Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

. . . 5 reasons to go bird watching

 

 

5 Reasons to Go Bird Watching with Your Kids!

1. The Little Things: Worms in the dirt and birds up in the sky. From a very early age, kids are keen observers. My 10 month old daughter loves tracking birds as they fly from tree to tree (It's like a magic trick at that age!). As children grow it's important to nurture these observational skills,  in time, these skills will help them to see the little things. Small patterns and details that indicate changes in their world. Being able to quickly perceive these changes will help them track their environment and make the most of it. 

2. Scientific Observation: Once these powers of observation have been honed, it's time to put them to good use! Birding is a great introduction to scientific observation, and the scientific method. Mama Robin lays 4 eggs... based on "X", "Y", and "Z", how many fledglings will leave the nest and fly off into the world? Or perhaps you find an egg on the ground. Where did come from? How did it get there? Using the basic scientific reasoning of "if/than" opens up a world of possibilities for kids to explore. And birding is a wonderful way to begin that journey. 

3. Ornithology: The study of ornithology as been a major part of the sciences for a very long time. The study of birds has helped mankind learn so much more about evolution, ecology, the environment, and animal behavior. From the stone age, to John James Audubon, to the present day, the study of birds has helped us to understand our natural world. 

4. Art History: Birds have played a roll in art history since art had history. Our feathered friends show up in ancient cave drawings, can be found hidden deep within Egyptian pyramids and beyond. Often times symbolizing much more than the mere presence of a bird in a story or place. Did you know the Romans believed that the flight and sounds of birds gave clues to the future? Or that in ancient Egypt, birds represented the soul of a human? The next time you see a bird in a piece of art, take a second look, and take a moment to think about its context. Chances are there is much more to it, than meets the eye.

 

5. Adventure!: Oh the places you will go! Go birding that is! Birding can be very location specific, depending on species and migration patters. From the tropics to Antarctica, birding is a very well traveled endeavor. Have you ever heard of "The Big Year"? The Big Year is a yearly competition to see how many bird species one person can identify in the span of a single calendar year. We recommend starting small, and starting in your local park or your backyard. But as you begin to identify more and more birds, perhaps you will be tempted to make an adventure out of it! If anyone ever tells you, birding is geeky, well... they're just plain wrong. Science, art, adventure await!

Free DIY Crafting Activity!:

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A few of our Favorite Supplies:

 Binoculars

Bird Bingo

Sibley Birding Flash Cards

Bird Blocks

Backyard Bird Dominoes

And more. . .

 

xox

~i.c.

. . . 5 reasons to love stargazing!

5 Reasons to Love Stargazing!

Pale Blue Dot - Lets start here: "On a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam." In 1990, Astronomer Carl Sagan uttered these timeless words. They are based off of a photo of Earth taken by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft as it left our solar system. The photo is pretty much a pale blue speck, floating in a sunbeam. But it's Earth, it's our home. And it demonstrates the vastness of space, and our relatively minuscule existence within that space. Astronomy and stargazing are all about perspective, and sharing that perspective with kids can give them a better idea about their place in the universe, and what they want to do with it.   

History/Civilizations: So much of our history as a planet and as human beings has been shaped by stargazing. Temples have been built, calendars arranged, and rough seas navigated all by looking up into the night sky. Even the most ancient of societies held the stars in the highest regard and used their wisdom in daily life. Stargazing with children is a great way to talk about what has come before, and what they did with the knowledge they gained. Start with the North Star and with a few, easily recognizable constellations. Then talk about how different cultures interpreted and used those constellations. You'll be amazed at what you and your little ones discover!

Astrophysics/Physics: Okay, stay with me on this one. I know it might sound a bit crazy, but stargazing opens up the conversation for a lot of complicated topics, but that doesn't mean you should shy away from trying to explain them to kids. Take the theory of relativity for example. The concept that matter and energy are two versions of the same thing and how that applies to the world around them. Sounds heady, but really it's not so complicated. Perhaps that's why it took a genius like Albert Einstein to figure it out. The point is, even the most complicated subjects can be shared with kids, you just have to break it down. 

 

Astronomy - From toddlers on up!: It's never too early to stargaze with your kids. Sure, as babies they might not get it, but as toddlers the opportunities to expand those ever growing little minds is just too fun! Stargazing provides an opportunity to learn so many basic scientific reasoning skills. From learning how to hold binoculars (aka first telescope, and great for hand/eye coordination), to setting up a telescope (following directions), to learning how to read a basic star chart (looking at something in a new way), stargazing will inspire the little scientist in every kid. 

Connection: There is a theory out there that every atom of our bodies originated from stars, meaning, we are all stardust. How cool is that?! To go out into the world and know that no matter who you meet, no matter how different they are from you, that at the most basic level of our beings, that we are all made up of stars.  Our world may seem like it's going a bit haywire at times, but how would that change if we all just looked up into the night sky once in a while, and then back at each other and knew that we are all in this together, each one of us a part of a star, each one of us connected? 

Free DIY Crafting Activity!:

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Check out a few of our Favorite Supplies in our Stargazing Category!

xox

~i.c.

. . . 5 reasons we love card games!

5 Reasons to Love Card Games

Winning and Losing: Sometimes you win, and sometimes, well, you don't. And that is okay. Learning how to be a good winner and looser is equally important. You never know what life will hand you, so learning how to negotiate the ups and downs with grace is a seriously valuable life skill. It may sound a bit simplistic, but card games are a great place to teach these skills in a low stress, supportive environment. 

Memory: Cultivating a good memory takes time and practice. Card games are a great way to nurture and grow little memories into great big ones! Matching games, and collecting games like go fish are great activities to build memory retention, as well as strengthening the neurological processes of categories and sequences. 

Following Rules/ Learning How to Make Up Your Own: Our lives are full of rules, and so are card games. Just like learning how to win and lose, learning how to follow the rules and to do it with a good attitude is an important life skill. A lesser known skill in this area, but just as important, is learning how to make up your own rules. A basic card deck is a great jumping off point for making up your own game. How do you think all the other card games came into being? Individuals with a good imagination and sense of innovation made up a set of new rules and created a whole new game. Go ahead, give it a try!

Counting/Math Skills - As soon as little ones can count, card games can help them to realize their awesome mathematical potential. Starting with the games like War, and Old Maid, and moving on to Crazy 8's and Gin Rummy, card games teach kids to see numbers in a whole new way. Wherever math presents a problem, card games present a wonderful response!  

Great Games Can Teach More!: We have a number of card games that not only teach all of the wonderful skills above, but they also teach kids about animals, nature, art, and so much more! Need prompt for a great adventure? Give our adventure cards a try today! 

Free DIY Card Deck Activity!:

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A few of our Favorite Supplies:

 Adventure Cards

Knot Tying Cards and Kit

Botanical Cards

Wild Cards

52 Amazing Science Experiments

Nature Card Game 52 Activities

And More. . . !

 

xox

~i.c.

. . . 5 reasons to build forts!

Remember when we said that picking our top 5 reasons to craft with your kids was the hardest assignment to date? Well we were wrong, so, so wrong. Forts people, forts. Our love for these wild and spontaneous structures knows no bounds. If you do one thing and one thing only with your kids (aside from loving, feeding, clothing, sheltering, and providing safety of course), build forts with them. The benefits will last a lifetime, we pinky swear on this one. So in no specific order and only broaching the tip of the iceberg on this one, here are our top 5 reasons to build forts with your kids. 

5 Reasons to Make Forts with Your Kids!

1. Earthly Mechanics - How this world works - basic construction know how: First fort building attempts will most likely be made up pillows, couch cushions, and blankets. But as kids begin to develop better hand eye coordination and cognitive skills, fort building will likely move outside and get more complex. So use fort building to teach little ones how to use tools like a hammer, screw driver and eventually, a hand saw. learning to use these tools, and heftier materials also teaches kids about physics and mechanics. What better way to learn how the world works tan to make one of your own!

2. Time outside - fostering a love of nature: I know, I know, I said we had no favorites in this list, but I lied a little bit. Spending time outside and fostering a love of nature is our favorite! As technology pervades our every action, we are loosing touch with our beautiful planet. Building a fort in the backyard, or even one in a local park, is time outside, and away from screens. Providing a chance for kids to observe the beauty of the outdoor world, and hopefully fall in love with that time and space. The hope here is based on the principal that if you love something, you are more likely to take care of it. Building forts outside gives kids a chance to cultivate a love of nature, hopefully translating into a deep love and sense of duty in caring for one beautiful, and precious planet.

3. Teamwork and Collaboration: It may sound cliche (okay it's totally cliche), but teamwork makes the dream work! Have you witnessed the scope of a child's imagination? Then you know how complex this fort building proposition can get. Which is why it helps to build forts with friends. Many hands make light work, but they also teach us how to work together, to collaborate, and to communicate effectively. Aren't forts just the best?

4. A Place of Their Own: Forts also provide privacy. As kids get older it is important that they have the space to process all the new information coming at them. Forts make space for that information to find a home. A space that is just for them, of their own making, without distraction from the outside world. 

5. Unstructured Play: This one might be our second favorite. The live of modern days kids can sometimes be pretty scheduled out. Wake up, school, after school activities, homework, dinner, sleep, sound familiar? With all this scheduled time, the time for unstructured play and the creativity it fosters is slowly disappearing. Forts can fix that. With a few simple ingredients, forts can entertain kids all day long. From planning, to construction, to the games made up to play in them, forts are an incredible resource of unstructured play. 

 

Free DIY Crafting Activity!:

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A few of our Favorite Supplies:

 Stick-Lets Fort Kit

Backyard Tipi

Sarah's Silks

Wooden Fort Clips

Imagine Childhood Book (includes lots of DIY fort projects)

Antelope Tent

 

xox

~i.c.

 

... 5 reasons to craft with your kids

 

5 Reasons to Try New Crafts with Your Kids!

There are so many reasons to craft with your kids! Picking the top 5 reasons why, was one of the hardest assignments to date. 

1. Learn Something New: We all get stuck in patters and routines. As as we grow these patterns can become restrictive. Sally is good at drawing, so you keep giving her crayons and pencils, and she gets even better, that's great! But, what if she happens to be a gifted sculptor, or inventor?  Crafting with your kids allows them to explore a new idea or process in a fun, low stress environment. Who knows what new skill or passion they may discover? This goes for parents too!

2. Understanding a Subject in a New Way: Math is not just math, and chemistry is not just chemistry. Music opens up new gateways to think about fractions. Paper Mâché offers a new opportunity to see how chemistry works in a creative way. Learning is an wholly immersive endeavor, and each subject is intrinsically linked to the next. Art is proven to increase appreciation and understanding in math and science. So, what are you waiting for? Get crafting today!

3.Exercising Creativity - cultivating the imagination - neurological benefits: To kick a ball in the direction you want it to go in, at the speed it needs to go, to get there in the time given takes practice. It takes time to develop the muscles and coordination needed to execute that skill. The same goes for creativity. If you don't exercise your imagination, it won't work when you need it to. Crafting gives kids an open-ended way to run imaginary laps around the playground of their imagination. Not to mention crafting fosters development of fine motor skills and creation of neural pathways in the brain. You really can't go wrong. 

4.Cultural & Historical - learning about the world we live in through crafting: Did you know that 30-40% of the population in Mongolia still lives in a structure called a Ger? Did you know that you can build your own mini version? Well now you do, and now you know a little bit more about this amazing world we live in, and the people that call her home. Crafting can help kids to learn about and appreciate this beautiful and diverse world we live in, opening up new pathways to understanding and connection. 

5. Connecting with your kids: This one is a no brainer. When you sit down to work on any craft with your kids you are setting aside a chunk of time where that is all you are doing. No screens, no sports practice to run off to, no house chore to be done, or a meal to cook. Just you and your kiddo, creating and imagining together. To say the bonding opportunities are huge would be an understatement. 

 

Free DIY Felting Activity!:

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 Happy Crafting!