By Christopher Byrne (Follow me on twitter)

There is a magnificently lyrical song in Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George” in which the mother of the artist Georges Seurat says that the two things that are important for the survival of culture are children and art.

Through art, children explore and express themselves and tap into what makes them unique and powerful as humans and individuals. At another point in the Sondheim musical, Georges says, “Look, I made a hat./Where there never was a hat.” That is a quintessential human experience, and what separates us from other species. We are inherently curious and creative. While other animals merely respond to their environments, we shape ours—for better or worse.

Art—and art-centered play—allows children to imagine things and then make them real. This contributes to all kinds of learning and education. The ability to imagine something contributes to language arts, math, science and every discipline of traditional education.

Art therapists report consistent results in helping children concentrate more effectively. Apparently, modeling with clay or a compound or drawing stimulates the release of chemicals in the system that helps kids concentrate. (Same thing with physical activity, which is why the decline of recess and gym classes is another tragic contemporary development.)

Virtually every parents knows the pride of a child when he or she presents a drawing made in school, a handprint in plaster or the much anticipated popsicle stick napkin holder.

Given all of this, and the awareness among educators about the importance of arts (including the visual arts, music, drama) to child development, it’s tragic to note that spending on such programs has dropped about 20 percent each year in the past several years, and schools are eliminating any arts programs in the school. According to reporting in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the National Endowment for the Arts contributes only 2 percent of the money needed to fund arts programs.

Money is a big consideration, but so is litigation. We have interviewed public school teachers, who have asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, who say that they are afraid that parents will sue over injuries in art class. Seriously. I’m at a loss to imagine what these are, short of pushing a classmate into a hot kiln. Still, another school very nearly cancelled its drama program because a mother threatened a suit when her daughter wasn’t cast in the lead. (An outcry from the rest of the parents quelled that particular donnybrook, but not before embittering a lot of parents and giving the junior high students unnecessary insight into the seamier side of the legal system.)

So, what’s a parent or caregiver to do?

Well, with younger kids, up through perhaps 4th grade, create a space in your home—and time—for this kind of play. Fortunately, there are wonderful items on the market, and most of them are very affordable.

A roll of butcher paper and a box of crayons or paints can do just the same as an art class. (Just let the kids go.) Crayola, of course, has classic crayons in all sorts of configurations, but they also have things like paints and markers that emphasize no mess. We love their Color Explosion items that let kids reveal pictures, but complement these with classic, open-ended supplies where the only thing the child starts with is a crayon and an idea. We love the 150-piece telescoping Crayon Tower. (By the way, our survey of moms told us that they like the Crayola markers best because of the richness of the color and kids like how they draw.)

As for manipulative play, the classic compounds are still the best. Play-Doh has been around since 1956. There are all kinds of sets that inspire creativity and let kids work with different shaping tools to create all kinds of works of art. Younger kids may be more satisfied with the tools that let them create recognizable shapes. For some reason, Play-Doh sets that make food tend to be among the most popular. (Maybe because kids like food?)

The new Play-Doh Burger Builder combines guided creativity with open-ended play and is ideal for ages 3 and up. Oh, and if you think your little artist is a mega-talent waiting to happen, or just a creative kid, you can enter their creations in the Ready-Go-Play-Doh Contest and win a $5,000 playroom makeover for you and $5,000 for your school Complete details are here.

The reality is that not every child is going to be a talented artist just waiting to be discovered. In fact, much of what you’re going to see is going to be a mess. But

what you will see is engagement and expression, and those are very important. Helping children to reflect the world around them and their own imaginations is what this is all about.

It’s not about creating a masterpiece; it’s about opening the imagination.

Play Categories: Opinions

By Stacey Moore, Founder and Blogger, All Because Two People Fell in LOVE

I cannot believe how fast this summer has flown by. With school starting on August 11th (August 5th for us teachers), we have already started to get ready for back to school. We are excited each year to begin preparing for a new school year as getting ready for school is a little different at our house. Yes, we have a Kindergarten Princess and a 5th grade Superstar to prepare but as teachers, my husband and I have classrooms to prepare as well. We have shopped and purchased all the necessary supplies, clothes, and teaching resources to prepare us for the first day of school.

Oh, if preparing for back to school was as easy as running out and picking up items from a supply list. Making the transition from the lazy days of summer to the school year is not an easy change for our family. One of biggest challenges is getting back into the school time routine! Since my husband and I are both teachers, we have the summer to do whatever we want with our kids!! No schedules and no bedtimes are great until that alarm goes off at 7:00 AM for the first time in over two months. We start about a week before school begins easing the kids back into our school day schedules. We take this opportunity to have them practice their school routines which will in turn hopefully make our morning run a little smoother.

We are trying to get away from the pure chaos that morning usually brings to our house by planning. In an effort to eliminate the “Clothing Wars” we make the weekly clothing selections on Sunday. Clothing – down to clean socks, underwear, shoes, and even matching hair accessories – is decided upon and laid out on Sunday. My little ones help in choosing the outfit so no changes are allowed after their decisions have been made.

It’s usually considered a good day when all four of us are dressed, fed, and out the door on time. Searching for a homework sheet or reading book is not something that we usually have time for. To reduce this morning stress, we put their backpacks in the car the night before. We also prepare lunches just before bed so that we can easily grab them from the fridge on our way out the door.

As another summer comes to a close, we are crossing our fingers that as a family, we will be able to make a smooth transition back to school!

For more suggestions on making back to school a breeze, as well as giveaways, reviews, and stories about raising a “5 year old Princess” and “10 year old Superstar,” don’t forget to visit Stacey at All Because Two People Fell in LOVE and follow her on Twitter.

Play Categories: Time to Play Guest Blogger

by Jeff McKinney (follow me on Twitter)

Sony recently announced that it will release a slimmed-down version of the PlayStation 3 video-game console. The PS3 Slim, set for release Sept. 1, is smaller than its predecessor, has a 120GB hard drive and will cost $300, which is half of what the high-end version cost when it was released in 2006.

Now it seem that Microsoft is eager to get in on the price-dropping action and will lower the price of it’s Xbox 360. According to an ad from Best Buy, the white 60GB Xbox 360 Pro is dropping to $250 and the black 120GB Xbox 360 Elite will start selling for $300. These new prices, $50 and $100 less (respectively), are rumored to kick in next week, the same week as the PS3.

Stay tuned for more gaming deals, rumors and news.

Also this week, check out my new full review of the latest Madden NFL game, Madden 10, on TimetoPlayMag.com. You can read the review by clicking here.

Play Categories: Deals, Video Games

By Christopher Byrne (Follow me on twitter)

Alison Gopnik is a professor of psychology at Berkely in California, and she has a lot that’s important to say about learning. Last week, she wrote an insightful article for the New York Times.

What it boils down to is this: Children learn through play. No, it’s not stop-the-presses revelation, but it is important for parents, teachers and caregivers to recall. In essence, so much of our educational system is results oriented, and what Gopnik and her research show is that learning is a process. As children build mental capabilities through experimentation (aka play), they are putting in place the foundation of an ability to learn.

What is especially fascinating is that Gopnik’s research distinguishes between the infant brain and the brain of an older child, demonstrating the different ways in which they learn. Where I might differ with her is that the kind of play/learning an infant engages in is not relevant to the kind of learning children begin once they start in school—many of whom will be doing just that in the next few weeks.

The ability to ask “What if?” or “What happens when?” are the essential questions of research and learning. They contribute to writing, math and science as well as in the arts. It is the process of exploration that reinforces learning, and as children move through the grades and acquire more information, their ability to apply it is directly related to the ability to ask those seminal questions.

Learning comes not so much from a facility with memorizing and regurgitating information but to be able to use the information that is being learned and/or perceived to make new connections and new actions. Gopnik writes about an infant’s ability to comprehend probability with an experiment related to ping-pong balls. Being able to perceive what should happen based on experience is a key learning. It’s something that takes on more sophistication, but is used in Head Start programs and on shows like Sesame Street. That learning began at the time a child began to encounter his or her world and understand its structure and what is likely to happen in any given situation. This is not merely intellectual development; it’s survival as well, and preparation for a time when the baby will have to live outside of its parents’ protection.

Nor is this limited to infants, really. Inherent curiosity is a natural human trait. It’s how we experience and grow. Trying on new things, whether it’s a put-and-take shape sorting toys, a geometric proof or the development of a business plan all have essential elements of play built into their individual processes. It all starts with, “Let’s see what happens when…”

What parents can do with infants is to provide a wholesome environment for this exploration. There are many wonderful infant toys that reinforce just this kind of play. And, guess what? They work even better when the child can be with a parent or caregiver and be in control of the play experience. Freeing the infant mind to learn and explore, is an essential first step in creating a curious and capable student.  And aren’t we glad it’s so much fun?

Play Categories: Advice, Opinions

By Ana Picazo, Founder and Editor, Finding Bonggamom, and Blogger at Being Savvy Silicon Valley

Summer camp? Summer shmamp! We’ve had ten weeks of summer vacation, and my kids have spent just two of those at a summer camp. The rest of the time they have been at home with me. But they haven’t been bored at all. We’ve gone berry picking, visited museums, taken swimming lessons. They’ve spent some time doing activity workbooks and reading to keep their young minds fresh and ready for the upcoming schoolyear. But most of the time they’ve just been playing, by themselves and with each other. There’s a whole summer’s worth of games that children can play, and they don’t need a camp counselor to do it. Here are some that we’ve been playing all summer:

Pool Games
Now that all 3 of my kids can swim, they’re not restricted to the shallow end, and they enjoy pool games more than ever. We always take a giant mesh bag filled with dive sticks and a couple of foam water cannons, but my kids don’t really need pool toys to have fun. One of our favorite pool games is Marco Polo, and another is Red Fish/Green Fish (it’s just like Red Light/Green Light, but in the water). And you can’t beat Underwater Leapfrog — taking turns swimming underwater through a tunnel made by the other players’ legs!

Water Games
Who needs a pool to have some splashy fun? Some days I’m just too lazy to get all our swim gear together and head to the community pool, so I fill up a big bucket of water and let them loose. That bucket of water can turn into a swimming pool for dolls, an ocean for ships and sharks and divers, a cauldron for all kinds of magic brews, or ammunition for water guns and water balloons. For a real treat, I let them run through the sprinklers and squirt each other with the garden hose. And if our water session extends into the late afternoon, we sometimes get the shampoo and soap out, and give the kids a fun outdoor shower.

Chalk Games
Chalk is more than just something to draw pretty pictures on the sidewalk with. It’s also crucial to setting up our driveway games of hopscotch, foursquare and soccer — how else would we figure out where the boundaries are? We also like to draw circles on the driveway and use them in a fun freeze dance (when the music stops, anyone who’s not standing on a circle is out). Getting all that chalk off used to be such a hassle until I handed that chore to the kids. I gave them some brushes and soap and told them to go scrub the deck, and it became another fun water game.

Food Games
Bake some cookies, squeeze some lemons, paint a sign, drag out a table, open an umbrella, and voila! You’ve got a lemonade stand. My kids have done lemonade stands every year for several years now, but I still get a kick out of how seriously they pour out lemonade for their customers and how their eyes light up when the customer ponies up their twenty-five cents. Lemonade stands aren’t just a great way to help your child save up to buy a special toy; they also teach valuable lessons in customer service, counting money, making change, good hygiene. By the way, the food doesn’t have to be real to be delicious; my kids have been known to set up elaborate plastic food or Play-Doh food stands, with only their doting mama as customer.

Bike Games
We don’t have much space in our back yard, so every so often we take our bikes to the nearest neighborhood park. Our park is encircled by a bike path, and my kids love to release their pent-up energy by racing round and round the path. I can sit on a park bench and watch them tire each other out, happy in the knowledge that tonight’s bedtime will be easy and fuss-free.

All it takes for an afternoon full of fun summer games is a few simple props, a bottle of sunscreen, and a group of kids. So go and get your child together with a brother or sister or cousin or friend, try playing the games I’ve listed here, try playing your own favorites — or let the kids dream up a summer game all their own.

Bonggamom is a stay-at-home parent to a daughter and twin boys, constantly looking for new ways to entertain them while doing as little housework as possible. Follow their adventures on her personal blog, Finding Bonggamom, and for more activity suggestions for preschoolers, visit her blog at Being Savvy Silicon Valley and become her follower on Twitter.

Play Categories: Time to Play Guest Blogger, Uncategorized

by Jeff McKinney (follow me on Twitter)

I’ve got a gaming roundup for you this week with a look at some great kid’s games coming in the future, arriving in stores this week and available now.

Up first, Pokémon announced that they will release two new games for the DS and DSi in the spring of 2010. Pokémon HeartGold Version and Pokémon SoulSilver Version are new versions of the original Pokémon Gold and Silver games released nearly 10 years ago for Game Boy. They have been enhanced for the DS and DSi with updated graphics and sound as well as new touch-screen features and “a host of surprises.”

Arriving in stores this week, Spectrobes: Origins (Wii, rated Everyone 10+), brings the successful series known from its previous DS releases to the Wii for the first time. Spectrobes is an action/adventure game mixing real-time battles, science fiction and monster collection with an exciting story that challenges players to prevent a galactic threat by utilizing speed, strategy and of course, Spectrobes.

Finally, check out my new review of Wii Sports Resort, Nintendo’s latest Wii Sports title. This is a great family together game that adults and kids will love.

You can read the full review on TimetoPlayMag.com by clicking here.

Play Categories: Video Games

By Mariana Perez, Founder and Editor, Riding With No Hands

I love watching my daughters play. Their carefree innocence and boundless imagination is refreshing! Every once in a while, a bit of nostalgia hits and I take a moment to think back to what I used to play with when I was a little girl.

Sometimes I’ll sit down at my computer with my 4-year old and I’ll show her just what my favorite toys were when I was her age. With the advent of YouTube, we can watch old commercials and giggle as we sing along to the jingles.

Cabbage Patch Dolls, Legos, Care Bears, Pound Puppies, Rainbow Brite, He-Man, She-Ra, Popples, Strawberry Shortcake, and My Little Pony all come to mind…

But my most vivid memories are of my Barbie dolls.

I remember “playing Barbies” for hours with my friends. We’d swap clothes and accessories, make houses and furniture out of boxes, and secretly envy the classmate that had the dream house AND the corvette.

My grandma would give me the scraps from her sewing projects so I could create wonderful new outfits for my dolls. If I was lucky, I’d get an old zipper, a few snaps, or even some velcro, too. As rudimentary as my sewing skills may be now, I learned it all from those countless hours I spent designing, cutting, and creating unique ensembles for my Barbies.

One cold day this past winter, I was browsing eBay and stumbled upon my absolute favorite Barbie – Jewel Secrets Whitney, from 1986 or ’87. I sent my husband a link to the page by instant message (I can’t be the only one that communicates with my spouse in this fashion!) just to spark conversation. Not being a collector, bidding on her never even crossed my mind… so I was blown away when I received the doll in the mail a few weeks later!

Whitney is just as beautiful as I remembered her to be. Her dark, flowing hair, slightly-puckered lips, and glitzy outfit are unlike that of any other Barbie I ever owned. I showed her to my daughter, and she was equally as captivated by her beauty. I think she could sense that this doll was truly special to me, and never once asked me to open the box.

She’d come into my bedroom often, to look at Whitney, admire her hair and her clothing, but still never asked if she could play with her. The doll sat on my dresser for months. Six to be exact. Until one day I asked myself – “What am I gaining from keeping this doll boxed up?”

So one summer afternoon, I opened the box. I’ll never forget the look in my daughter’s eyes when she saw what I was doing. It was a mixture of joy and bewilderment.

Being able to see her play with one of my favorite dolls from my childhood is priceless. Something I’d never thought I’d see. We spent what felt like hours combing her long hair and changing her outfits. We read the storybook that she came with over and over and over.

And then she went right back in the box on top of my dresser. Whitney is still MY Barbie after all.

With her 5th birthday coming up, I’m considering buying my daughter her first Barbie. Only time will tell if she’ll treat her dolls differently now that she’s seen how careful I am with Whitney. I have a feeling that won’t be the case at all, and that she’ll be like every other little girl that dismembers her Barbies and cuts all their hair off! I’ve thought about maybe buying two of the same and putting one away for her, but it’s impossible to predict precisely what she’ll treasure the most. For now, we’ll continue playing with Whitney, which are moments *I’ll* always cherish.

For fun giveaways, reviews, travel tricks and tips, and some of the cutest Wordless Wednesday photos around, don’t forget to visit Mariana at Riding With No Hands and follow her on Twitter.

Play Categories: Time to Play Guest Blogger

by Jeff McKinney (follow me on Twitter)

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet with SEGA for a preview of their upcoming game releases. Fortunately, we are going to see a strong number of family friendly games coming from SEGA later this year and by family friendly, I mean games that the entire family will enjoy playing together.

Up first is Wacky World of Sports for the Wii. This is a collection of 10 ridiculous and fun sports from around the world such as Furniture Racing, Tuna Tossing and Extreme Ironing, which requires you to iron clothes as you sky-dive. Look for this game in stores in late September.

Another sports-themed game is Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games for the DS and Wii. This is a sequel to the popular Mario & Sonic Beijing Olympics game and will bring some of Nintendo’s and SEGA’s most popular characters to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games. Players will compete in quintessential winter games and have the option of playing with the Wii-Balance Board as a controller. Look for this game in late 2009.

Sonic returns in early 2010 for a madcap racing game in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. This racing game will feature familiar SEGA characters racing on tracks that run through the vibrant worlds and familiar settings of past Sonic games. The game is filled with crazy power-ups, fast-paced racing action and Sonic’s quirky humor. All-Stars Racing will be available for all current game systems in 2010.

Finally, Planet 51 is the video game based on the upcoming animated movie, “Planet 51″. The movie, from the writer of “Shrek” and “Shrek 2″, is a spaced-out comedy, in which Earthlings are viewed as the alien invaders on a distant planet. The game, which will be available for all game systems, will allow players to walk, run and drive through the lush world of the movie in various missions and free roaming game-play. Both the movie and video game are due out this fall.

I’ll have more info on all of these games, including exact release dates and reviews, as they become available so stay tuned!

Play Categories: Video Games

By Piera Jolly, Founder and Editor, JollyMom.com

As a mom, I’m always looking for quick and easy snacks for my toddler and this is especially true in the summer when we are always on the run to the next fun activity or place. The truth is that snacks can not only be easy, but they can be FUN too! Below are some of our favorites–your kids will think you are the coolest mom or dad ever when you serve them these fun and easy treats!

• Turn the same old snack into something special by serving a sandwich on a stick (pictured below). Just cut everything that you would use on a sandwich and place it on a skewer. This is a fun snack that kids love and a great chance for parents to sneak in some healthy stuff. Try  adding lettuce, tomatoes, olives, peppers, pickles, and any veggie you can think of. Fruit is also great!



• Take chips to another level by using cookie cutters to cut out “chips” from a tortilla (pictured above). Put them on a cookie sheet, spray with a little bit cooking spray, and bake at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes (or until lightly toasted). Serve with a side of salsa or marinara sauce. You can also make these sweet by sprinkling them with a bit of cinnamon sugar. Serve with some fruit salsa or yogurt to dip in.
• Trail mix (pictured above) is also a great year-round snack. What I love about it is that you can make it as healthy as you want and best of all–it is extremely portable. Since we’re always on the run in the summer, it’s always helpful to have a stash of trail mix in the cupboard! Making it is a snap–mix together a variety of cereals, nuts, pretzels, and a sweet treat (M&Ms, yogurt covered raisins, dried fruit, etc). Store in an airtight container and enjoy!



• And, it wouldn’t be summer without some cold, sweet treats to cool down at the end of a fun-filled day! We love making ice pops made from either left over smoothies, 100% fruit juice, or yogurt. Another favorite is homemade “ice cream” sandwiches. These are so easy and so     delicious! Take graham crackers and spread with either whipped topping or yogurt and freeze.
• Finally, the best snack of all during the summer is fruit! It is portable, healthy, and delicious!

For more recipes, craft ideas, great reviews, giveaways and updates from a Jolly Mom, don’t forget to visit Piera at JollyMom.com and follow her on Twitter.

Play Categories: Time to Play Guest Blogger