Allez! Allez! It’s a Bicycling Party
Posted on August 4th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Celebrate your neighborhood with a Tour de France inspired party. It’s simple fun. And that’s the very best kind!
Craft: Hockey Game
Posted on August 4th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
You’ll need:
3 foam core boards (*or cardboard)
1 floral disk
Duct Tape
Spray Paint
Yard Stick
Exacto Knife
Printable: Sport Stickers
Posted on August 4th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
We love stickers! We especially love stickers that leave the coloring up to us.
Print out the pdf below onto sticker paper (easily found at most office supply and box stores). Get out the crayons, colored pencils and pair of scissors and let the kids do the rest. Use them to decorate notebooks, add them to drawings, put in sticker albums or embellish letters to friends.
It’s All Fun and Games
Posted on August 3rd, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
I’m fanatical about sport: there seems to me something almost religious about the fact that human beings can organise play, the spirit of play. -Simon Gray
What would compel someone to paint their naked belly two different colors and stand shirtless in freezing temperatures for hours? Why does the world stop every four years for the Olympics? If the genesis of sport is play, why are there news stories of parents getting kicked out of kids’ soccer games for poor sportmanship? Why did everyone, from the heads of state to the barista at the coffee shop care where LeBron ended up? Why do I lose my husband for the month of July when the Tour is on?
Craft: Napkin Self Portraits
Posted on May 12th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
When we share a meal as a family, we share more than just food. We share our stories—what we’re thinking, what’s happened that day. While the memories of conversations may fade over time, pictures are long lasting. Here’s a simple craft that helps capture a family moment in time and adds a touch of whimsy to your next sit down meal.
These napkins were inspired by David Lebovitz’s discussion on how the french do napkins.
Come ‘n Get It! It’s the Food Issue
Posted on May 12th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Food is our common ground, a universal experience. -James Beard
Me? I like food. No, wait. I’ll own it. I don’t just like food, I love food.
The seasons change, and so have we! The Fall 2007 Issue
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
As I walked the aisles of a local shop I thought I heard the faint melodies of Christmas music playing. Surely I couldn’t be hearing Jingle Bells already. But it was true. It was at that point I realized I’ve already started to miss Fall.
Fall is hands-down my favorite season. I love watching the leaves change from green to yellow to brilliant red. I enjoy the cooler days that call for a sweater. And I simply can’t wait to heat up some apple cider and eat a slice of pumpkin roll. I look forward to it all year. And now as a mom, I enjoy sharing my love of Autumn with my kids—pumpkin picking, hay rides and all.
Beauty and the Beast
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
We’ve asked our friend, the super talented artist, Linda Olliver to help you out. She’s created these special puppets you and your child can make together.
The Gift Guide
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
You’ve been invited to four different birthday parties this year and you’re burned out on presenting the same ho-hum gift. You want your son to give his buddy something that says, “hey, here’s a great gift I think you’ll like.”
We’re here to help. We’ve chosen four sets of gifts inspired by the art of storytelling. Choose one to inspire the next Hemingway or Sedaris in your life.
No Borders
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
A new season arrives and it’s rife with adventure. Four friends fueled by their imagination gather in the backyard and embark on a sightseeing adventure. For your child’s next playdate, gather some easy-to-find materials for an imaginary plane ride to anywhere.
You’re It!
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Flashlight Tag
The shorter days of autumn are perfect for this classic game. Gather a group of friends, give them each a flashlight and squeeze in a few games before supper.
Point and Shoot!
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
It’s a crisp fall day and two friends embark on a scavenger hunt. Bags are packed with disposable cameras, drinks, snacks, and a list of things to capture on film. Suddenly your average Saturday morning isn’t average any more.
The Armored-Plated Preschooler
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
SUPPLIES:
Textured Paper (we used Strathmore Textured Sheets in White)
Scissors
Ribbon
Hole Punch
Pencil
Water colors
Cut Ups
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Let’s face it. Not everyone sews. And frankly, for a child it’s just not practical. What to do when your little one wants to unleash his or her inner designer? Our idea? Let your child be a life-sized paper doll. Perfect for a rainy day or simply just to keep them occupied—the reward is a wardrobe of their very own making.
Song & Dance
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Music has a profound effect—on children especially. For your next playdate, make it musical where children are encouraged to sing, dance and make their own brand of music.
Set the stage!
Giving kids room to dance can be as simple as clearing a space on the rug, or a more elaborate set-up with curtains. To make your own curtained stage, use a tension rod draped with curtains or fabric in a doorway. Children can dance in front of it or pull it back as if they were on a real “live” stage. For an alternative “setting” get outside. A performance on the front porch for the neighbors can be a great way to bolster a child’s self esteem and develop a sense of community with those living nearby.
Sing It! The Music Issue
Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Last summer my daughter (five-years old at the time) approached me with a plan: “Mommy, I have a great idea. I’m going to go out and play my accordion for the neighbors. Then I’ll have this picture (holds up picture of über generous neighbors handing over their hard-earned cash) to let them know they have to put money in my cup. Isn’t that great?!”
I’m not sure what I was impressed with more—her ingenuity and moxie or her ability to actually play something that sounded a lot like music on the little accordion we gave her for her birthday that year. It was a memory that I’ll never forget and served as the inspiration for this issue of Classic Play.
Family Date Night
Posted on January 24th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
The family gathers around a play table to prepare for pizza and movie night.
Sometimes we get so swept up in the day to day of running errands, packing lunches and carpooling that we forget to slow down and spend a little quality time together. It can be just what the family needs. This Valentine’s Day, try hosting your own movie night to reconnect with the ones you love. It can be as simple as pizza and a movie, but a little concession stand stocked with treats goes a long way.
L’Amour: The Love Issue
Posted on January 24th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
When I settled on the theme for this issue I didn’t anticipate it being as challenging as it was. I thought, well everyone can talk about love. It’s simple right?
Wrong.
You see, the thing about love isn’t that there’s too little to say, it’s that there’s too much.
Alter-Egos
Posted on January 21st, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Kids love to explore and pretend. Try this easy project to create a backdrop for your child’s fantasy world. See who our featured heroes become when the mood strikes them…
Tell It: The Storytellers Issue
Posted on January 21st, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Every Friday we gather with a group of friends over drinks and fare. It’s a new family tradition. I find this new tradition the most anticipated event of my week. Part of it is the joy of letting our hair down. Part of it is the food we share. But the biggest part of it I’ve discovered is the storytelling. Friends chat about their past, their dreams for the future and even the more routine day to day happenings.
On the surface, this conversation is just that—conversation. However, once you peel back the layers you see the stories—the exaggerations, the selected tid-bits one shares from an event, the animated way hands and faces lend depth to what is being shared.
Wish You Were Here
Posted on January 21st, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
The postcard is the perfect memento of trips taken and sights seen. Introduced in the second half of the 1800s, they are now found in cities worldwide and at every monument, beach town and gas station from Maine to California. So for this issue we asked our good friend, artist Caroline Smalley from Push the Envelope Studio, to create a special postcard for your child. We think Caroline’s postcard is the perfect canvas for chronicling junior’s travels—real or imagined— in written or pictorial form. You can download it by clicking on the picture of the postcard.
Here’s to the spirit of adventure!
Gift Guide: The Travel Issue
Posted on January 21st, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
Whether they’re traveling to Bora Bora or the shop around the corner, we have the perfect travel tips and gifts for the future globe-trotters in your life.
Another Adventure: The Travel Issue
Posted on January 21st, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
“I want to go on another adventure!” exclaimed my four year old less than two weeks after we returned from our family road trip to Chicago. Two months earlier we had embarked on a different adventure. That time we started from our home in Baltimore and drove straight through to Atlanta.
It was a lot of time in the car. Considering our family of four travels in a Toyota Matrix, which is pretty small by most family car standards, we had a good deal of together time. More than 12 straight hours of nothing but together time. Now some of you may ask, “Are you crazy?” And perhaps we are.
A Feast for Everyone: The Giving Issue
Posted on January 21st, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
It’s 1989. The Berlin wall came down, Madonna filed for divorce from Sean Penn, Michael Jackson is named King of Pop. Most importantly my eighth grade social studies teacher Mr. Engle issued this challenge: the class that brings in the most cans for the school’s canned food drive receives a free class period and Chinese take-out for lunch. Mmmm, pork fried rice and egg rolls.
The Giving Issue
Posted on January 20th, 2010 by Jennifer Cooper
In this issue we look at the topic of giving—from a child sharing his toys with a sick friend, to a sister returning a favor in a big way. We’re excited to have our friend Joya Logue—who recently launched joyababy bgenerous—here to offer some ideas for nurturing our charitable natures. This is an issue for anyone wanting to teach their children about the joy of giving.
This Issue’s Features:
