A Cardboard Box

 

A cardboard box has been the topic of many a commercial (and conversation) when it comes to the creativity of children. How many times have we seen kids discard the toy that was in the box and play for days with it's container?  Never underestimate the power of a cardboard box!

There is a kid under there!

 Last week, I gave my children 84 cardboard boxes to play with so that I could observe. My kids are 6 and 12, so my experiment was powerful to watch as even my tween was entranced by stacking, building, and crashing.  They were both excited with the multiple ways they could use them.

The holidays are here and you will soon find your home with cardboard boxes... I challenge you to gift them to your kids and see what creativity blooms. It's pretty cool to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Life... one day at a time.

I aplogize for the lack of posts this last week. I was practically bedridden due to a supplicated rib in the back. MISERY with a capital M and sadly, everything hurt... including blogging. Thanks to my hero husband, I recieved excellent treatment and chircopractic care and am on the mend. I am just taking it one day at a time.

With the tragedy at Sandy Hood Elementary this last week, it brought to light for me the importance of celebrating every day with those we cherish. Kisses and cuddles and "Love You's" should be given in abundance and so should celebrating everyday. Even if it's a silly.... maybe especially because it is silly.

With that, here is the upcoming week of little reasons to laugh and spoil eachother followed by some suggestions from your Kaleidoscape Play Studio crew. God Bless. <3

December 17th - National Bake Cookies Day!
Could this day come at a better time of year? What a great little way to spend the evening with you Littles than baking (and eating) cookies! And... if you make too many... GREAT! Give them away as gifts! LOL ! Did you know that the English word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekje," which means little cake? Turns out that Dutch bakers used to test oven temperatures on small amounts of batter so that they would not waste the entire cake mix if the temperature wasn't right.

December 18th - National Oatmeal Muffin Day!
Whole lotta bakin' going on this week! Now I personally LOVE oatmeal raisin cookies the best of all; how far off can and oatmeal raisin muffin be? HMMMMM. With cream cheese? I'm just making suggestions here...

 

OR... you could make these: Winning Recipe Oatmeal-Raisin Cupcakes, Orange Cream Cheese Icing and share some with us! LOL

 

 

 

December 20th - Go Caroling Day!It doesn't matter if you remember all the words or not. Just bundle up, take a themos of hot cocoa for the kids (more for the adults if you choose) and go sing as much as you can to the neighbors and call it good. It's not done as much as it was in my childhood or even teenage hood... (is that a word?!) but I still think that carol singing has a place in our cultural and social psyche. Not sure what to sing? Click HERE!

 

 

December 21st - National Flashlight Day!How FUN is this?! We plan to turn out all the lights and play hide and seek with flashlights!

In case you didn't know, the flashlight was invented in 1898, and the biblical quote of "Let There Be Light" was on the cover of the 1899 Eveready catalog, advertising the new flashlight! A flashlight by definition is a small portable lamp usually powered by batteries. Hmmph. Who knew?

Build It Tuesday - Hanukkah Inspired!

One aspect of my job is checking on Pinterest for inspiration and I must confess, I have been WAITING for months for this day! One of the best Duplo builds I found was this idea to create a menorah for Hanukkah. I must give credit where credit is due though! Click here to find the dreidel lego ideas as well!

On a side note... I am not Jewish, but to me the Holy Days of Judaism make a lot fsense and I've always been intersted in them. (Well... and kugel!)

In Honor of the festival of lights and the miracle of the oil Happy Hanukkah

Ways to Celebrate Being Alive This Week!

There are a lot of ways to show your family that you love them and celebrating the little things is one of those ways. We try to give you assistance here on the blog-o-rama to do that.
Okay, so, let's serve up silliness for the week of December 3 - December 9th!

 

 

December 4th is an fun day!
Santa's List Day AND Wear Brown Shoes Day. Well, well, well!
Regardless of your thoughts on using the Naughty List to bring on better behavior, some days just call for an emergency "Santa probably wouldn't care for that" reminder! Here is a great tool you can use or not... http://www.portablenorthpole.com/home

As for brown shoes.. you are on  your own... but fortunately, you still have tomorrow to pick up a pair if you need!

 

December 5th is Bathtub Party Day

This is bound to be a hit for your kids, so consider carefully. Will you do bubbles, make faux-hawks with shampoo, create bathtub paints with this recipe from Pepper Paints or... fill the tub with as many rubber duckies as you can find!

December 6th is Mitten Tree Day
Odd? Yes. But... consier the book The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen about a lady who sews mittens for kids who don't have them. She leaves them on a tree and donates them anonymously to those in need until she runs out of yarn.

Hmmm.... do I feel a mitten giving mission coming on?



December 7th is Letter Writing Day
We double dog dare you to actually WRITE a letter and mail it today. <3 Sure... it can be to Santa.


December 8th is National Brownie Day

Hooray!!!! What a GREAT day!!!
Whether you make them with the kids, or they get made in secret, the key here is to EAT them!

And just so we are all on the same page...
no one really cares if you make 'em from a box.

 
  December 9th is Christmas Card Day, so we are thinking... this is a pretty great day to send 'em out if you haven't already! Here is ours! Merry Christmas to your family from ours. <3

 
 

Build It Tuesday - A Bridge to Creativity

 

Creating towers and buildings with legos and blocks is a timeless pastime. Adults and kids alike can't resist stacking at least a few together. Have you wondered how your child SEES their creations?

 

 
Are they simply creating a miniature world,
or do they see something...

BIGGER?

If you consider how crushed they get when it's time to dismantle and put the toys away, you might be seeing evidence to that. 
I'm not suggesting that we leave every Lego tower standing,


but it does give us pause to admire their work a little more closely. Just food for thought...

Feel like reading more about building with Legos... Right or Left Brain Lego Builders  is a good read too! Build on families... build on!

And Toy Tuesday: Lego Learning!

Now, armed with all that brick knowledge...
let's build a bridge!

Celebrating Life from Nov 26 - Dec 2

All the ways you can just celebrate the fact that you are alive for the upcoming week and a few humble suggestions as to how you might do that. Enjoy the little things... they ARE the big things.

 

Monday the 26th - Mustache Monday AND Shopping Reminder Day

It is your last chance to don a mustache and recieve 10% off your dinner at any Don Jose's in Alaska for Mustache Monday! This applies all day and statewide. If you don't have a mustache, just ask your server and they'll hook you up!

In addition... just a friendly remider to shop... and shop local.

Tuesday the 27th - Pins and Needles Day

Interesting to find out that this day actually has two meanings, when so many of these random holidays have no history on their origin! So, you can tuck one meaning into your random bit of knowledge pocket and then celebrate with us by giving a holiday gift hint to someone so that they are on pins and needles! Or... create something using pins and needles.

 

Wednesday the 28th - Make Your Own Head Day

This is a perfect sculpture project for you and your kids. Try papier' mache, draw a picture or sculpt out of Play-dough and remember... there is no wrong in art.

Friday the 30th - Stay at Home Because You Are Well Day

Here you go... a bona fide reason to play hooky! We don't know if it will fly at work, but if you have the opportunity to take the day off for some much needed family fun, we highly recommend it!

Saturday the 1st - Eat a Red Apple Day
Apples are delicious. Apples are nutritious. That's a great combination. It is really easy to participate in this special day. Your mission today, is to pick an apple among the many varieties, and eat it.

A little apple trivia: The science of growing apples is called pomology.  

Sunday the 2nd - National Fritters Day

If you live in Anchorage, I fully believe that a lunch or dinner date at the Sourdough Mining Company is in order. That way you can celebrate by eating the BEST corn fritters in town with honey butter! YUM!

 

If not... give the recipe a whirl!

Ingredients:	3 eggs 3/4 c. creamed corn 1/2 c. canned corn, drained 1 3/4 c. flour 3/4 c. sugar 1/4 c. half-n-half 3 tsp baking powder
Directions:	Mix all ingredients, then drop by large spoonfuls into deep fat fryer. Fry until golden brown. Serve with honey butter. Mmmm!
	Personal Notes: We devised this recipe after a night at "The Sourdough Mining Company" restaurant in Anchorage. They serve what they call "world famous korn fritters". I think we came pretty close! If you're ever in Anchorage, this is an Alaska experience and food worth stopping for!



Build It Tuesday - Thanksgiving Style

I love to create... with all sorts of stuff. I always have. Today my job was extra fun, because we are introducing a new element to our online programming with Kaleidoscape Play Studio...

Whether bricks or blocks, it is my belief that building is experimenting with three dimensional art. Plus, it's satisfying! 

 

So, Builder K and Builder J set to work this morning to come up with some fantastic Thanksgiving creations for you and your kids to build. Of course, OUR kids were at school while WE built these!  Happiest of Thanksgiving to you and your family from Kaleidoscape Play Studio.

 

Mmmmmmmm! A golden Thanksgiving turkey!
(Hey, use your imagination here and admittedly, I need more brown legos.)

 

Turkeys - Still Life
(Before and after)

 

Mayflower & Pilgrim
(Notice the rough water!)