ARTICLES

ODE TO THE ROAD

How road trips for one family changed forever with the birth of a baby lamb. Reprinted in Reader’s Digest magazine

50 WAYS TO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FAMILY

From tap shoes to time capsules, here are 50 easy ways to add fun to family time.

ART SMART: ENCOURAGING YOUR CHILD’S CREATIVITY

Three easy steps for making the climate of your home rich in creative possibilities

IN THE BELLY OF BOREDOM

Using boredom as a fuel to propel children forward. Reprinted in Mothering Magazine

“....Boredom is an invitation to our own unique party of events, not a teacher’s or a parent’s. It is a personal itch that needs to be scratched. When we respond to boredom’s invitation, something magical happens. Passions are born. Interests are developed. An inner fund of resources evolves--the same personal resources that guide and prompt us into a meaningful life...”

THE DISHES CAN WAIT

How one mother kept her own creativity alive while dealing with the imaginations and messes of her four young children. Includes 2 projects: Handmade Garden Paper and Marbleized Paper

NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING STARS

The importance of making memories with our children, even when you think you are too tired. Back Page essay for 10-18 Magazine

THE BEST TOYS ARE NON-TOYS

Grand and memorable gifts for kids that do not fall into the ‘toy’ category

UNDER A MEXICAN MOON

Magical things happen when you don’t wait for the ‘right’ time to travel with your children

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Understanding life day by day, one word at a time

A MEASURE OF WORK

We are our dreams, now for the work to make them happen. A Back Page essay for 10-18 Magazine

THE GIFT OF YOU

Simple gifts parents can make for their kids that have more meaning than anything on the market

A TENDER MERCIES

There are strange and wonderful gifts in being sick in a busy household. A Back Page essay for 10-18 Magazine

PAPER CLIPS AND POKER CHIPS: THE ART OF INVENTING

Inventing with children using process over product

MOM-N-ME BREAKFASTS

Take advantage of your local cafe to connect with your child

FAMILY SCIENCE: A GUIDE TO HOME EXPERIMENTS

How parents can bring science into their family’s lives using Piaget’s stages of development as an age appropriate guide

ARTS AND CRAFTS EXTRAVAGANZA

8 outstanding art activities that will stretch a child’s imagination

ALASKA TIME

Living in Alaska with four children during the fishing season offers a different sense of time. Optioned for Chicken Soup for the Outdoor Soul

50 THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE

A lively list of simple things you can do outdoors with your child

BEYOND THE REFRIGERATOR DOOR

What do you do with the growing accumulation of art produced by your child? This article will give parents creative ideas for culling, using, and storing those precious works of art

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Jump start the holiday season with handmade gifts made outdoors in the summer time. The four projects include fish print napkins, holiday print night shirts, hand-stamped table cloth, and tie-dye t-shirts.

SAVED BY SCIENCE

Fifteen minutes a week is all it takes for doing home science projects that can make a world of difference for your child

TURN OFF THE TV!

How Mrs. Mudpies’ family turned off the TV and turned on the fun

TRAVEL SURVIVAL

Travel activities that will make the next road trip pure pleasure for families

FORTS, DENS, THE ARMS OF A TREE:
THE IMPORTANCE OF UNSTRUCTURED PLAY TIME

The rich results of down time

LOVE MEDICINE TWICE A DAY

From Swedish pancakes to foot rubs, here are dozens of ideas for curing your child of the blahs

A MOVABLE FEAST: HOME ART EXHIBITS

How to have a wildly successful open house of your child’s creative output in your own home

COLUMNS

Earth Day Activities

Newspaper shoes, Soap Sculptures, Pillow Tee-shirts, Rocket Ball, Photo Journal, Cereal Box Planetarium, Soap Sculptures, Rock-n-Roll Record Clock, Tin Can Stilts, Sock Puppet, Batter Up!, Pillow T-Shirts, Superball, Rubber Stamps, Shrinky Dinks, Finger Puppets, Griddle Art, Inventor’s Box, Treasure Jar, Photo Concentration

Kids in the Kitchen

Crash Cookies, Ironed Cheese Sandwiches, Homemade Pretzels, Make Your Own Cheese, Stone Soup

The Art of Science

Density Rainbow, Marbled Milk, Seed Cards, Crystal Garden

Easy Halloween Costumes

Judge, Jellyfish, Peignoir Princess, Fireman, Rock Star, Fortune teller, Tinker bell, Mad Scientist, Mummy, Space Cowboy, King of the Desert, Shrek, Hunter, Homemade Face paint

Halloween Projects

Homemade Face Paint, Standing Ghost Decoration, Spooky Halloween Hands, Disguise Kits, Pumpkin Totem Pole, Pumpkin Charms (bead recipe), Witches’ Broom Party Favors, Boogety Boo Game, Carmel Apples, Candy Carrier, Monster Slime, Touchy Feelies, Edible Crocodile Toes

Handmade Gifts for the Holidays

Painted Umbrellas, Frosted Fruit, Simple Soap, Beeswax candles, Make Your Own Book, Bath Salts, Cranberry Wreaths, Monkey Magnets, Sachet Stones

Simple Science

Sub in a Cup, Needle and Balloon Trick, Winter green Sparks, Star Dust

Handmade Valentine’s Day Cards

Batik Bleach Art Cards, Edible Cards, Tissue Weave Cards, Accordion Cards, Candy Pockets

Birthday Parties

Froggy Cupcakes, Party Pinata, GAMES: Balloon Stomp, Knots and Tangles, Candle Quench, String Game in the Woods, Obstacle Course, Outdoor Scavenger Hunt. Camp out Party: Flashlight Invitations, Glow in the Dark Pinata, Slipper Scramble, S’mores, Cereal Buffet

Rainy Day Activities

Hot Lava Game, Tarp Tent, Save a Raindrop, Rain Paintings, Bath Tub Art, Banker’s Hour Activity, Bean Play

Outdoor Science

Underwater Magnifier, Water Dredge, Butterfly Net, Falling Star Dust, Make Your Own Compass, Snowflake Catcher, Sun Compass, Temperature Experiment, Water Wheel, Greenhouse Effect, Centrifugal Force in a Bucket

Easter

Washcloth Bunnies, Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs, Sponge Print Eggs, Grass Hair Harry, Tie Dye Eggs

Musical Instruments

Rhythm Sticks, Bell Bracelets, Nail Chimes, Water Drum, Sandpaper Blocks

Camp Craft

Tarp Tent, Cooking Tools, Egg on a Stick, popcorn in a Packet, Biscuit on a Stick, Portable Camp stove

Edible Art

Chocolate Pudding Fingerpaint, Chocolate Squeeze Art, Bread Painting, Marzipan Creatures, Cookie Paint, Edible Play Clay

Puppets

Sock Puppets, Finger Puppets, Peanut Marionettes, Invent a Puppet

Recipes for Fun

Play dough, Rainbow Pasta, Bath Tub Paint, Lick and Stick Solution, Finger paint, Sidewalk Paint, Chalk, 3-D Salt Map Dough, Cinnamon Dough

Travel Activities

Navigator, Dollar I Spy Game, Mileage Necklace, Mini-Motor Activity, Magnet Maze, Finger Puppets,, Lap Science, Color Magic, Rest Stop Olympics, Funny Family Figurines

Bathtub Science

Bubbles, Funnel Fun, The Way of Water, Underwater Observer

Sick In Bed Activities

Marshmallow Project, Magnet Magic, Sparkle Salt Dough

While Waiting in a Restaurant

Feel a Rainbow, Floating Finger, Wrapper Worms, Straw Popper, Density Experiments

Pool Play

Marble Scramble, Water Soccer, Underwater Treasure Hunt, Paper Cup Race, Diving for Pearls, Underwater Tag, Ice Block Race

Fun at the Beach

Sand Tunnels, Sand Casting, Sand Painting, Beach Candles, Sand Castle Clay

Garden Activities

Pillow Pak Plantings, Taters in a Tire, Seed Tape, Handmade Garden Paper, Grow Fruit in a Bottle, Scarecrow, Weed Salad