There is nothing I love more than to spread the joy of fairy play. We have had a rich childhood filled with endless imaginative scenarios because of a little blue felt fairy we bought in Australia when Maya was three. For many years Bluebell has been Maya’s go to toy (she even has a character […]
Who would have thought that choosing dress up clothes for children could be a doorway to meaningful learning and in turn a beautiful existence. As can be the case with these small everyday things we choose as a mother, they can actually be life defining, I struggled and fought to eradicate less than thoughtful mass-produced dress […]
{ THE ACORN was the ancient Nordic symbol of life, an old folk belief holds that carrying an acorn ensures a long life } Acorn is a very special toy shop and if you seek it out, it will become a memorable family destination. It is an iconic fixture of Atlantic Avenue, in the beautiful neighborhood […]
When Elle was one, we started collecting Holtziger wooden animals. I do not recall how we came across them, but from the moment Elle had that little wooden squirrel, we knew these were toys worthy of a collection. Each animal is hand made, and painted with non toxic paint. They feel good, and they smell […]
I was carried away in a gust of inspiration on Thursday last week, and this was the outcome: a shadow puppet theatre box! What fun right? This idea must have been bubbling in my subconscious from the frequent vision of the rainbow silk silhouettes that I mentioned in my last post. I rose Thursday morning, […]
We are enchanted by our garden. A few steps out side our door, it is our very special, magical play space. A thing we cherished after years of not having a yard. Since moving to Ditmas, this little back yard has been a source of joy. Summer days were easily filled with gardening, pools and […]
I feel like I am writing a book called “101 ways to water play” as it seems that every day I am trying to think of a new fun activity for water play in the back yard. Using food dye and water to entertain the Children is something I have done before, but in the […]
A few times a week, and maybe even every day, we are enjoying the plastic bucket ‘pool’ with bubbles. Today while playing in the bubble pool we had the idea to make bubble sundaes with flower petal toppings. Here are our cute girls making flower bubble sundaes….
While these hot days last we will continue to enjoy water play in the back yard! Today I filled a plastic crate with water and added bubbles. The girls loved their outdoor bubble bath! I love having the mosquito net hanging in the yard, I put it up for Maya’s Birthday and have left it […]
The owners of our house, Pam and Keith, came home the other day to find us playing in the yard. It was a particularly hot day and Pam offered to hold the hose for the girls to play in. I then said that I had been intending to buy a sprinkler, which led Keith into the […]
There are endless varieties of water play so we have discovered. Watering plants, making mud soup, and the latest favorite is washing clothes and then pegging them up to ‘dry’. I think this is the favorite due to the introduction of soup suds into the scene. Both Maya and Elle have spent hours washing and […]
What a delight to see the sprinklers on today! On my way home from the Farmers Market I noticed the fine mist water spray in the playground. I knew how excited at least one little girl in our family would be! The moment I told Maya the sprinklers were on she ran to get her […]
Today I found a brand new kite still in the box. It was on the street as I walked to collect Maya from playgroup. While it looked like a very cheap and not so good a kite, it turned out to be perfect for the kids as it was very easy to fly. Finding this […]
Could it be that the warmer weather of today signals the beginning of spring? Yes please, to be outside for more than an hour with out getting cold feet, and to have the sun shine on the top of my head, oh yes please! Nothing makes the effects of the cold weather more apparent than […]
No matter what the season, nature provides materials for sculpture. On a warm winters day recently we headed outside during a break in the rain to play. Despite the ground being wet we started playing with the treasures that lay beneath the barren trees. Maya and Elle enjoyed working on what became the entrance to […]
Winter days in NYC can be long. When the girls and I are feeling house bound we do our best to entertain each other by making the ordinary not so ordinary.It can be a simple as having breakfast in the cubby, or putting food dye in the bath. There are lots of ways to make […]