Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Play With Words, Not Matches


Still searching for a few minutes to burrow away and write,
I set up two games for today's quiet time.


Here is Mixed Up Many:


We drew pictures of people,















cut each paper into tops, 
middles and bottoms,



punched holes 
and snapped them together 
with binder rings
on cardboard. 



Voila! 


To my writing friends:  


Surely this is a plot recipe
just drooling to be used.

Scribble story bones onto paper,
clip into rings,
mix till ready,
serve!


The next game is Play With Words, Not Matches:















This is great for rainy days 
and Mama-is-desperate-to-write moments.

I hunted through the house 
for treasures,
scooped everything into a basket,
then wrote each word on 
recycled art cards. 

 
  













The girls had to draw a card, read the word 
and tape it to its match.
















Their favorite part: the tape. 

So simple, yet so entertaining!


For my writer and artist friends:

This can be converted to Kim's Game,
from Rudyard Kipling's Kim.

Have someone fill a tray or basket with dissimilar treasures.
(My kid "helpers" do this for me all day long without being asked.)

Study the tray for twenty seconds, then whisk it away.
Try to remember each thing and its placement on the tray.
This is great for sharpening your detail memory.



They're now playing dollhouse with the boots.

And my writing moments?
I had so much fun playing games
I forgot to write.

Photobucket

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Why Children Are Not Nesting Dolls


I made matryoshka dolls for our Christmas babies
from fabric scraps. 

Pip loved them so much she asked Santa for a "katroomshka" doll too. 



Here's the first lady. She's self-contained and proud of it, until...

Surprise!

















Out pops another lady!


More!

my happy niece with her doll!


A word to the wise:


dolls are much easier to photograph than children.
Dolls sit still

keep sweet smiles on their faces,




don't suddenly get hold of all the cutlery


and play "Little Drummer Boy" on the baby.


Yep.  
Happy holidays!
May your new year be filled with joy 
and peace. lots of it!

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