8 Stress-free Tips On How To Encourage Creativity In Children

Posted on May 30, 2012 by admin

It is true that “creativity and imagination must come from inside.” If a child is never encouraged to use their imagination and be creative, he will never grow. There are many ways that we can encourage the growth of this “life skill” and here are 8 fun tips to get you started.

1. Give Them the Tools to Use

In every household with children there is always an endless supply of crayons and water paints. While these are the major building blocks for creativity, these are only a few of the tools that are needed to encourage the imagination in children. Introduce them to new things as often as possible. For example, take a day out and “museum hop” from science museums to art museums This will encourage them to explore all of what the world has to offer.

2. Feed Their Imagination

A fire will only grow bigger if the embers are stoked. That is the same for the imagination of a child. By asking questions like “What if birds had arms instead of wings” or “what would it be like if it rained candy,” this will get their imagination flowing. As the parent, you will more than likely get a chuckle out of their answers.

3. Problem Solving

Children learn by experience and this includes solving simple problems on their own. For example, if a child asks what something is, do not immediately give them the answer. Instead, ask them what they think it is. For instance, you may not like the peanut butter and banana sandwich your child created, but allowing them to “try” it out for themselves, and figure out what foods work and don’t work will encourage problem solving skills later in life.

4. The True Definition of Art

The definition of art is “The expression or application of creative skill and imagination”. Children try to copy what they see and can be very discouraged if it does not come out the same. If a child is taught that there is no limit to “art form,” that will divert them from “mirror imaging. It will also help them express themselves.

5. Positive Praise

Discouraging words and negative responses can stop creative and imagination right in its tracks, especially in a child. Not only do children need positive praise for what they have created; they also need positive praise just for trying their hardest and completing what they started.

6. Set a Good Example

Children are very observant and notice everything adults do even when we think they are not paying attention. By listening to various genres in music and by hanging various art styles around the house, it will show versatility. Make family outings spontaneous from walking in the woods to watching the circus will also show them that all forms of art is acceptable.

7. Encourage Them to Explore

Adults let their fears and phobias control what they are willing to do. Unfortunately, when interacting with our children, we impress our fears on them and tend to steer them to what we deem as “safe” limiting their creativity and imagination as well. Just because you are afraid of earthworms (even though you know they will not hurt you,) let your child explore and draw their own conclusion.

8. Loosen Up

How can we expect children to be creative and use their imagination if we are always serious and behave as an “adult” should? Make believe play with them, help them build a teepee out of blankets or make up a new silly dance. Believe it or not, you will enjoy letting loose more than what you thought you would.

Kim Stone is a mother of three who prides herself on encouraging her children’s creativity. One way she does that is by keeping her house looking as bright and inviting as possible. To keep her house fresh, she likes to get flowers from www.flowerdelivery.net

6 Fun Tips To Do As A Family

Posted on May 24, 2012 by admin

If you have kids, there days when they come to you and say “I bored,” or it is raining outside and you have to come up with something to entertain them. All families should come up with one day a week where as a family you sit down to dinner, game night, or family movie night. This is an important part of keeping in touch with your children, and gives them an opportunity for your undivided attention. Here are six fun tips to do as a family.

1 – Fort Apache

It does not have to be Fort Apache. Instead, it could be an intergalactic space station, the final frontier for planet Earth. Using sofa cushions, pillows, blankets and sheets, you can build a fort that can be hours of fun for you and your children. You could pick a fort from the past, or a fort of the future. Saving humankind from invasion if you have a telescope or binoculars you can assist your kids on locating the enemy craft. You could even if you do not have a telescope or binoculars you could build your own by using a paper towel or toilet paper roll, decorating and painting it to fit with you intergalactic exploration.

2 – Go on a Picnic without ever leaving your home.

Having a picnic with your children is always fun. The thing is you never have to leave the comfort of your home. Take a blanket or a couple of bathroom towels laying them down on your living room floor, using a basket loaded down with food for your picnic. Spread out the food on the center of the blanket, have your children help with preparing the food and placement of the food on the blanket. You could even include some games after everyone finishes eating like carpet limbo, a dance party, or picnic theatre. This is a time your children will always remember passing it on to their children.

3 – Gothic Art Gallery

We now live in a time where vampires, werewolves, and paranormal. Drawing, coloring, painting, or Paper Mache could be the beginning of your own gallery opening event. The grand opening of the Gothic Art Gallery, this can be a fun opportunity for you and your children spending time together. The family time and fun can be also a learning experience allowing your children to tap into their creative side.

4 – Road Trip to Anywhere

This is only be a perfect opportunity for your family to spend some quality time; you can have your children’s undivided attention and they can have yours. Pack a picnic lunch, and make sure that all electronic devices stay at home load up your family into the car and being your road trip to anywhere. This can be an adventure for you and your family spending time together talking and laughing following the road to where ever it leads.

5 – Household items as Pieces of Art

Letting your eyes roam around the room, you start seeing art every where. You could create sock puppets, having a show by using the sofa or chair draping a sheet over it. Then taking the old milk carton out of the recycle bins and makes a pencil box, and then there are the old Halloween costumes. Using your average household items as pieces of art can be a fun creative moment for your family.

6 – Family Movie Day

Creating a Family Movie Day does not require a lot of effort just make some popcorn and drinks then each family member picks out a movie sitting down with each of you having a bowl of popcorn. Then you spend the day watching movies, it does not have to be a feature film it could be videos of family vacations, or a past birthday party. This is just a time for your family to spend time together.

Spending quality time with you children is an important time that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Even eating dinner together at the end of the day, can be a time where everyone sits around talking about their day, having an electronic basket where everyone places their iPods, iPhones, iPads and gaming machines in the basket so you all can have quality time together.

Destiny Minkins loves spending time with her four girls, Alison, Sadie, Crystal, and Tinsley. Always looking out for her children, she got a great family health insurance rate at: www.grouphealthinsurance.org

4 Great Ways to Have Fun Moments with Your Kids

Posted on May 22, 2012 by admin

Children are a powerful life force. Knowing how to feed a child’s spirit is as important as knowing how to feed their growing bodies. Most parents need to understand that, when you spend time with a child, you are not just giving them entertainment, you are giving them memories. This is an incredibly important gift, as memories are the building blocks to the bridge of their tomorrows.

There are often many community events for a family to enjoy, such as picnics and church gatherings. These are moments when the whole family can get out, socialize and bond together. But when it comes to planning some quality family alone time, more planning is often necessary for everyone to be happy with the days events.

1. Finding Appropriate Family Recreation

When looking at creative and special ways to spend time with children, knowing the best age appropriate activities is important. While a toddler would have little recollection or enjoyment at a science museum, an older child would have a powerful memory and learning experience there. Since a toddler can be difficult to keep entertained, finding more suitable well rounded places to go is important for the whole family.

2. Some Great Whole Family Outings

In contrast to partial family fun time, a zoo would have ample enjoyment and enrichment for any aged child. This can be especially true with a place like a petting zoo with animal rides, state fairs or animal parks.

One of the best planning successes is to create activities and day trips that make the time together an actual family bonding day. This would certainly be the case with the family going out on an excursion to the beach. No matter what part of the country you live, going to the beach at a lake or ocean, is a perfect day trip to plan. In general children love water and sunshine, and it’s a great combination for family fun.

Another easy family fun day, is a day at a carnival, fair or amusement park. As long as they have age appropriate rides for children of all ages and additional fun things for the adults to enjoy as well, this can be a raving successful family time day. These can be memorable moments that brighten a child’s imagination and sense of adventure.

3. Cold Weather Family Fun

In the winter time, going to a holiday indoor wonderland, can be an excellent family bonding time. The colorful lights and scrumptious treats are enough to please a child of any age, from 9 months to 90 years old.

An indoor game room or arcade can offer children and adults the perfect excuse to play and experience fascination, intrigue and skill and allow adults the time to play as well.

4. Perfect Inclement Weather Fun

For those bad weather days together, there is still plenty to do, family game day, movie, family baking time and stories are an excellent way for a family to bond indoors on a rainy, snowy or excessive heat day.

No matter what the final choice is, the main focus is to gear the day towards a well rounded set of activities for the whole family to enjoy, and also encourage little moments of smaller group bonding. As with all of these choices, there are moments when a parent can have a private moment or two with one child or a few. These outings are also excellent for siblings to have a few private bonding moments together as well. Creating these moments, encourages siblings to keep the commonality element through shared experience and nurturing moments.

When time is short don’t forget that food and treats are a great way to have a few simple pleasure filled bonding moments for the whole family. It encourages individuality and family social time. All of this is surrounded by the pleasure of special foods, which is a great way to say, “I love you”.

Tami Smith is a mother of two preschool aged boys who love visiting the zoo, local park, and all things Spiderman. She knows how important it is for her children to be insured in anything should happen to them. Because of that, she checked out www.healthinsurancequotes.org for a great deal!

GUEST POST: Photographing Your Kids: It’s Easier Than You Think!

Posted on March 30, 2012 by admin

We all have the same photos from our childhood, you know the ones: Mom dragged you off to the department store in your itchy Sunday-best to be posed like little perfect angels in front of a delightfully boring muted brown backdrop. Oh yeah, I’ve got tons of those pictures from when I was a kid. (Admit it, you do too!)

But when you’re flipping through those family photo albums, I’d be willing to bet that those aren’t really the pictures that give you a feeling of nostalgia and fondness for your childhood. If you’re like me, my guess is you automatically turn to the old Polaroid shots of your family on your annual camping trip or your sister’s ridiculous cat costume at Halloween. Those are the photos we love to look back and giggle over! And they’re the kind of photos that you can have of your kids too, even if you don’t own a big fancy camera. Here’s how:

Get Outside
Your camera’s probably got a flash built into it, but I’m telling you right now it’s not doing you any favours. Turn it off and go outside! The sun is such a great natural source of light, and it’s way more flattering for your photos! My favourite time of day is early in the morning, or just the last few hours before the sun sets because the light doesn’t cast too many strong shadows. Or, if you can’t get outside, try sitting next to a window!

Don’t just sit there: DO something!
Newsflash: Kids don’t like sitting still. Getting them to stop squirming and say, “Cheese!” will be as easy as herding cats. Don’t bother. Give them something to do instead! Maybe they enjoy kicking a soccer ball around with each other. Maybe they enjoy sitting down and stringing some beads or squishing Play Doh. Get them doing a favourite activity, and they’ll be less likely to fidget and run away. You might even catch them smiling and laughing as they play! Photos of them doing their everyday activities are the ones you’ll look back on with the most joy.

Get up close & personal… secretly
Some kids (like adults) are pretty camera shy while others are little hams, and put on ridiculous faces when they know a camera is pointed at them. I like to use a sneak-attack to avoid both: use your camera’s zoom to get in nice and close from a far enough distance that doesn’t draw attention. If your little girl is having a tea party with her dolls, don’t interrupt the fun – document it as it happens without her knowing! And use the zoom to your advantage; I just love close-ups of my kids’ faces because they change so much from year to year!

Everyone wants great photos of their kids, but they put so much pressure on themselves to get everything right. And that’s a LOT of pressure! Kids move. Kids bounce. Kids run. That’s just what they DO. Don’t fight it.

I find the photos where stuff is slightly off-centre, and slightly imperfect are the more interesting ones to look at. So don’t try to make a “perfect” picture where everyone is smiling and sitting with their hands folded. Capture a “real” picture of your kids doing the mundane everyday things that they do. Yes, even the ones where their noses are running and their hair isn’t entirely combed down. Those are the ones that you’ll be smiling at in 30 years, promise.

Today’s awesome guest post is by photographer Carolyn Pongracz. Carolyn is a wife, mom of 2, and a wedding & portrait photographer based out of Brantford, Ontario. She is the owner of In Bloom Photography and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Spring has Sprung!

Posted on March 21, 2012 by admin

It’s hard to believe that spring is already here. In the Toronto area, it seems like winter barely arrived, and already the crocuses are in bloom and the trees have buds. When spring arrives, it’s a great time to shake off the cobwebs of the grey winter months and start new projects, air out the house, and get outside for sunshine and fun!

Here are a few tips for getting ready for spring!

Plant some seedlings: Now is the time to plant seeds indoors to get them sprouting and ready for the garden. Try plenty of herbs, and a few vegetables. Let them sprout inside (you can buy easy-to-use peat moss trays) and when the weather is a little more reliable (think: the long weekend in May), transplant the seedlings to a garden outside. It’s a fun, easy, inexpensive way to show kids how plants grow, and where our veggies come from. And hey, if you manage to get a bountiful crop, you’ll save on groceries!

Clean out those closets: Go through everyone’s clothes and toys and see what’s been outgrown. Consign, sell, or donate whatever isn’t being used and you’ll free up space, and maybe even earn back some money!

Check your smoke alarms: When the seasons change, it’s the perfect time to check all your smoke alarms in the house. Check the batteries, be sure they’re working properly, and replace anything that is old or worn out.

Repair bicycles: Now is the time to pull out those bikes and give them a yearly tune-up. Check the tires, be sure helmets still fit and are in great shape, and get ready for the months of outdoor fun!

Remind kids about safety: Now that it’s getting dark later and the weather’s more inviting, kids spend more time outside. It’s time to remind them of the rules of outdoor play. Remind them that drivers aren’t always on the lookout for kids on the roads, and remind them about speaking to strangers!

Most of all, get out there and have fun! Enjoy the beautiful weather, everyone!

What do you love most about spring?

Get your green on: St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted on March 16, 2012 by admin

Did you know that the shamrock, a symbol of Ireland is also known as clover?

It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, and we’ve got some fun facts about the day ‘o’ green in Canada for you:

According to Wikipedia:

1. One of the longest-running Saint Patrick’s Day parades in North America (since 1824!) occurs each year in Montreal.

2. The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team was known as the Toronto St. Patricks from 1919 to 1927, and wore green jerseys. In 1999, when the Maple Leafs played on Hockey Night in Canada (national broadcast of the NHL) on Saint Patrick’s Day, they wore the green St. Patrick’s day-themed retro uniforms. There is a large parade in the city’s downtown core that attracts over 100,000 spectators.

3. Some groups, notably Guinness, have lobbied to make Saint Patrick’s Day a national holiday in Canada. Currently, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is the only jurisdiction in Canada where Saint Patrick’s Day is a provincial holiday.

You don’t have to be attending a parade or partaking in green beer to celebrate the day, though. In fact, you don’t even have to be Irish. Donning some green clothes and making some fun St. Patrick’s Day crafts are a fun way to enjoy the festivities, too!

Here are some adorable activities you can try out with the kids:

Shamrock Sponges, courtesy Housing a Forest:

click the photo for the tutorial

Isn’t this a cute idea? Grow a shamrock (or hey, any other easily-grown sprouts) on a sponge. These ones are regular sponges cut into shamrock shapes, with clover seeds growing. Adorable!

Shamrock Stamping, courtesy the Krazy Koupon Lady:

click the photo for the tutorial

You can probably make these with stuff you have at home right now. Decorate pictures, cards, etc with peppers… so clever!

Shamrock Shake, courtesy Shine:

click photo for recipe

Mmmmmmint! Try this delicious, vanilly-minty homemade shake and sprinkle cute little shamrocks on top to be festive.

Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

Guest Post: Working Out When You Have Kids

Posted on March 13, 2012 by admin

“I don’t have time to exercise. I’m too tired. I can’t work out because the kids with me.”

It doesn't have to be like this!

I hear it all the time from my friends and I’ve said it more than a few times myself. With everything moms have to do, it can be a challenge to fit in a workout every day let alone muster the energy to do it.

Not everyone can afford a gym membership with a babysitting service or maybe you just don’t feel comfortable using one. However, it’s still possible to fit exercise into your life when you have kids and have fun doing it. In fact, they can help you work out stronger, faster, better – like the Six Million Dollar Man but without all the bad ’70s clothes.

Walking

Walking is one of the easiest ways to exercise and it can be done almost anywhere with children of any age. Note: If you have a young infant, invest in a jogging stroller and be sure to read the instruction manual for age and weight restrictions.

First step: go out and buy a pedometer. 10,000 steps per day is equivalent to about 8 km. If someone told you to go out and run that distance you’d probably laugh at them and go lay down on the couch but 10,000 steps from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep is doable simply by adding steps here and there throughout the day. Take your kids to the mall, walk to the park, walk to and from school instead of driving, make a game of walking around the house and finally, if they’re old enough, get them pedometers as well and make it into a little competition.

Speaking Of Competition

I don’t know if you know this but kids are competitive, or at least mine are. You can use that competitiveness to your advantage by challenging them to fun, exercise-inspired games. Some challenges we like in our family are: having a race around the park, who can skip rope the longest, who can run up and down a hill the most times, who can do the most push ups and frog jumping. My son created the last one and basically you squat down on the balls of your feet like you’re a frog and jump up and down. If you’ve never done this before, let your kids win. You will most likely be unable to walk the next day.

Dance Like No One Is Watching

In our house Dance Party is a family favourite. Pick out high energy songs, blast the music and start dancing. While your kids are wildly flailing about and teaching you how to dance like nobody is watching, you can fit in some squats (regular and wide stance), lunges and calf raises for a lower body workout. Even if you don’t add in the exercises you’ll still work up a sweat.

Fit It In

You don’t have to work out for 30 minutes straight to make it count. In fact, studies show that shorter, more frequent exercise sessions can be just as beneficial. Instead of stressing about finding a 30 minute time frame in your busy day (because we all know it can be hard to keep little ones occupied for half an hour) break it down into three 10-minute sessions.

Most of all, make being fit about getting out there and moving on a day-to-day basis, incorporating activity into your life. You’re setting a great example for your kids that exercising doesn’t necessarily mean going to a gym or joining a sports team, that fitness and fun can be found in everyday things.

Today’s guest post is by Sharon DeVellis, Senor Writer at YummyMummyClub.ca where she uses the creative side of her brain to write and create content for the website, all while eating nachos and con queso. Then she realized it was ‘Senior’ writer but decided to continue on with the con queso anyway. Sharon chronicles her life and thoughts on her blog The Inside Scoop which has nothing to do with hysterectomies — not that she has anything against hysterectomies, she may even need one someday and if she does, she will have the perfect blog name to write about it. She also decided to take up speed skating at the age of 41 even though she couldn’t skate. You can read about that hot flailing mess at Speed Skating Mom. Follow Sharon on Twitter: @SharonDV.

(photo courtesy sxc.hu)

Spring Break “Staycation”!

Posted on March 9, 2012 by admin

It’s hard to believe that next week the kids will be off school, and Spring will be ushered in shortly thereafter. Where is 2012 speeding to so quickly? March Break is a time for many to take those warm, sunny trips but for the rest of us staying home, it’s a time to scramble for activities to make our “staycation” fun, too!

We’ve rounded up some great ideas for keeping the kids happy (and the parents sane) during the Spring break!

Take a Hike!
Take advantage of the warmer temperatures and get out there for a walk with the kids. It doesn’t matter if you’re an urbanite or live in the ‘burbs — getting out for a walk and checking out the neighbourhood is always a great family activity. Take note of the changes in the air: buds in the gardens, robins in the trees… it’s a great time of year to enjoy nature!

Get to know your city
Have you ever noticed that we often take what’s closest to us for advantage? Other people come to visit our cities and towns and remark on the interesting things we have right on our doorsteps that we often take no notice of. Take notice! Check out some local museums, parks, or general tourist spots. Kids love local markets and it’s a great way to reconnect with your community.

Book a hotel stay
Sounds strange, right? But booking a hotel in your own city is such fun! In line with getting to know your community, staying in a local hotel (or one in a city near you) is a great way to feel like you’re truly getting away. Find a hotel on a discount site and check out the amenities — choose one with a pool for added staycation fun!

Make a fun meal
Do something out of the ordinary. Eat breakfast for dinner, try a new recipe, eat something you wouldn’t normally eat! Make it a family affair. Creating a meal together is a fun way for everyone to bond and enjoy time without distractions. Try making naan bread pizzas and letting small kids garnish their own!

Plan a games night
Ask another family over, or host your own one-family game night. Pick up a new board game and see what kind of fun you can have! It’s a great way to teach young kids about gaming and cooperating, and parents get in on the fun, too. Turn it into a great party by having some friends over to join in!

Put the gadgets away
It’s difficult nowadays to truly focus. We carry smart phones and gadgets wherever we go and feel compelled to be plugged in at all times. Consciously leave the phones at home and enjoy quiet, focussed time with the kids for a change. You’ll find some amazing conversations happen when you have no gadgets distracting everyone!

Whatever you do, enjoy the time with your families, everyone! If you’re working during the break, we hope your evenings are spent connecting with those you love.

And don’t forget to “spring forward” this weekend! Sunday, March 11 at 2am, set those clocks forward an hour, everyone!

Countdown to Spring!

Posted on March 6, 2012 by admin

Thirteen days till Spring! It’s not just the crocuses that are cheerily popping up this month. We’ve got our brand new Spring 2012 line out now, and it’s flying out the doors already. With the new season come fresh patterns and styles for kids of all ages. And don’t forget our adult selections, too! Mom and Dad can stay cozy wearing our convert-a-foot® pajamas, too!

Some of the new styles for spring:

Sweet patterns for sweet kids!

What do you most look forward to when the season changes and weather starts getting warmer? We can’t wait to get outside!

How about a “Think Spring” sale?

Posted on March 2, 2012 by admin

Did you know that spring is a mere 18 days away? For those of us in the Greater Toronto Area, it’s a little hard to believe given the crazy weather we’ve had this winter. Our snow days have been few and far between, sure, but that doesn’t mean we’re not excited to usher in the spring!

And did you also know that our new, fresh spring line is already available? Check out these adorable pieces from the spring collection!

To get you hop-hop-hopping into spring, we’re holding a sale on our website on March 2, 3, 4, and 5, 2012.

How about 25% off? (Sounds great to us!)

Can’t read the small print? Use the code 03022012 at checkout at snugabye.com.

Applicable on all items online only.