ARE CRAYONS SAFE? Crayons are probably the most used art materials for kids, but are they safe? The answer is NO! Mainstream crayons are full of harmful products like paraffin wax (petroleum), plastic (glitter), chemical pigments and even carcinogens like phthalates (fragrances), lead and asbestos (in 2015)! Asbestos is deadly both if ingested and inhaled (even in…… Continue reading Why We Use Only Natural Crayons (and You Should, too!)
WHY WORDLESS PICTURE BOOKS? Wordless picture books are a creative addition to any library. These are books which have only a few or no words. Here is why they are important for you and your child: They help with oral language development. They teach, through the use of illustration, how having one image after another…… Continue reading What Wikipedia Can’t Tell You About Wordless Picture Books
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? In a nutshell, mindfulness is our ability to be fully present in this moment, in the “now.” WHY SHOULD CHILDREN PRACTICE MINDFULNESS? There is a lot of research which shows that mindfulness can help with regulating emotions, focus and decision-making. When your child learns how to recognize and address emotions, there will be…… Continue reading Creative Mindfulness Activities to Stop Tantrums and Improve Sleep
Did you know that trees do NOT need to be cut in order to make paper? For example, there is a company in Thailand that makes paper out of elephant poo!! This is possible because elephants are vegetarian and their dung is full of fiber which is what you need to produce paper. But you…… Continue reading Easy Paper Making Activity: An Artsy Way to Encourage Picky Eaters or Inspire Kids to Recycle
Your children might not remember who fed them, but they will remember who played with them – the person who consistently spent focused, uninterrupted time with them. This is one of the many reasons why parent involvement in child development is so important. But playing with children does not always come naturally to adults. The…… Continue reading Time Management for Busy Parents
Photography is a wonderful teaching tool. Through it, children can improve fine motor skills and learn valuable life lessons about patience, focus, editing, perspective, perseverance, timing, saving (not wasting) and decision-making. DIGITAL VS. ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY One of the biggest things that was lost when the digital camera was born is that we rarely print out…… Continue reading 5 Simple, Fun & Educational Photo Activities for Kids Big and Small
Are you looking for a calming art experience for your child? Do you want to introduce art to a child who does not naturally gravitate to art-making? Did your child have a difficult day and is in need of some art therapy? Or are you looking for a unique art activity to do together with your kids?…… Continue reading Mindful Art Activity: Suminagashi – The Japanese Contemplative Art of Paper Marbling
Creative Parenting 