What is an Imagination Kit?

Simply put, an Imagination Kit is a collection of items - a couple of toys, items from Nature, and a play mat - to engage your child, spark their imagination, and encourage creative play.

Play is important. Imaginative play develops and strengthens language skills, storytelling, creative thinking, role playing, and more! If you are play alongside your child, Imagination Kits also promote strong bonds and communication skills with your child and...it's fun!

Immerse yourself in the whimsical small world play. Make up stories together. Laugh. Be silly. Or send as a gift to that special kiddo in your life.

I am the first one on #etsy to offer this concept. My background is early childhood education. Creating imaginative play was the basis for creating these Imagination Kits.

Too often kids sit in front of a tv or video game or DVD. Let's exercise their imagination. Let's remember how to PLAY and entertain ourselves. Let's make up our own stories and invent new fairytales!

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Exploring Textures with Playdough

I love playdough.  I love the texture of it.  I love the creations. I even love the smell (am I weird?)  But what I love most about playdough is the educational benefits.  Playdough is probably the number one way to play to strengthen those small muscles in little fingers.  While they are molding and smooshing and manipulating the playdough, those little finger muscles are getting a workout.  And strong finger muscles are needed to hold a pencil properly and control it and write.  Who knew playdough was so amazing, right?

Today, we explored playdough and pasta (lions and tigers and bears oh my!).  We rolled the pasta across making ridges and made flower or gear impressions by pressing the end of the pasta into the playdough.

Phew!  That was a mighty good workout!

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Straw Necklace Update

Our straw necklaces turned Put super cute with this orange polka dotted ribbon that we had left over from another project. Miracle of miracles, we had just enough ribbon for BOTH necklaces! Simple and easy easy project.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Whimsical Garden Play Mat

This whimsical garden playscape play mat is now on etsy.  www.mybigworld2015.etsy.com

There are so many ways to play with this wool felt play mat is all hand stitched. Each playscape takes me about 6 to 8 hours to complete.  This one hosts a large rainbow garden, a hollow log that toys can actually pass through, a meandering path, grasses, teeny tiny mushrooms, and more.  It's just waiting for a child's imagination.

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel

Straw Necklaces

This morning, we practiced some scissor skills by cutting up these happy color straws.

After nap, we are going to string them into ribbon to make necklaces - which is good small muscle exercise.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Cabochons

Have you heard of cabochons?  Have you used them in your projects?  I recently used them on my whimsical rainbow garden playscape seen below.

I ordered them from WhimsyPop on etsy - a lot of amazing things.

I ordered them for this project, but I also have been using them as counters.  Lettuce counters. hee hee I know, I know.  My brain works in weird ways. And have been using them for teaching small, medium, and large.  I guess, you can find inspiration for teaching math anywhere. :)

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Perfect Party Favor

I love parties. I love the planning and details. My sister says, "all the little details stress me out, but you...you thrive in details." That is true, but she can cook! I am not a cook. At all.

I am doing an upcoming post 101 Ways to Use Safari Ltd Toys. I thought, "Party Favor!" They would be perfect in a small box or these little pillow boxes.

Favors. Check. What else is on the party list?

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel

Parties!

 So Facebook sends me this photo and says: Look what you posted 3 years ago today.  Ahhh.  I totally forgot about this.  Three years ago I was setting up parties for a play cafe. 

The above one is Ocean Theme for a cutie pie of a 3 year old.  The play cafe owner wanted the parties to be kiddo friendly but simple.  Okay!  Brown butcher paper covered the tables.  All the flowers were fresh, in white but different varieties.  The flower vases are actually soup cans covered in scrapbook paper.  I used Safari Ltd ocean animals to bring the theme together.

 Here's an Elmo party that I got all the stuff for but, because of strep throat, we never had the party.  The One year old loved Elmo and music.  So we were going to make Elmo harps.

 Below is a Fairy Land party that we hosted at the local community center. 50 kiddos dressed in fairy attire joined us for fairy house making, wand creating, and dancing with the Fairy Queen.

I do love putting together kid's birthday parties.  I like adding all the tiny details, seeing the kids's smiles, remembering childhood.  I always incorporate fresh flowers.  I think that adds a special touch. I also do a simple craft at all the parties that I put together.

How do you party?

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Frozen Trolls

Are you still singing "Let It Go" in your head?  Have you seen the movie 462 times?  Well, if you are like me, you either love or hate the Frozen craze.  I actually love it.  I saw the movie in the theater then saw the sing a long version in the theater.  We belt every song we hear.  We play dress up and with the toys.

With the new movie Frozen Fever coming out soon, Anna and Elsa are here to stay!  My husband found some trolls and I set up this invitation to play for G and Roo.  They are going to LOVE it.  You can find this play may in my etsy shop www.mybigworld2015.etsy.com

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Tell Me A Story

I love to simply show a child a picture and say, "Tell me a story."

Their imagination kicks in and...

I am amazed every time.

Kids are so funny.

Sometimes, they need prompted.  So I ask questions like, "What are the mice doing with all that cheese?"or "What is the teddy bear doing on the flamingo's back?"  Sometimes questions help to spark the imagination.

You telling a child stories or them telling them stories develops their vocabulary and verbal skills and parts of a story (beginning, middle, end) skills and their imagination.

We do this a lot in the car.  I have photos of toys that I have staged printed off and handy.  To pass the time, I hand G a photo and say, "Tell me a story."  I love the things she comes up with and I get a break from kids songs on the radio (you know that they annoy you, too!) These photo cards can be good while waiting at a restaurant or before bed.

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel

The Adventures of Hush the Hedgehog

Me: We got to California in two weeks. What are you taking?
G: Uh, animals and clothes and swim suit. What are you bringing?
Me: what do you think I should bring?
G: Hush the Hedgehog for sure and maybe a swim suit.

Hush is our Safari Ltd Incredible Creatures Hedgehog that tends to pop in our play pretty often. G loves him.  He was part of our pet shop and sometimes, he just goes along with us.  It's one of her/my favorite toys.

Well, this will be an adventure. My nanny family is going for a conference for 8 days! I am going along to help with the girls.  It should be an adventure! It's the longest that I have ever been without my husband. I hope I don't get homesick. I actually am looking up fabric, craft, and toy stores in the area!

The countdown is on. I hope Hush packs lightly!

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

gift tags

I will be honest, I never give much thought to the gift tag.  I usually do a simple paper punched tag and scribble the name on it as I am walking about the door.

BUT...

When I was brainstorming for my upcoming 101 Ways to Play with Safari Ltd Toys, a light bulb >LIGHT BULB< went off.

If you put a spot of hot glue on the belly of your little animal, and glue it to the tag, the tag will become something more special.  It will become a little gift in itself.  Now that I am rethinking gift tags, time to get busy to make up a bunch!

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel

My Big World 2015 etsy shop

 This week, my plan was to complete 2...maybe 3...new playscape play mats for my etsy shop.  www.mybigwold2015.etsy.com  But there was sickness in the nanny house and I volunteered at my daughter's school.  I also road tripped to see my daughter at college.  Best laid plans, right?  I completed 1.

Completing One was disappointing but...I was able to just concentrate on adding so many tiny details to this one.

 There are so many ways to play with these playscape play mats.  I had a ton of fun this morning, staging different ways which a child might play with this.

 This Lakeside play mat has a 3 dimensional leaf boat.  I have never done a lake playscape or a boat before, but I love the way that it turned out.  This play mat is wool felt approximately 15 inches by 15 inches - not huge, so you could take it along in the car or to a restaurant or to a playdate.

 Gardens have been a part of every play mat that I have done so far, because my late Grandma Helen loved working in the garden.  I have many, many fond childhood memories beside her in the dirt talking, laughing, planting, weeding, picking.  The gardens on the play mats are a little more whimsical than Grandma Helen's, but I think she would have enjoyed them just the same.

 Whether it be tiny Japanese eraser hamsters, Safari or Schleich, or Papo animals, Lalaloopsy, Hello Kitty, dinosaurs - whatever your child is into...they can play on this play mat.

 These photos show all the tiny stitches and itty bitty mushrooms.  Each play mat takes me 6-8 hours to make, as they are all hand stitched.

 A Playscape is a landscape for imagination. "Imagination is more important that knowledge." - Albert Einstein

 I have been in the early childhood education field for 20+ years and know that children learn through play.  They need time to just play, to be creative, to let their imaginations run wild.

 Where will their imaginations take them?

 On a boat ride in a leaf on a lake?  On a picnic beside the lake?  A walk in a whimsical garden?

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Safari Ltd Incredible Creatures Penguin and Chick

Imagine this.  A tiny, squeaky voice saying, "Oh my goodness! Look how cute that baby penguin is!"  You are smiling, aren't you?

With quality toys like Safari Ltd.'s Incredible Creatures Penguin and Chick, you really will smile.  The mama (or dad, not sure which!) Is about 5 inches tall.  It is very detailed and painted so carefully, so life-like.  I am amazed by their toys every single time.

I have used Safari Ltd toys in many capacities over the years as an early childhood educator, mom, Auntie, nanny, and community center arts teacher.  They are my 'go to' toys, because 1) Safari Ltd toys are always high quality, detailed, and well priced, 2) they have a huge selection of animals 3) their Too line have a theme to fit almost any theme you are looking for.

I do talk about Safari Ltd toys on my blog A LOT.  I am not getting paid to say these wonderful things (but wouldn't working at Safari be sooo fun?!), but they did send me 5 items to review. I only talk about products on this blog that I have used and played with and trust.  I trust the quality.  I know their values.  I love their toys.

I have an upcoming post of 101 Ways to Play with Safari Ltd.  Stayed tuned.

Have a fun and playful day
Mel

Creating Healthy Eaters Through Play

Have you ever thought about subliminal messages? Well, ponder this. Creating healthy eaters could be as simple as play.

On Nick Jr's Peter Rabbit, he is always eating fresh foods straight from the garden or forest. Stage you child's play with healthy foods like Peter Rabbit.

Maybe set up a mini farmer's market in your child's dress up area or in their dollhouse. Promoting healthy eating as easy as...not pie :)

Researchers have studied this for years, but moms know that children learn through play. Setting the stage with healthy food will send the message that apples and broccoli are examples of eating healthy.

I am a big fan of toys at the table. "Oh, Peter Rabbit is goubg to try some blackberries. How about you try some, too. " you might say.

Provide healthy snacks and encourage them to try new things.

Play with garden or farm toys and talk about where food comes from. I am always surprised when kids think food comes from the delivery man!

It's okay to play with your food!

Maybe provide healthy foods in the dollhouse can influence healthy food choices at dinner time.

It's all about positive attitudes towards being healthy and eating right, being a good example, and opportunities to play and act out scenarios of healthy food.

Have a fun and playful day.
Mel

Safari Ltd Incredible Creatures Eagle - A Review

When Safari Ltd contacted me and asked if I would review something for them, I first squealed and did a little happy dance.  I, of course, said yes.  I love the mission of the company, the quality and selection of their toys, and the toys themselves.

Since, 1982, Safari Ltd. has been a leader in making "Toys that Teach".  Their mission is to teach children the importance of nature and conservation through the joy of imaginative play.  As an early childhood educator of 20+ years, their mission means a lot to me.  Children do learn through play (I say it all the time on this blog), and when they have realistic, detailed toys like Safari Ltd. toys, the learning is endless.

One toy that Safari Ltd, sent to me to review is the Bald Eagle from their Incredible Creatures line. This eagle is sculpted so well with tiny details like hundreds of feathers or the wrinkles on his feet.  The paint job is superb.  He stands about 6 inches tall and has some weight to him.  Here's what G, age 4 had to say about this Eagle. "He has tons of feathers.  He looks a little mean, but maybe he's just hungry.  He's America's bird, you know?  I like him.  I like that he looks like a real bird."  :)

G immediately put Eagle (along with Owl and Penguin) in a "cage" to sell in her pretend pet shop.  "He's a good bird, strong and a good flyer."

As a preschool teacher, I used Safari Ltd. toys for years in my classroom.  In the science area, I used them for animal and habitat studies, learning about nature, or in terrariums.  In the block area, children created elaborate zoos and forests for the animals to live in.  What stuck my most about Safari Ltd. toys then,  and still is true today, 1) the amount of detail in each animal and 2) how well they hold up after being played with (sometimes not gently - we all know how 3 & 4 year olds can be!).

I am a fan of Safari Ltd.  I make no bones about that.  I do not endorse a lot of products on this blog.  But, when I find high quality, detailed toys at exceptional value, then I will share.  That's why I like Safari Ltd. so much.

I will be posting reviews on the Incredible Creatures Penguin and chick and 3 Toobs, as well as a list of how you can use and play with Safari Ltd toys.

Have a fun and playful day!
Mel