Find a way to make art outside. Recycle something old into something new you can use. Pick up litter. Explore the woods. These ideas are pretty basic, but you and/or your kid might not think of them all — and many more — when your kid is bored and you are not keen to be the entertainment center. (And maybe you don’t want the entertainment center to be the entertainment center either.) So click here to get Let Grow’s free Summer Ideas Kit.
Author: lskenazy
Today is launch day for “Supervision Not Required,” my first podcast, and my first guest is Dr. Peter Gray. He says we have to let kids play WITHOUT us around. In other words, we have to let them take risks, solve problems, and argue (as well as have fun), even though we know they may get a little hurt. The alternative — safe, efficient, adult-organized “play” — can be enjoyable, but it cannot give kids the skills they need to deal with life and each other. Here’s where to listen and subscribe! Click here to listen and subscribe on Spotify.…
Kids looking for something to do? Worse, are they looking at YOU when they’re looking for something to do? Give them Let Grow’s summer calendar of activities and ideas. We’ve even got some free postcards for them. Find it all by clicking right here!
How did dad get demoted to doofus when it comes to telling jokes? I ponder that today, for obvious reasons. Click here to read and Happy Father’s Day! Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash
“The Aggressive Life” sounds like an aggressive podcast, and it is — but about aggressively living a meaningful life. I loved my deep discussion with Brian Tome, bestselling author of “The Five Marks of a Man” and pastor at Crossroads Church, one of the fastest growing churches in the U.S.. Here’s the podcast!
Let Grow has a short, wise piece on how to help siblings not kill each other — and maybe even do the opposite: Start enjoying each other’s company. No promises, but click here for the tips! – L
We’ve got a FANTASTIC, truly helpful article on how to teach kids to solve their own problems — including how to stop yourself from jumping in, when failure is too painful to watch. My favorite tip? Co-create a 5-step plan where the kid has to do steps 3-5 himself. Click here for the article, over at Let Grow. Photo by MaxPixel.
Over at Let Grow, we’ve got the BEST Father’s Day card ever. Kids fill in things like: *My dad ALWAYS says this: ______. *I learned how to do this from my dad: ______. *I want my dad to know THIS most of all: _______. Just go to Let Grow by clicking here and download it for free. (Plus we’ve got a lot of dad jokes.)
As teacher Jeremy Knoll writes on the Let Grow blog today: “No one gives up in a basketball game because another player crossed them up and got to the hoop. They try a new form of defense. We just need to get that mentality into the classroom more consistently.” Jeremy goes on to explain the growth mindset, which helps kids stop defining themselves as smart or dumb, even — especially — when they fail. A good read. Click here for it. Photo by Credit Score Geek.
Even if you can’t have a big party in your backyard this year, you can have dozens — hundreds — of visitors, if you aren’t too picky about which species. At Let Grow we’ve got some very simple building projects to put out the welcome mat for birds, bees, frogs, and more! (Okay, so maybe I personally wouldn’t put out a welcome mat for the bees.) Click here to get buzzy! Photo credit: Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland