How cute is this?
Love this rainbow chalk and cloud foam bubbles! Simple, easy, and completely wonderful.
Toys and games
The screen-free challenge is here! (free printable)
Q and I will both be heading back to school next week, so I’m thinking this is the perfect opportunity to shift our agreements around media use. This summer I did a one-week challenge with about 90% success rate (hahah, I just looked back at a previous post where I estimated my success at 80%! Maybe I’ll keep a log this time).
I owe much of that success to having some planned activities to turn to when the impulse strikes to say “go ahead and watch while I finish…”
To prepare for my goal of the four-week fast recommended by Dr. Victoria Dunckley, I put together a whole 28-days worth of screen-free activities available for free download below! (Ugh, my technological ineptness strikes again – actually can’t figure out how to make it downloadable, so feel free to screen shot (there’s a second page with some tips on specific activities, so if you want that email me.)
Update: I figured it out! You can download the complete file on my Free Resources page.
Screen-free Fall Challenge
I just watched a video detailing some of the effects of electronic media on brain chemistry, and I’m launching another round of “get those bugs outta here”. (This is what little Q would say as he swished his hands around to dispel fruit flies.)
Both of my kiddos have been exposed to videos by their second birthday. My older one started out playing a Sesame Street game on pbskids.org, and my younger watched animal documentaries on Netflix. Over the past year, I’ve been really working to limit my 4-year-old’s time to “educational” programs (Blippi on YouTube, or PBS shows). As a single parent, it is especially tempting to talk myself into needing a break from constant interaction.
The truth is, with just a short time of focused attention, Q will go off playing alone for quite a while. And I have a number of friends who are happy to help out when I need to some to myself. Even so, I end up saying yes to videos more often than I would like. Earlier this summer, I embarked on a week-long screen free challenge, which I’d say we were about 80% successful with. I figure any reduction is a positive step.
This month I’ll be pulling out my Whole Family Rhythms materials to work on refining our play space and routines to support the goal of limiting screen time to family movie night in September. Wish me luck!
P.S. I’m also working on a calendar of alternative activities; check back in the next week, or email if you want me to let you know when it’s available. (You can also subscribe to the blog for updates on all new posts.)
XXOO
anne
How to keep toddlers from dumping toys all over your house
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Okay the title is kind of a lie, because: you don’t. Dumping and pouring are a key toddler developmental task. The best you can do is corral the mess. One way I found that seemed to work was getting some empty boxes and trays in which to dump the objects. Kind of like a water transfer activity, but with blocks or other items instead. This work helps them cognitively by witnessing the effect of gravity, develops their sense of self by seeing that their actions affect the world around them, and refines motor skills.
I think what made the tray and box dumping more attractive than floor dumping was the sound of falling into another hard surface (vs. our floor which was carpet), as well as the fact that after Q dumped into a container, it was easy to then dump from that into another, rather than having to wait until they were all picked up to go again.
The science behind screen time
This is a video that will be available for only a few days, so even though I already posted this morning (about summer trips with kids), I’m putting it up now.
Dr. Dunckley is a child psychiatrist who noticed a pattern and experimented to find the effect of reducing or eliminating video games and other electronic devices.
In my own life, I have a history of trauma and PTSD that influences my sleep cycles, and in an effort to minimize the challenges, I have tried a lot of different interventions. Switching to reading paper books and listening to meditation stories, and putting down my phone at night (which I was using as a distraction after nightmares), has definitely had a positive impact. I have also been working with supplements and psychiatric medications as well, so I can’t positively attribute all of the changes to one thing, but this researcher has done scientific studies.
I hope it is illuminating. If you are wanting to make changes in your child’s screen use, Meagan at Whole Family Rhythms has a guide to get started.
Summer self-care tip #3
Note: this post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you purchase through the link. I only link to products I use and love.
Okay, I’m super excited about today’s family self-care idea, because it’s one of my favorites, and because it’s going to make all of the others so much easier. Are you ready? Here it is:
Screen Free Days! I promise you this one activity will have a bigger impact on your state of mind and your connection with your kids than any other. This may seem obvious in theory, but, like the fire drill experience, the effect is so much greater in practice than I had imagined.
(If you are one of the blessed single parents / WAHPs who don’t turn to screens in times of desperation, I apologize this post isn’t as exciting for you. I’ll make it up to you with my second best idea tomorrow! Hint: it involves candles.)
The idea of a screen break came to me via Meagan at Whole Family Rhythms. I mean, the idea of a screen break is self-explanatory, but she actually has an official plan. According to her website, she’s been almost completely screen free for years, which is totally inspiring, and also seems completely impossible right now. But, a week? Probably doable. One. single. day? No excuse not take that challenge.
When I did the Unplug Childhood training earlier this year, I prepared myself for some tears and foot stomping. It was actually surprising how little resistance I met. I think part of it was the pre-planned activities (like bubbles, playdough, and morning provocations), and my willingness to forgo some of my own time to really dedicate to playing – which is always my goal anyway. Focusing my energy in this direction was just extra incentive to be more organized. It honestly only takes 5 minutes to set up a simple play activity like blocks or playdough for the morning, have an idea of an art experience for later in the day after nap, and if all else fails we head to the park!
Here is another lovely source of ideas for keeping busy while you adjust to losing your free babysitter. My goal was to make the approach light and easy, not pressured. The idea is to lower stress, so making it hard on yourself defeats that purpose.
Edit: found another great set of screen-free toddler activities from Mom Life Made Easy.
In the long run, your child’s emotional regulation will benefit so much from interacting with the physical world using multiple senses, leading to more peaceful problem-solving and a happier, more connected environment.
If you missed the first two posts in the series, you can find them here, and here.
Best bubble solution
Note: this post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you purchase through the link. I only link to products I use and love.
My preschool class last year did a study on bubbles – all the things we could use to make wands (wire / chenille stems, funnels, straws, our own hands!!), painting using straws, bubble wands, and circular shaped objects; and testing out different formulas. Two key finds: the addition of glycerine makes them stronger / longer-lasting, and soaking it overnight makes them easier to form.
We experimented with different ratios of soap to water and found that too much soap weighs them down, but not enough will cause them to pop immediately (even with the secret ingredient).
My first encounter with the true magic of bubbles started when my oldest child was a toddler and I bought some bubble bath that came with a wand. Cute for the kids, but the real gem is that blowing bubbles is relaxing! It forces you to be conscious of your breathing rate and power. Perfect meditation tool for parents at the end of the night. This particular soap included lavender scent, which helps it feel especially soothing. Babo babies bubble bath is the one we are using now, so yummy and so bubbly! (This affiliate link goes to the shampoo / body wash, but just search bubble bath on the site.)
Okay, here is my ideal homemade bubble recipe:
Combine 1/4 c. dish soap (Seventh Generation citrus, lavender, or mint / eucalyptus scents are wonderful) + 2c water + 2 tsp glycerine; stir gently. Let sit overnight for optimum results. Delight in the wonder of this simple pleasure!
Our favorite play dough recipe
Play dough is one of the most powerful tools in my arsenal. Any time I really need to get something done (phone calls, computer work, a ten minute nap), I can trust that play dough will be there for me.
As long as I can clear a surface to squish on, there are an infinite number of interactive materials that can get thrown into the mix with this glorious substance. Not all recipes are created equal. I’ve ended up with some sticky (usually fixable by adding more flour and salt), some crumbly (add more water and oil). This recipe is just right. It has reliably turned out perfectly smooth, lasts seriously forever in a container, takes color beautifully, and just has a great satisfying squeeze factor.
Provocation, this time with photos :)
The key difference, as I understand it, between a provocation and an invitation is that an invitation is kind of a random wild card idea to see if something will spark their interest, as in the unschooling concept of “strewing”, whereas a provocation is based upon something that you know they already have some interest, and then aiming to stretch their conceptual understanding – this is the bases of emergent curriculum. 
Q has been having fun making designs with a set of shape magnets, (pictured to the right). So I decided to set out some shape blocks (above), put a few in a frame, and leave the rest in a container to see if it would catch his eye.
He noticed it on the floor immediately, and it totally held his engagement, and mine! He made several different versions, using all of the pieces, talked about what he was creating, and invited me to join him.
Update: after a few days, he was pretty much over it, so I put it up in the closet for a while and plan to bring it back out in conjunction with some other building materials – maybe cars to suggest roads – or playdough which he has been getting really into now.
Friday Night Fire drill!
A few weeks ago, Q got really interested in emergencies, so we finally practiced our first fire drill, and also an earthquake drill. What was really fantastic about getting this done was not only the practice (which ideally should be done often enough that the responses are automatic); I discovered things we needed to change about the setup of our room to be able to evacuate or shelter in place quickly.
“Oh, we can’t get under this table because there are a bunch of heavy bins to move first! Hey, we are going to need a stool to actually get up out of this window. Oh man, if this stool is in the hallway we are going to trip on it rushing out in the dark.”
Totally unexpected outcome, but so valuable! My goal is to establish “Friday night fire drills” – or more realistically, First Friday (of the month) fire drills.
I also moved two of our emergency gallons of water from the car to the house, realizing it’s probably more likely that we’ll get stuck inside than stranded somewhere else (simply because we spend more time here than in the car).
More info on preparing for emergencies is available at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/pbem/53983
Update: apparently leaving gallons of water in the trunk of your car makes them leak? I’m thinking the pressure changes of temperature or something. Anyway, new plan is to keep them with other supplies in a plastic bin.