Hi John,

It's good to be back and say hello in this first month of 2020 (phew - just made it!). Once the holiday buzz passes, winter slows our family down. It's been a month of reconnection through crafting, singing, bike rides, writing, and winter gardening (it's a good time for planting peas here in California!). I've also been tinkering with a few new projects, and always welcome down time to invent and dream.

On to this week's ideas!

1. Better an Oops than a What if. A chalkboard frame hangs in the TinkerLab studio that reads “Better an oops than a what if,” a message that’s been our mantra for the last few months. The pesky inside voice that says things like "what if my art is terrible?" or "what if no one wants to read my story?" can stop the most brilliant ideas from ever seeing the light of day. If the fear of failure keeps us from trying new things, we'll never know what feats we're capable of. My hope is that when kids and their families come into the studio, they’ll recognize it as a safe place to experiment, try new things, and play.Read more about it here.​
2. Creativity Habits. 5 smart creative habits everyone can cultivate. On the list: journal, meditate, capture ideas each day, follow a physical training routine, and reading. (Forbes)
3. February daily art challenge. Related to #1 on the previous creativity habits list, TinkerLab's monthly art challenge continues year round, and our list of daily prompts for February is live. Please join in, and bring the kids along!
4. Advocate for play in elementary schools. If your child goes to a school that could benefit from more playtime, this article includes some suggestions on how to keep kids learning and growing through play.
5. Cut back screen time. In case you need one more reason to limit screen time, new research shows that toddlers and young children who spend more than three hours a day viewing a screen, either watching TV or playing on a tablet, are more likely to be sedentary by the time they reach kindergarten-age.
6. Three winter art and science prompts.Snowflake collage with tissue paper and glue,It's Snowing contact paper collage, and how to make fluffy "snow" slime​
7. The fog of parenthood, in cartoons. Lucy Knisley created the graphic novel Go to Sleep (I Miss You), a relatable, giftable parenting book told in graphic novel form that comes out February 25. (See image below). No affiliation, just looks like a winner of a book and I like Lucy's style.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoy the newsletter, feel free to forward it to a friend.

Your creative collaborator,

Rachelle Doorley

TinkerLab

Read my books: TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors + Creative Adventures in Cursive​

Join me in our Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/clubtinkerlab/​

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinkerlab/​