Coloring Books Inspire Creativity – and Keep Kids Occupied!

I love coloring books.  They occupy the kids long enough that I can cook dinner, make a quick phone cal, or zip off a short e-mail with minimal interruptions — and they are not sitting in front of the TV.  While coloring, my children learn about sharing, they learn about colors, they get to be creative, and they develop their fine motor skills.  Did I mention that I love coloring books?

If you’re looking for some great activity books for the kids in your life, visit MindWare.com.  They have super cool coloring books—they’re creative, complex, and artistic.  There are:

• Coloring books featuring animals

• Books that teach about ancient cultures

Top Holiday Toys Under $20

This holiday season, almost everyone is a little more budget-conscious.  Luckily, we have some great products for less than $20, perfect for any budget.  Here are our top picks:

• Extreme Dot-to-Dot Books – $15.95 for set of 2: We’ve mentioned these a lot lately, but it’s just because they’re so cool. Some of the puzzles have more than 1,400 dots to connect – which makes them great for kids and parents alike.
• Dizios – $19.95 : This is like dominos with a colorful twist, and is great for family time.  It might be the perfect family activity for that lull between the present-opening and dinner.

Our Best Stocking Stuffers!

I reveled in those Christmas mornings of old.  One of my sisters would shake me awake; we’d tiptoe down the stairs, jittery with excitement, and peer around the corner at the fireplace mantle.  We’d gleefully pounce on our stockings and exclaim as each treasure was discovered—even the predictable apple and orange found in the stocking’s toe.  It seemed absolutely magical (although I’m sure there was plenty of fighting and arguing that has been conveniently forgotten with the passing of time).  Now I want to create that sense of wonder for my own children—while keeping the family Christmas budget in mind.

What are some good stocking stuffers?  These gifts help children develop a variety of skills and are tons of fun:

• Arty fun: Arts and crafts are good choices for stockings: think of paintbrushes and paints, crayons and coloring books, glittery stickers, fun pens and pencils, beaded jewelry-making kits, Silly Putty and Play Doh.  Visit an arts and crafts store in person or on line and you’ll be amazed at the options.  Kids can also create their own books, t-shirts, masks, monster dolls, and puzzles.

You’re Never Too Old For Fun With Art!

Why is it that we get too old for crayons?  There are a few things I wish were still mandatory in the adult world: recess, naptime, hot lunch and art class.  It seems that the older I get –  and the older my kids get — the further away we grow from these luxuries.  I have decided that the only way to make sure they aren’t gone for good is to create these times in our family life.  Here are some ideas that I have used to keep art class alive and well in our house:

1. Art Free-For-All:  One of my favorite things to do is to have an art free-for-all.  This is when we take all the supplies we have in the house and put them on the dining room table.  Then we each find a place at the table, and sink ourselves into our own projects.  We try not to look at each other’s work, which creates a surprise ending.  We everyone finishes we go around the table, reveal our work, and talk about what we were thinking about or feeling while we were working.  It is amazing how often our pieces have a similar theme.
2. Painting a Masterpiece:  Around our home, I hang a variety of masterpieces that my kids have painted over the years.  When they were very young, I gave each of them a large canvas and a variety of acrylic paints (with supervision, of course).  I then watched as they mixed, dotted, swiped and swirled the paints across the frame.  When they were done, I had them make hand and foot prints across the picture to remember how precious and small they were when they painted their first work of art!
3. Relaxing With Circle:  Have you ever heard off or seen Mandalas?  They are drawings in circles and are a very clever way to relax the mind (kind of like doodling).  I have taught my kids how to make these drawings and often find them on a desk or in a notebook.  Using art to calm the mind is a valuable life skill.
4. Sign up for a Class:  Our favorite art instructor in South Minneapolis is Karron Nottingham at Off The Wall Studios.  She is a working artist that has taught my kids the joy and possibility of art as a career.

Keep art class alive, followed by a nap, a warm meal, and a hearty recess!

Toys So Great Even Adults Want to Play!

Most people who know me know that I’m kind of a big kid, so it’s not surprising that I had to restrain myself from grabbing a red pen and circling about 20 items in my latest MindWare catalog.  What’s so great about their products is that a lot of them are really enjoyable for kids and adults alike, and they’re lifetime pieces that you can keep coming back to.  Here’s a short list (and believe me, it was tough to narrow it to these few) of my favs:

• Match Wits With Mensa: I have a cousin who’s a member of this prestigious organization, so I’ve always been in awe of it.  This would also be a great activity to do with my mother, who complains of needing a “brain workout.”
• Mancala for Four: I could hardly contain my excitement when I saw this game and proceeded to ask everyone I know, “Do you remember Mancala?  I found a 4-player version!”  This is totally a game of my generation and was always a fixture on camping vacations – and now my whole family can play!

Customer Testimonial: Make Your Own Mask Kit

We’ve mentioned the Make-Your-Own Mask Kit a few times recently, mostly because it’s so great.  But we’re not the only ones that think so — check out these comments and photos from Tracie:

I love the Make-Your-Own Mask Kit!

3 kids.

1 kit.

1.5 hours with no complaining.

We still have leftovers.

Trixie (AKA Bea) is only 3 and she made 4 masks.

SO fun!

Looking for Books That Challenge Your Kids’ Minds? Try Mystery Books!

I’ve always been a big reader.  When I was in elementary school, I would rush through my assignments so that I could grab a book out of the big bin at the front of the classroom, and I drove my parents crazy because they’d constantly find books lying all over the house, tossed onto the couch or end table where I’d finished reading them.  I’m sure I wasn’t a very good conversationalist in the car because I usually had my nose stuck in a book, even on 15-minute trips to the hockey arena.  I still love reading – too often I end up staying up way later than I intended each night because I want to read just one more chapter – and the books that I enjoy now are often similar to the books I devoured growing up.

I always loved the challenge of a good mystery or adventure book, like Nancy Drew or the Choose Your Own Adventure series, which allowed the reader to make choices for the main character and ultimately determine the outcome of the story.  Actually, Fast Company magazine recently did a piece on a guy who graphed out all the possible options for these books – it’s pretty impressive!

Children’s books have come a long way since my early mystery reading days, and they offer a lot more opportunity for reader involvement.  One such series, Meg Mackintosh Solve-It-Yourself Mysteries, asks readers to work through text and illustration clues to come to their own conclusions, challenging not only kids’ reading ability, but also their problem solving and deductive reasoning skills.  They’re a great all-around educational tool, and kids won’t even realize all the ways they’re learning.  I can’t wait to share these books with my children — and hopefully pass on my love of reading.

An 8-Year-Old Boy’s Wish List

Over the last few days, I’ve been watching my 8-year old son gather his wish list for Christmas. He has scoured toy catalogs, websites and his friends’ rooms for ideas and inspiration.  As of early this morning, there were at least 30 items on his neatly typed list — many of which he’s convinced he can’t live without.

He happened to find my MindWare catalog and spent close to an hour studying the pictures and text.  I was happy to discover that listed among the various Wii games, Adrian Peterson merchandise and a Nerf Wall-to-Wall ball, he is also requesting a few toys that are not only entertaining, but provide an educational benefit as well.  Here is his partial wish-list:

• Brain Quest: Full of age appropriate, quiz-style questions, Brain Quest has always been a hit during out family road trips, not to mention a great refresher for mom and dad.

Holiday Shopping Tips: Get Ahead!

Every year I vow to be more organized during the holiday season.  And every year I end up running around like a mad woman trying to get everything done – shopping for gifts, baking, party planning, decorating.  I’m in awe of and a bit jealous of my friends who are uber-prepared and get their shopping done early.  But this year I have vowed to get a head start on holiday shopping to make my December more relaxed and enjoyable.

• Start Organized: Organization is key when shopping early.  It’s wise to start by reviewing your finances and planning your overall holiday spending.  Don’t forget that in addition to buying gifts, you may have other holiday expenses such as food, travel, decorations, holiday cards, postage, and gratuities.  Make a list of all of the people for whom you will be shopping, including teachers and babysitters.  Create a shopping list by beginning with a dollar amount of how much you plan to spend, then think of different gifts within that price range.  Leave adequate space for tracking what you’ve purchased.  If you prefer to record things electronically, you can create a master spreadsheet and give it password protection.

• Watch For Discounts: Stay on the lookout for rebates, coupons, and sales in weekly flyers.  You can search for items online and do some price comparisons there as well.  You may know that certain items won’t have a change in price between now and the holidays.  I went ahead and bought an item for my daughter a few weeks ago because I know that it will not go on sale between now and Christmas, so I may as well buy it now.

Boredom Buster: Try a Board Game!

About two months ago our power went out for a lengthy period of time in the early evening.  At first everyone congregated outdoors to ponder (and complain) about the situation.  When would the power come back on?  Has anyone called the power company?  Well, eventually it began to get dark so everyone retreated indoors to light candles and try their hardest not to open their refrigerators!

About an hour into it, the novelty wore off for my kids.  Rather than succumb to boredom, we decided to make a party out of it and break out a board game and have s’mores by candlelight.  That was just the ticket – based on their reactions you would have thought that we gave them each $100 instead of a candle-toasted marshmallow.

But even though everyone loved the creativity of our snack, what they remember more is the quality time spent with Mom and Dad – the whole family gathered around a game – and no phone, computer or TV to interrupt.

My husband travels a lot, so one of our favorite games is Great States, and on Mom’s Christmas list this year is “Where in the world?” game because — let’s face it — it’s been a long time since high school geography class.  And honestly, I need to know where in the world my husband is!

So if you’re looking to create a lasting, memorable bond with your kids, try a game and some s’mores by candlelight.  You don’t even have to wait for the power to go out…just pretend!