So I’d never heard of “Fairy Gardens.” Turns out they are the garden equivalent of a doll house: Mini backyards with mini amenities (swings, see-saws, ponds) and lots of pretty flowers and plants. Over at Let Grow we’ve got a 1-minute video explaining how to make the different elements. If I were a kid, it […]
Handy, smart and fun! The kit includes: *Instructions for lots of classic games like “Red Light/Green Light” *A list of ideas for kids to do when they’re bored *A one-pager explaining why free play — play without adults organizing the activities — is great for kids *And a lovely yellow “Let Them Play Zone” […]
This 4-year-old can! At one and a half Abby was going on mile-long hikes with her mom, who treasures the girl’s spunk and love of nature, and bear poop. (Something some of us wouldn’t recognize if it was roaring us in the face.) Now she’s a seasoned hiker who can go 6 miles at a […]
We’ve got great advice on encouraging — and not ruining) — free, unstructured play. What’s more, we’ve got a cool list of the different types of play kids engage in. I, for one, didn’t realize there’s a difference between Symbolic Play, Creative Play and Dramatic Play. Now I do! Read up, over at Let Grow, by […]
America has gone Child Abuse Hotline crazy: 7.8 million kids get reported to child protective service each year — and 7.1 M turn out to be fine. That’s a lot of extra calls! Why so many? Onlookers can mistake Free-Range parenting for neglect, but they mistake poverty for neglect, too: A child looks “too young” […]
Is it a waste of time when kids look like they’re wasting time? Interesting question. I write this while looking out my window watching a couple of kids playing with a toy car. Before that, two other kids were chasing a dog. I’m sure a lot of older kids are inside on their phones. And […]
A professor friend reviewed my new podcast, “Supervision Not Required.” Click here for the podcast. And here’s the review! Funny, wise, reassuring. What a great podcast from Let Grow advocate Lenore Skenazy and developmental psychologist and play researcher Peter Gray. Being a parent today is exhausting. From the time our kids are born, we are […]
Let Grow has compiled a great resource: The simple rules for 20 classic backyard games, including: Duck Duck Goose Red Light, Green Light Mother May I? Blindman’s Bluff Leapfrog And, obviously, another 15 more. Click here for the rules and even some videos that […]
How can you get your kids to stop whiiiiiiiiiiiining? Let Grow has some truly workable, real-world tips from a mom of two whining (or, I guess, previously whining) toddlers. The article is really honest and fun. Best idea? When the kids are CALM tell them that, henceforth, you’re going to ignore their whining. “When children […]
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 […]
