DAY Experiment. Slowly, they wandered off to respective corners of the house to re-discover Playmobil guys abandoned after Christmas, Lego sets half-built, American Girl dolls needing to be tucked into their canopy bed.

Gradually, I began to see the jump ropes tied together in elaborate knots – “this’s my Bad Guy Catcher, Mom!” I noticed many more stories scribbled on scraps of paper around the house, and I began to get lots of requests for more sharp pencils and new journals. My baby became seriously involved in the business of Babies – I must have swaddled the dollies about 42 times a day this month. “Ooooh soooo cooooooozyyy” she’d croon, each and every time.

Yes, there were moments of weakness. Literally. One week into the experiment the two adults in the house were laid out with a vicious stomach bug, and I have to confess to an hour of Caillou just to occupy the toddler whilst I visited with Death on the sofa. But even that day, the older kids were fully occupied outside with 20″ of snow and never noticed the lapse. Even the second blizzard that week didn’t test our resolve, particularly. We filled our snow days with baking, coloring, exercise videos (what a hoot!), and lots of books.

The hardest days were the days when the adults were short on sleep, short on patience, and the kids were long on energy. After a solid week of snow days, we were all a bit stir crazy, but still no one asked for screen time.

We’ve reached the end of The Great No TV Experiment, and I’ll tell you – it’s Officially Groundbreaking Research. Turns out, three kids 7 and under *CAN* find things to do, even in the horrible hour between 5 and 6pm. Turns out, those three kids might even find ways to play together. And that’s enough to make me throw away the key to the TV cabinet.

I’m still unsure what the policies will be, as of today. So for now, I’m holding out hope that the preschool teacher forgets to change the calendar.

Congrats David!

When I was a kid, I used to make coloring books. I’d fill them with pictures and mazes, word searches and draw what’s missing doodles. I would fill pages and pages, staple them together and then try to sell them to my younger siblings as a fun project.

It is in that spirit that I went on a trip to one of the big book stores to purchase magazines for my children. I was pretty disappointed with the selection.

Kids magazines these days are often filled with commercial characters. While I am not against licensed characters at all, I do find the stories in those sorts of magazines to be rather boring for both me and the kids. Often they don’t seem to have much meaning or thought beyond, look at the pretty pony. And I do not find they help my children to think creatively. Does it help them practicing their reading? Yes. Does it encourage them to think of things in a new and unique way? No.

So when I ran across Anorak magazine, I did a little jig for joy. And if you haven’t seen my jig, well then, I’ll just have to tell you it’s quite enthusiastic. Anorak is exactly the magazine I would have dreamed of having when I was a kid. And it’s one that I am thrilled to have found for my children now.

Anorak is filled with original artwork, creative stories, interviews with real people and more. It’s adventurous, surprising, and wholly unique. If it were a person at a dinner party, it would be the one I’d most want to sit next to—the one full of life, enthusiasm and stories.

So it is with that introduction that I make my next announcement. (cue fanfare) A giveaway...

Our friends over at Anorak are giving away a subscription to one lucky Classic Play reader. That’s four issues! All you have to do is comment below by Monday March 1st. One winner will be chosen at random.

Good luck & Happy Reading!

PS. Anorak also has an iphone app that we love! It has been a life-saver when we’ve had to wait in long lines at the grocery store and post office.

PPS. All comments require an email address. We don’t share or harvest email addresses. I’ll only use it to contact you should you win.

Last spring, I was invited to be a guest writer over at Make and Takes. I was so excited! I went to work brainstorming. It can be a little nerve wracking to figure out what you want to share. Will the readers like it? Will my instructions be clear? So I sat and I thought. And I thought while I sat. I guess I do my best thinking while physically inactive.

The project I arrived at was one I had made before: a doorway Puppet Theater. The one I made previously was a Christmas present for the kids. It was mostly red and was made of a velvety material. So it was more like a movie theater curtain. This time, however, I went more colorful with a circus theme.

Why circus? Well, we had just visited an exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art entitled A Circus Family: Picasso to Leger. So I had circus on the brain I s’ppose. Note: if this exhibit travels to your area, I think it’s in Dallas now, run to see it! It’s really fantastic.

I’m actually quite happy with the finished project. It was easy to put up and take down. And more importantly it was cute and non-gender specific. Having a boy and a girl myself, I’m a big fan of items that appeal to each equally.

Should you be inspired to make a puppet theater of your own (and it doesn’t have to look like mine, a cut out box would do just as well), please share! I’d love to see it!

As I settled into day five of a stomach bug that has taken hold of our house, I realized I could use, no required in order to survive, a good laugh. So here it is. Something you can watch with the kids (who I hope are healthy in your house) and have a good chuckle over together. Enjoy…

So what do you think? Jamie Oliver heads to Washington today to discuss the food revolution. Are you in?

Oh and check out Jamie’s new show coming this March. It looks pretty darn compelling.

Happy Valentine’s Day Weekend! May it be filled with love and happiness.

Congratulations Teresa! We hope you and your little ones enjoy the magic of movie making.

-Nancy Mellon, The Art of Storytelling

I have always been fascinated by the art of storytelling. Everywhere you look there is a story. We go to the movies and the stage to watch stories. We pick up books or follow blogs so we can read stories. We buy music or go to concerts so we can hear stories. We write, we create so we can tell stories.

When I was a kid, I was once invited to watch a group of kids, most of whom were a class above mine—the A level kids, work on a project. It was one of the coolest projects I had ever seen. They, this group of about 10 or so kids whom I later learned were the GT kids, were making their very own filmstrips. Being somewhat of an AV geek myself (in grade school I rented a projector from my public library, a reel of the Red Balloon and proceeded to set up a theater in my living room) I was captivated by the process.

The kids were all given markers and filmstrip material. Then they each constructed a series of pictures to explain a unit they were working on. I don’t remember what the unit was about. It wasn’t the content that particularly interested me. It was that the kids were able to let the story unfold in any manner they wanted. Then those tiny pictures were cast onto a large screen for everyone to see. Their art, their story. Shared.

As many of you know, we here in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, are snowed in. We have had two blizzards in one week and are pretty much trapped. TRAPPED I say! Before the first storm hit, I set about preparing a couple projects to keep the cabin fever at bay.

One of those projects was to create a story with the kids. I wanted to go back to that filmstrip idea I had been introduced to so many years ago. But filmstrips are a thing of the past. So I chose a different medium: stop animation.

I started by making a list. On it I wrote: characters, setting, time, problem, solution. Then I had the kids fill it in. From there we created a script of sorts. Then my daughter drew the figures and setting. We set up the camera. After taking all the pictures, Dave imported it, put it to music and volia, The Friendly Dragon was born. *note: it’s best to watch this full screen as some of the writing is rather small. Just click on the four arrows in the bottom right corner.

The Friendly Dragon (by Ellie and Jonah) from Dave Cooper on Vimeo.

Now you’re probably saying to yourself, but we don’t access to that of that sort of program to make it work. Well, I thought about that.

So I contacted the good people over at Boinx who created iStopMotion and told them about our little project. Then I asked if they wouldn’t mind offering a copy of their software to one of our readers so a reader’s family could create movie of their very own. And do you know what they said? “Absolutely!” Isn’t that super cool of them?!

To enter to win your own personal license copy of iStopMotion just comment below. And please spread the word. I’ll be announcing the winner on Friday. I hope the lucky winner comes back to share their family’s story with us!

Now go enter!

Wakey, wakey!

Good morning! Time to get up!

No, don’t pull the covers up again. No. You have to get up. You’re going to be late.

Brush your teeth. BRUSH your TEETH! I know it’s exhausting. There is nothing on the planet more life-force sucking than brushing your teeth. Unfortunately the sugar bugs never get tired of eating them. So you must get rid of them. Now. NOW!

Get dressed, please. Are you dressed? You’re not wearing that. No. No. No. It’s 45 degrees. You’re not wearing a tank top. You need long-sleeves. Or a sweater. Don’t come downstairs til you change. Get back upstairs! Upstairs!

What’s for breakfast? We have toast or waffles. Not eggs. Not pancakes. I don’t have bacon. I’m not cooking. Okay, cereal. You can have cereal. You cannot have Daddy’s cereal. That’s junk food. And put that juice box away. You can have orange juice. In a glass. Nothing in a pouch. Put Daddy’s coffee down!

Are those shorts you’re wearing under your jeans? Take them off. Put the jeans back on. Not the shorts. The jeans!

What do you want for snack? Goldfish? I don’t care if Kyle brings Ding Dongs every day. You can have a gogurt, crackers and grapes. No grapes? A banana, then. An apple. Pick one pick one pick one.

You have TEN minutes! TEN minutes!

Where’s the baby? Has anyone seen the baby? Can someone find him? What? He’s in the bathroom? XANDER! Ick! We don’t eat toilet paper!

SEVEN MINUTES!

No, you can’t watch TV. You have school. Do you have your folder? Is your homework in it? I don’t know where your homework is. Where did you put it? Is it under the couch? Check under the couch. Use your light saber and sweep around under there.

FIVE MINUTES! FIVE MINUTES!

Put on your socks. Those don’t match. Never mind. Put on your shoes. And your coat. I don’t care if the sun just came out. You know what? I used to have to walk two miles to school in the snow. Uphill. Both ways. And did I complain about wearing a coat? NO! Because we couldn’t AFFORD a coat. I had to carry the dog over my shoulders just to keep warm. And I was glad for it. So put your coat on. Where is it? It’s hanging up in the closet. Where it belongs. Imagine that.

THREE MINUTES!

David! Are you taking Sawyer to school? What? You’re on a call? But I’m in my pajamas! I don’t have my contacts in! Okay! Fine!

ONE MINUTE!!

Okay. Let’s go. Let’s go let’s go let’s go. Wait. WAIT!

Where’s the baby??

Recently, I stumbled across a series of stories that became fast favorites in our home. The stories are those of the Fox and the Polar Bear (the Polar Bear being affectionately nicknamed Mrs. PB).

Each night before bed, it has become customary to check in and see what sort of zany adventure Mr. Fox and Mrs. PB had that day. The kids climb into my lap and watch the story of these two spirited characters unfold. We’ve held on as we imagined Mr. Fox and Mrs. PB speeding down a hill in their red flyer wagon. We gasped as we envisioned Mr. Fox flying through the air after Mrs. PB leaped from a tower of baked bean cans onto a makeshift catapult. We swapped our own strategies for how to best wrangle a crocodile after we pictured the maneuvers Mr. Fox had to employ to overtake the croc Mrs. PB’s had let loose.

After the red flyer adventure, my daughter requested I download the entire Wild Things song. As we danced around to the classic, I realized I had two imaginary characters to thank for the moment. Two imaginary characters who were created by two wonderfully creative storytellers.

Mr. Fox and Mrs PB’s human counterparts are Miss Emily and Mr Tom. The very lovely Molly from Charlotte’s Fancy recently interviewed Tom and Emily to learn more about the creative couple behind the Fox and the Polar Bear stories. They are as equally charming as the stories they create. Along with the blog, the two have created a flickr site where they post links to hear the story read aloud by either Tom or Emily themselves.

Filled with magical stories and fantastic photography, the Fox and the Polar Bear is a site you can’t help but visit over and over again.

It appears that we, here in the mid-Atlantic region, are about to be walloped by a snow storm. The media outlets have been talking about it for a couple days now. So yesterday I prepared. I went out to stock up on a few essentials: art supplies, popcorn and milk for hot cocoa. Oh, and let’s not forget marshmallows. These items are a must in any snowstorm kit. At least, in my opinion anyway.

Tonight we plan to gather with a group of friends as the snow falls. I am curious to hear what everyone looks forward to most about being snowed in: board games, movies, art projects, making pots of hot cocoa, all of the above if you’re like me.

We’re not often given opportunities to slow down. So even though it may be cold and snowy, I am going to warmly embrace this one.

The curtains open and the movie begins.

In the Love Issue we visited a family as they enjoyed a simple night in—pizza and a movie. This is something we do often in the Cooper house. Last year, my daughter had a mock pj party (she was a bit too young for a real sleep over). She invited a friend over to make their own pizzas, mix up some yummy rootbeer floats and watch Herbie the Love Bug. I must say, they seemed to have a lot of fun.

As a child, I so fondly remember watching the Wonderful World of Disney movies on Sunday nights: Pollyanna, the Swiss Family Robinson, the Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. My dad would make pizza dough (I seem to recall his version came from a bagged mix that only required the addition of water) and we would settle in for a couple hours together. It was one of the few quiet moments we had as a family. In a rowdy family of six, quiet moments were sometimes hard to find.

But before I get completely swept up in nostalgia, I want to get to the real point of this post and that is to ask: what are your favorite family movies?

My goal is to not only make this a place you’ll want to come back to often, but also one in which you feel comfortable sharing your own family stories. So I hope to hear from you soon.

Until then, happy reading!

Are we just wired for it? Is it social modeling? I don’t know. What I do know is that I can remember with great clarity the name of the boy I first realized I liked differently than the others. I was five and I chased him around during recess. I was bold at five.

When I started a thread on childhood crushes over at Mommies With Style (at the time my daughter was five and endlessly drew pictures of her and a boy she was certain to one day marry), I was surprised with how many of us could recall with great clarity our first preschool crush. I guess it’s something that stays with us.

Now it’s your turn. What can you remember about your first childhood love?

I’ve been fortunate to meet some very talented people during my time. One of those people is artist and illustrator Linda Olliver. When I met Linda and saw her work, I knew that I wanted to work with her one day.

Some time later an opportunity came knocking. As we were sitting around concepting our crown, we realized we needed an artist. My first call was to Linda. We chatted and she said it sounded interesting. So on a random weekday morning we met for breakfast. She listened patiently as I alternated between explaining my vision and coaxing a rambunctious three-year-old to settle down and eat his muffin. It didn’t take her long before she returned with her first sketches and they were exactly what I was looking for—icons that were classic, yet went beyond the stereotypical. Icons that hinted there was more to the story.

I gave her a call several months later to ask her to design something for Classic Play. The idea was to have a set of puppets kids could download and color in so they could create their own puppet show. She whipped up this great Beauty and Beast. And they’re yours free. So today, break out the box o’ crayons, a sturdy pair of scissors, a little glue and a popsicle stick or two and see what tales unfold.

Anyone on Twitter? I am. You can follow me here to see what I’m up to as I fumble my way around figuring out what the heck to tweet about.

Looking for more friends to follow? Classic Play writers Cheryl Rosenberg and Kirsten Nilsen are there too!

This song has been on replay in my head for days now. Not sure if it’s from putting together the love issue or if it’s from my seven year old singing it day and night. Whatever the case may be, when I complained to a friend she made a good point saying there are worse songs to be stuck in one’s head. So true.

Our makeshift concession stand stocked with treats for movie watching.

Welcome to the new and improved Classic Play! We hope you love the new layout and site as much as we do. While you’re here, check out our newest issue. It’s all about love.