Dear John,
It's such a crazy time and I hope you and yours are well. I had fun compiling today's list of inspiration...a little bit of summer activities, a handful of creativity-boosters, current-event related articles, and a free live session on how to talk to chidlren about race with Stanford's former Dean of Freshmen. Enjoy.
1. Artist Vincent Bal turns shadows of common objects into illustration elements.(see the Mickey Mouse, above). Something fun to try with at home this week!
2. FromBeach crafts to DIY bubble solutions,10 Kids Summer Activities that are under $10will help your wallet and intertain your child .
3. Make summer crafty, from tie dye to friendship bracelets, with 11 Classic Summer Camp crafts for kids.
4. See examples of the life cycle of a blackberry, lemon (see photo above), ladybug, and more inlife cycles of different living things - all in one photo. Maybe this will inspire some lifecyle photography in your home!
5. Julie Lythcott-Haims (former Dean Freshman at Stanford) will be in conversation with Kareem Graham (Author of "White parents, talk to your kids about race") and Eric Abrams (Chief Inclusion Officer, Stanford Graduate School of Education) discuss how to talk to your child about race: A virtual conversation. Free Zoom call on July 15, 12-1 pm PT.
6. Teaching Kids News offers helpful tips on how we can have conversations with children about difficult topics that come up in the news in discussing challenging news stories with kids. A couple suggestions: 1. “Back in” to a difficult news story. Start with background information, or even an anecdote, and lead up to the more challenging aspects. 2. Look for the hopeful angle. What good is coming out of this situation? Start with that.
7. If you're feeling stuck around a creative idea, Well and Good suggests calling on Greek muses in the 2,500 year old trick that will help you finally get that creative project off the ground.
8. In the impact of prolonged school closures on children,Pyschology today takes a look at how Covid-19 measures affect child and adolescent mental health.
9. NPR shares 5 intriguing radical schooling ideas for an uncertain fall and beyond,such as form micro-schools and take education outdoors. Read the article or listen the 4 minute show.
10. In 12 inspiring affirmations to nurture your creativity,Psych Central offers a handful of affirmations to use when you don't feel creative.
This March we opened TinkerLab Schoolhouse, a brand new program for creative families. In the last few months we've expanded and grown in exciting ways.
Let us inspire you organize your maker space, understand process art, set up invitations to create, and engage your child at the art table, I'd like to invite you to join us. We'll help you unleash your child's creativity with open-ended projects that are easy for you and great for your child's imagination.
| Learn more here |
Wishes for good health,
 |
Rachelle Doorley
Founder, TinkerLab
Read my books: TinkerLab: A Hands-on Guide for Little Inventors + Creative Adventures in Cursive + TinkerLab Art Starts (coming this November)
