When I see how my children respond when I get down on the floor to play with them, I am reminded of how meaningful it is. On the floor we are at their level, we are in their domain. We are not distracted by stacks of paperwork whispering our names from the countertop, or by our phones chiming in our hands, and we are not tripping over dirty socks, reminding us that we need to start the laundry. We are not multi-tasking away our interactions - we are truly connecting. We hear our children more clearly, we hold their gaze, and we send them the message that they are important and worthy of our full attention.
This is an artistic activity that has allowed me to do just that, and incorporate both my babes (boy & girl - span of ages). We started this years ago when my son was obsessed with toy cars.
I'll call this project: Imagination Scrolls
Supplies:
-Large Paper
We are using paper from the end roll of newsprint that we got from a printing company. There are many options for paper: parchment paper, easel paper (Ikea has a nice one), contractor paper, or large doodle pads from the art aisle of any retailer. If you want them large and sprawling (pictured in this post) you could always tape a few sheets together as well.
-Crayons, colored pencils, markers.
-Plastic animals or Toy Cars
You can choose any theme your babes may be interested in most. We have created towns, farms, and zoos. The project provides layers of fun/interaction by brainstorming and creating the scroll and then following that up with play :) The options are endless - where will your travels take you???
1. City Scroll
We have a city scroll pictured above. This time we added city streets/raceway, a central park, a farmer's market, a pond and a neighborhood. Have your babes brainstorm with you - let your imaginations run wild! This scroll was perfect for our toy cars.
What's with the sketchy green van with tinted windows parked at the end of the lot?
One house was lucky enough to be adorned with its very own Statue of Liberty.
I die for her goldfish. They are clearly the 'fancy' variety by the look of their fins.
They are signature Cami style - in the family form, two of them in a relationship, as indicated by the heart shaped bubble between them. Melt.
2. Zoo / Animal Sanctuary Scroll
This scroll is our zoo/animal sanctuary - complete with customized habitats: Savannah Habitat, Reptile Habitat, and Carnivore Habitat (there is nothing unusual about dinosaurs co-habitating with cheetahs, people). This scroll was a perfect setting for our menagerie of plastic creatures. We also added some zoo keepers and visitors, snack stand, and parking lot.
My little lady insisted on a 'pile of poo' in both the zoo and the farm. She's not sugar coating basic needs, folks. She's a dainty, girly angel with a tiny elfin voice, but a sucker for potty humor. Go figure.
Judging by the cars in the lot, it's middle-aged man in mid-life crisis day at the zoo.
Notice we've got the National Guard protecting our snack stand. We love our sweets in this house.
3. Ranch Scroll
This is our ranch scroll...the Crazy J ranch, to be exact. We decided to salute our Nanni's horse ranch - one of our very favorite places on Earth. Our toy tractors had a chance to play, along with the mini farm animals.
It appears as though we've made the farm a couples event.
Could you die over the two bitsy baby cows? Seriously.
...and the second 'pile of poo' cameo lower center corral. Yep.
If you want to 'up' the educational factor of this project, have your children practice their penmanship by adding appropriate titles to the objects on your scroll (Tree, House, Barn, etc.)
If the scrolls/sheets are still in tact when you're through playing, roll them up and store them in a wrapping paper tube or something similar to avoid crinkling.
I'd love to hear about YOUR creations - send me a note at my blog (link below) and share what you do with this!
Visit J
at http://livingfromthisdayforward.blogspot.com for this post and more...
*I'm J...a now-single mama of two, who hit a big bump in the
road, navigating my way down an unexpected new path one day at a time. My
babes are my light and my lens to see the best in everything. We play, we
create, we explore, we laugh, we love. The laundry is a little backed
up, and dinner may be less than impressive, but our hearts are full and we'll
sleep well tonight. Grab your munchkins and join us for some fun...this is what
we're up to today!
Cheers!
J
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