Category Archives: play

sharing

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magazine-cover-24

The most recent issue of OHbaby! magazine has an article I wrote about sharing.  (It also had a very timely article about forward-facing vs. rear-facing carseats, which is something that I’ve been thinking about lately.  And this was before the Prince George controversy.)

May I also share with you a link to an AMAZING article shared with me by one of my lovely geeky mama pals.  This is about outdoor play and makes strong reference to the ‘loose parts’ phenomenon, which has been rattling around early childhood circles for 15 years or more.  Although the loose parts might look a bit different in that context.  Less fire, more supervision.

Another yummy article about outdoor play is to be found here. Love their point about stairs being more risky than climbing trees (so we should do what … stop kids from living in multi storey homes?).

Unrelated but fab link: a family-friendly podcast is available for download here.  Love.

Thank you so much for bearing with me during my website hiccups.  Ay carumba.  Technology.  Extra special thanks to my invisible Web Magician and my excellent onsite IT guy.

the happy juggle

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Hellooooo geeky whanau.

Straight into it then … here is a fab article about babies from Psychology today about babies.  Eat it up!  Share with your friends!  Another bit of baby deliciousness is to be found in this resource from the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.  It’s a PDF of ideas for supporting babies to entertain themselves screen-free.

What else?  Brain scans show us that there are different ways of relating to numbers, and also that fear makes our sense of smell more powerful.

Here is research from the Journal of Neuroscience to suggest that the brain benefits of learning music last for a lifetime, and I humbly invite you to check out the podcasts that Nathan and I created for Family Times.  Check back often, k?

In other more personal news, since last I blogged I have submitted an article (and made an editor tear up!  Hurrah!), we’ve celebrated a birthday in my house (complete with triumphant cake icing session!) and enjoyed a magical noho marae in a glorious bit of the country.

Next I await publication of my letter of the month (could I be more excited?) in Good magazine … I blogged about it here … and I gotta get cracking in fulfilling my role as peer reviewer for the Southern Early Childhood Association.  Jeepers!  Before I can do this, though, there is ANOTHER birthday in my house tomorrow, and a cake needs creating!

 

stellar links, sunny day

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These pictures will make you wish you were a photographer: here the gent in question photographs his daughter in such inspired ways.  Blown away.   I was similarly inspired by this photographic collection of awesome playgrounds from around the world.

Here you can enjoy the list from Scientific American of the most obvious research findings of 2013, and begin 2014 with the Governor General’s message: it’s a shout out to families.  HOLLA!

A link to a fascinating podcast is HERE (thanks, Slate) and it’s rather illuminating in its discussion of children’s learning about and use of the word NO.  Enjoy!  (No!)

Meanwhile, closer to home, Little Girl is cutting her second molars (OUCH!).  While I empathise, I find myself kind of pleased to have something to blame the grouchiness on.  Big Girl’s grouchiness can be blamed on my current obsession about the amount of sugar we’re all consuming.  As the person responsible for feeding this family, I find it can be quite the burden to choose things that are delicious, balanced, and that the fellas will eat.

Motherhood, eh?  It’s all I ever wanted, and it wears me out.  Both things are true.

new article from this geek

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Hello friends,

An article I wrote was just published in Tots to Teens.  You can read it here.

And now for a smattering of the groovy stuff I’ve been reading and learning and thinking about … I have found a fab website by a smart gal named Rebecca Haines.  Here blog is fantastic – here is just one example … tools for teaching media literacy to preschoolers.

She also has me coveting this range of dolls …  bodies that are to scale with actual children instead of all the big boob, permanent high-heel feet we all know so well.

In this season of covetousness, I am grateful for this post from the folks at Hand in Hand Parenting.  It is all about the gift inherent in a loving parental “No”.   This is a free online psychology textbook called “the Noba Project”, here is a link to a write up about new research into a likely cause of SIDS, and this link is a description of research into the differences between the male and female brains.

Here is an excellent website sponsored by the government of South Australia – it’s called Great Start and it is overbrimming with lovely play-based learning ideas to explore with children.

One last thing: this project was launched in opposition to the post-Thanksgiving “Black Friday” shopping frenzy.  I am completely in love with the idea of mending stuff we have instead of buying more stuff!  At this point, gentle geeks, the leggings that my Big Girl wears to school are more darn than fabric.  When to give it up?

while she sleeps …

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Little Girl is napping.  She is a disco napper and will be awake in moments.  As usual, there is the scramble to decide how best to use this time.  Today, I will share links … cos there are some goodies.  Then, I will step away from the screen.  Promise.

It’s time to vote on the worst toy of the year over at CCFC.  Toady Time!  It’s gonna be hard to choose.  There was some diabolical stuff in 2013.   Some great toys for those who fancy buying some … gotta love the anti-princess, pro-engineer Goldie Blox range, and if you haven’t watched the ad yet you’re in for a treat!   Slightly older kids (myself included) might just covet these yummy electric circuit building bits from Little Bits.  

But let us never forget that some of the best toys ever aren’t necessarily for sale.  Thanks National Toy Hall of Fame for reminding us.

A couple of completely different treats now … research about the effectiveness of parenting programmes in primary care situations (eg GPs offices), a yummy blog found by my dear Lauren … Girl Meets Dirt.  I dig it.   AND it has led me to iamthemilk, which is full of good writing about family life, motherhood, loss, and milk (all part of my daily life.  Salut!)

My warm and sleepy toddler has climbed into my lap, hair all skewiff.  This is over for now.  Arohanui xx

 

 

monday linking

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quick link dump:

an oldie but a goodie … new mamas learn a lot from watching their babies.   Meanwhile, this is a link about choosing quality toys, from Zero to Three, and speaking of playtime, I love this from Attachment Parenting International about playful parenting of older kids & teens.

Here is an interview with the author of “Slow Parent”, and in celebration of time spent in my garden with the toddler today … here is the herb blog from the good folks at Kings Seeds.