Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

... our book!

A little over a year and a half ago I received an email that I almost thought couldn't be real.  I thought it must be April Fools, but then I realized, it was October.  The email was from Roost Books asking if we would be interested in writing a book of our own.  Once my heart stopped pounding out of my chest, I responded as quickly as my shaky fingers would allow. . . "Yes, yes, yes!"  Fast forward to today, and we couldn't be more excited to share with you the result of many months of writing, crafting and editing.  So, without further ado, here it is:

IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World Through Nature, Imagination, and Play- 25 Projects that spark curiosity and adventure.
By Sarah Olmsted

Description:

For children, potential is limitless, curiosity is an electrical current, and every moment is open to the possibility of the unexpected. Day-to-day life is filled with adventure. Road blocks are invitations to try new routes. And the world is vast and expansive. This book is a celebration of childhood through the crafts and activities that invite wonder and play. The twenty-five projects and activities in this book are meant to speak to the way children engage with the world. These projects are not about what is produced in the end (although that part is fun too) but rather they are stepping-off points—activities that spark curiosity, an adventure, or an investigation. They’re about the process of getting there. They’re about the conversations that happen while making things together. They’re about getting to know the world inch by inch. They’re about exploring imaginary universes and running through real forests. They’re about living in childhood . . . regardless of your actual age. They’re about being a kid.

Working with Roost Books has been a true honor and a privilege.  Such a dedicated, thoughtful, creative, and hardworking group of individuals who helped us craft this dream into reality. We couldn't be more pleased with the entire process.

Projects Include:

Part One: Nature
   • Seasonal Capes
   • Earth House
   • Bird of Paradise Mask
   • Maple Leaf House
   • Nature Fairy
   • Color and Shape Activities
   • Flip-Book Animations
   • Zoetrope
   • Magic Lantern Projector

Part Two: Imagination
   • Tree Shadows
   • Play Tents and Structures
   • Wands and Other Enchantments
   • Boats for Sailing Imaginary Seas
   • Nature’s Marionettes
   • Nature’s Stage
   • Adventures in Cartography

Part Three: Play
   • Paint Can Banjo
   • Steel Drum
   • Bows and Arrows
   • Lawn Bowling
   • Rube Goldberg Machine
   • Exploration Bag
   • Game Seeds
   • Simple Drawstring Game Bag
   • Wishing Kite

Although it won't be in book stores until October 16th it is currently available for pre-order from various book outlets as well as directly from Roost Books (see a preview of the first few pages above!)

Signed copies are available through our shop!

Thank you for taking a peek!

~ Sarah

 

... with your help we can do it!

Childhood is more than just a stage in the path to adulthood, it's the time in our lives when our imaginations have no limits. It's the time when we learn how to be inventors. It's the time when we watch clouds and butterflies with wonder and admiration. It's the time when we fall in love with the world. Childhood is not just a developmental stage, it's the development of a perspective, and quite a beautiful one at that. In 2008 we established Imagine Childhood to support and nurture the growth of that perspective, and today we have the opportunity to take our dream to the next level.

Right now LivingSocial and Chase Bank have a mission.  They are offering twelve $250,000 grants to help out small businesses and we're in the running.  But in order to make it to the next stage we need your help.  We need at least 250 votes to move forward and yours could be the one to take us all the way.

*** Update: We made past the minimum!  Because of all of you we are now eligible to move on to the next stage of the grant review. Thank you so much to everyone who has voted already, and if you haven't, you still can.  I'm sure higher numbers won't hurt as this process moves forward.  You guys are amazing!  We can't thank you enough!!****

 

*Voting ends very soon so head over today and show your support for Imagine Childhood!*

To vote:

1. Click the  Mission Small Business link
2. Click on the button that says "login & support" (you can use your Facebook login to enter)
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and under business name enter Imagine Childhood
4. Click the search button
5. Click the vote button (You can vote for as many small businesses as you like, so make sure to share the love and vote for all of your favorites) 

 

 

Click Mission Small Business to Vote!   

 

 

Thank you for supporting the dream of childhood!

 

~ Sarah, Deb, Jonas, and Jordan

 

... nature walk: holy cross wilderness, co

It is hot here in our neck of the woods once again this week, so once again we decided to seek higher elevations to cool it down. This week's wonderful nature walk comes to us from the Holy Cross Wilderness in Colorado. There Brittany and her friends explored high mountain lakes and the Rocky Mountain peaks of this remote and beautiful area. 

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Brittany for sharing!

 

*Last time in Nature Walks: Denali, Alaska

... bonbon s'mores with orange curls

Summer equals one thing in my sugar brain: S'mores!  And while the classic campfire infused variation will always warm my heart, I've wanted to try out a smores bonbon for quite a while. So, finally I did and the result is so much more than I could have hoped for.

This recipe can either be a simple procedure with store bought goodies or you could make the grahams yourself (highly recommended) as well as the marshmallows.  

Oh, and adding a little sugared orange zest to the top...

... takes these puppies to a whole new level. So. Very. Good.

Of course, if you're not much for all the mess of melting and dipping chocolate you can just make a mini sandwich and call it a perfectly beautiful homemade-marshmallow-and-gramcracker-ie-day. It's your summer, you can make the rules :)

Bonbon S'mores with Orange Curls:

Wonderful graham recipe can be found here (a half batch is more than enough for these treats)

A recipe for tasty marshmallow perfection can be found here.

Ingredients:

• Graham Crackers (homemade or store bought)
• Marshmallows (homemade or store bought)
• Dark chocolate
• Granulated sugar (just a bit to coat the orange zest)
• An Orange

First make sure all of your ingredients are in the right sized pieces.  For the Marshmallows a 3/4" - 1" cube is great. If you're making your own from scratch cut them to this size.  If you have store bought marshmallows you can either cut the big ones down or use a more diminutive serving by using the "mini" marshmallows readily available. In order to make perfectly sized cookie bases for these bonbons (with nice little scalloped edges to boot) I hammered a nail through the inside of a washed bottle cap and used the nail shaft as a handle for the "cookie cutter."  If you are using store bought grahams simply break them into roughly 1" squares.

In a double boiler, or in a metal bowl over a simmering pot of water, melt the chocolate.  Then, with a wooden skewer, poke through the center of a marshmallow square and just into the center of a cookie (don't go all the way through).  Using a rubber spatula to assist you, coat the marshmallow and it's graham base entirely in chocolate and set aside on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Once all of the bonbons are coated, place them in the freezer to set.

While the chocolates cool, use a vegetable peeler (or a zester if you have one) to take the zest off of the orange.  If you have wide strips from the peeler, cut these into very thin long pieces and toss with granulated sugar.

Take the bonbons out of the freezer before they are completely set and press an orange curl into the top of each treat.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Happy Summer!

~ Sarah

P.S. These would be perfect to go along with the Great American Backyard Campout going on this weekend!

*Last time in Recipes: Gluten-Free Super Energy Bars

 

... tell me a story: constellations

What better time of year to find a grassy hill top, and lay out under the stars? Warm summer nights are just perfect for getting to know the night sky.

 If you read this blog with any regularity you probably know that I am a bit of a celestial geek. I love stars, and planets, and suns, and galaxies. I love to just sit out on a blanket in the grass and watch the Milky Way pass across the navy blue sky.

 What I love even more are the constellations. Clusters of stars that in all reality are probably light years away from each other, but from our vantage point appear as if placed together on purpose. It really is incredible when you look into it. Clusters of stars identified all around the world as a constellation, yet one constellation can carry with it a number of stories, all different and all completely wonderful. Because with in each story lies the heart of a culture, a society, whether it be present day of thousands of years ago, the stories stick with the stars.

 Which is why it is good to get to know them. To help in this effort I assembled a series of my own personal favorites, and drew each of them out on one piece of paper along with a number. On a separate piece of paper I wrote the number, but not the name, along with a few quick facts to jog my memory. To keep them all together I used a little bit of copper wire to make ring to string them all on. This way I can use the cards in a descriptive matching game, or simply as flash cards so that I can learn name the constellations by sight.

But that's only the beginning. This celestial card deck also works wonders as a story starter, and why not? Each constellation inherently carries with it the beautiful potential for a completely new set of stories. Great for camp outs and even long car rides, all you have to do is pick a constellation and go with it. String them along even, add in constellations as new characters as you pull them from the pile. Who knows where you might end up? Perhaps Orion rescues Cassiopeia from her upside down thrown, or Libra decides to take a swim in the Big Dipper?

Whatever the story, let the stars be your guide...

 

~Jordan

 

*Last time in Books and Stories: Day Dreaming