Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.
- Oscar Hammerstein II & Richard Rodgers
It is hard for me to put into words just how grateful I am for the opportunity to try out some of the most creative and imaginative kiddie coolness on the planet or how honored I am to give away such gems on behalf of the generous souls who help nurture the playful spirit of childhood. It is my thrill to present to you these tried and true faves from Satch and I. We are certain they will bring your family much joy this holiday season!
(Giveaway items are marked with a * )
Think-ets: Ingenious, creative, imaginative are the three words that best describe this game. Contained in a pocket sized tin (or pouch depending on the set you choose), this is highly portable, major fun. I actually keep it in my bag so we can play it anywhere. I brought it out in the waiting room during S's OT appointment, and it produced much laughter from the children as well as their parents. Inside the tin is a handful of interesting trinkets. The game can be played a multitude of ways and with various age groups. Our favorite is the "
Story Telling Game". Ages 8+
eeBoo's United States Bingo: We are HUGE fans of eeBoo! eeBoo is well known for their beautiful, educational and high quality products. The gorgeous art is commissioned from beloved children's book illustrators. It should come as no surprise that many of their award winning products are sold in museum stores.
Their United States Bingo Game is a such a fun way for kids to learn about our country's states, industry and landmarks. Terrific for home or classrooms.
*The generous people at eeBoo are allowing me to giveaway this awesome game to one lucky winner!
eeBoo also makes a wide variety of beautifully illustrated classic memory matching games that are a pure pleasure to play with. We have our favorites, as I'm sure you will too.
*Thanks to the generous peeps at eeBoo, you will have a chance to win their new Wildlife Memory Game!
eeBoo, we love you so!
Meta-Forms by
FoxMind is an award winning game of reasoning and logic. The visual clues are intuitive and easy for young children to understand, yet it's challenging enough to entice adults. It can be played alone or with groups. In short, we LOVE it and highly recommend it! Ages 5 +
Family Funtime's Dinner Games: Terrific fun for family meal time. There are 51 game prompts in the form of recipe cards, neatly stored in a nifty tin. A wonderful way to add a bit of playfulness to your holiday dinner. Handy for restaurants and rest stop meals during the family vacation. We especially love the game "What's Missing"! Ages 3+
For kids who love to help cook, you should check out these cool tools by
Kinderkitchen.
The Dog knives are designed to cut soft food, not fingers. The ears and the tail help keep your child's paws centered on the handle. We had the good fortune to test-drive these puppies and our son had a terrific time helping with meal prep.
Kinderkitchen is a division of Kuhn Rikon, Switzerland's leading manufacturer of cookware and cook's tools for over 70 years.
What's Gnu? by Think Fun: Played like their classic, Zingo, this game is a great way for early readers to practice spelling, and word recognition. There's this cool, soothing aspect to the sliding "letter-getter" that adds a little sensory touch to game as well. There are two levels of play. Ages 5+
Another great gift for early readers are the new
Sight Words BOB books from Scholastic! I had the honor of
interviewing this Mother-Father-Daughter team last Fall, when I discovered a set of their books at our library book sale. My son LOVES them!
*The Maslens, Kertells, & the generous folks at Scholastic are allowing me to giveaway a set of Sight Words Kindergarten and Sight Words First Grade!
Drum City by Thea Guidone has become one of my son's favorite bedtime stories. The rhythmic text and whimsical illustrations are delightful. I particularly love the bits of collaged text peaking out from beneath the images. Satch loves the expressions on the kids' faces as they march through the city banging their drums.
The book would make a lovely gift paired with a small
drum like the one we have by Remo. The drum has a nice sound and is extremely sturdy. We bought ours
when S was just a year old.
For the creative family or for families who would like to tap into their imaginations, I highly recommend
MoMA's
Make Art Mistakes! It's a sketchbook filled with fun, imaginative prompts & inspiring quotes to get the creative juices flowing - FEARLESSLY! Our favorite page, "Draw a shape then color OUTSIDE the lines"! This book is great for a family art night, yucky weather days, or to toss in the backseat for road trips.
And for the big people in your life, you should consider giving a copy of
Patti Digh's latest treasure, "Creative is a Verb: If You're Alive, You're Creative".
If you wish to live your life as a work of art, this book will feed your creative fire!
I am honored to announce that my art appears on 156 and 187.
*The generous peeps as Global Pequot Press is allowing me to giveaway a copy of this gem to one lucky reader!
For music lovers, you MUST grab a copy of Brandon Campbell's new cd, "
Ten from the Galley"! I can tell you first hand how addictive Brandon's gypsy jazz stylin's are...our respective families once shared a
pond side cabin in Squam, NH so the mama-bears could attend an art-retreat. Every time I think about our adventures there - watching the neon sunrise paint the pond pink - standing motionless in the loon kissed evening air watching bats arabesque (
so close I could touch them) making me feel as though I was flying with them, the art, the friendships, the laughter....when I think back at that time our families spent together, Brandon's music swirls around in my head like my own personal soundtrack, and let me tell you...that's mighty nice. Brandon's music stirs me in many ways. At times I want to grab a partner and bust out my Lindy moves. Sometimes, it makes me want to light candles and just melt into the night. It's haunting - it's hot - it's hip!
*Brandon is allowing me to give away a copy of his new cd to one lucky reader, how cool is that?
For the art lovers in your life, check out the work of
Pixie Campbell! Pixie is one of my dear friends and yes...her hubby is Brandon. They are a talented, dynamic duo! Pixie is Native American of the Choctaw tribe. Drawing from her knowledge of animal totems, her beautiful and soulful work is both a reflection of her heritage and her love for the spiritual aspects of life.
*Pixie would like to give away a fine art print to one luck commenter!
Once more, It is a great pleasure to share with you a few of our favorite things. It is an honor to introduce you to the extraordinary and generous people who create them. May this holiday season bless you with fun, laughter, creativity and a big imagination!
To win one of these 6 items listed above...
- *eeBoo United States Bingo
- * eeBoo Wildlife Memory
- *BOB Books
- *Creative is a Verb
- *Ten from the Galley cd
- *Fine Art Print by Pixie Campbell
simply share with me a favorite holiday moment.
You MUST specify which item you're wishin' for....
Also include an email so that I may contact you if you win. Comments must be posted by midnight on Friday December 3rd. The winners will be picked by random generator and announced on Monday December 6th!
Good luck and good tidings to you where ever you are...
Wendy
Labels: Books I'm In, giveaway, play
The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons by Amanda Blake Soule is a soulful (pardon the applicable pun), and inspiring book that offers recipes, crafts and family activities that follow the rhythm of the seasons. Warm and welcoming, it's a guide that nurtures family bonds and fosters a deeper connection with nature.
Playful Learning: Develop Your Child's Sense of Joy and Wonder by Mariah Bruehl is a wonderful book that honors the connection between play and learning. The book is loaded with activities and resources that will empower parents to create play based learning experiences within the home. This guide thoughtfully demonstrates how parents can participate in their child's education in very significant, meaningful ways.
