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For those of you waiting for today’s full post, it is now up at Willow Creek Pediatrics!  Sorry for the unintentionally drawn out teaser.  (I personally blame it on the excess  chocolate and marshmallow substance in my system.)  I do think you’ll find it’s worth the wait, so check it out and please chime in on the… continue reading

From the looks of next week’s forecast, spring may finally come to the Rockies!  And I for one can’t wait.  I’m anxious to get my boys out on some of the wonderful trails we’re lucky enough to find just minutes from our home.  As I’ve been daydreaming about our warmer-weather excursions, I’ve thought a bit about… continue reading

Image by Holton Rower. I love that place where Science and Art collide.  When truly creative projects focus on the process over the product, they lend themselves to more inquiry, experimentation, and seeing things in a new way.  Children are free to wonder, “What would happen if…” and then experiment.  It’s the scientific process in… continue reading

I first met Mandi Ehman a little less than a year ago, and had no idea what I was in for.  That short meeting was a somewhat serendipitous moment that has had a huge impact on me.  It was meeting just the right person at just the right time.  Mandi is a successful work-at-home mom,… continue reading

Three great questions for this month’s Q&A!  I really think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to these scenarios, and hopefully add what they’ve learned to the comments below! Pressure to “Teach” Letters and Numbers (0:20-8:04) Why Don’t You Teach Reading? A Look at Emergent Literacy (Links to a series… continue reading

If you haven’t guessed from the series I’ve been writing the past few Mondays, I’m a big fan of creativity.  Any time I can jump on an opportunity to encourage kids to create and have ownership in a project, I am all for it.  And so it was quite serendipitous when I stumbled upon this… continue reading

This is a repost from June 30, 2010. I’m issuing my  own product recall on alphabet charts, and yours might be included!  This isn’t a safety issue, I can’t imagine an alphabet chart causing physical harm (though I suppose the occasional paper cut could be pretty traumatic) but the alphabet chart you’re using might not… continue reading

It’s time for the final installment of my series on creativity for Willow Creek Pediatrics.  Here’s a little snippet: It has been said that play is a child’s work.  While play has been around since the dawn of time, the science of play is relatively new.  What some may consider to be only a frivolous… continue reading

I love it when art materials can come from my pantry.  That usually means they’re inexpensive, non-toxic, and that I can have an idea and act on it in ten minutes or less.  One of my favorite art supplies that comes from my pantry is corn syrup.  I almost think I use it more frequently for art… continue reading

I often write about the importance of giving children choices.  They are struggling with a need to feel powerful in a world that often makes them feel powerless.  Being able to take control and make their own choices gives them that powerful feeling, meaning they feel less compelled to seek out power in negative ways like tantrums… continue reading