Kids Create features more than 150 engaging and thought-provoking art projects and crafts for kids, ages three to nine. Arranged by season, and ranging from beginner to advanced, these projects are great for homeschooling, school projects, and weekends.

Packed with joyful and educational art experiences for kids, Play, Make, Create offers fun and engaging imaginative activities focused on the fun and reward of creating, not just producing a final project. Founded in a process-based philosophy, this unique book includes more than 40 activities set up as invitations, or thoughtfully designed prompts to explore, create, and play. Author Meri Cherry has more than 20 years of teaching experience, and her blog (mericherry.com) has set the standard for meaningful and enriching process art experiences that are both manageable for parents, and appealing and fun for kids. Play, Make, Create begins with a guide for parents, teachers, and facilitators that discusses how to set up materials in an inviting way, how to present an activity and talk to kids about art, and how to stock the right materials for ongoing creativity. Also included are best-practice tips for clean-up, answers to frequently asked questions, and more. The book offers four types of creative invitations: Invitations to Explore (easy ideas for fun and play), Invitations to Create (open-ended, craft-based activities), Invitations to Play (sensory-based activities), and Big Projects (ongoing process-art activities). Most feature basic materials and tools (paper, inexpensive paints, pencils, glue) that require little setup. Among the projects and activities you’ll find: A collage project that takes a no-rules approach to creating with cut-out drawings and pictures. Ideas for building a science station that allow kids to experiment with kitchen cabinet supplies such as soap, measuring spoons, cotton balls, and baking soda. A prompt to draw a self-portrait, using a mirror (parents can draw themselves, too). Instructions for making homemade colored playdough. The activities in Play, Make, Create promote active, meaningful, and socially interactive learning. Children are encouraged to wonder, experiment, and use critical thinking—and most of all, enjoy the process. By following their own inclinations and making their own choices, children gain self-confidence and hone their problem-solving skills. Get Play, Make, Create and give children the gift of creativity!

Unplug and get creative with more than 150 craft and art activities for kids. Kids Create features more than 150 engaging and thought-provoking art projects and crafts for kids, ages three to nine. Arranged by craft medium, and ranging from beginner to advanced, these projects, including seasonal options, are great for homeschooling, school projects, and weekends. Illustrations and step-by-step instructions demonstrate each activity and what it should look like along the way. Activities include shadow silhouettes, sponge art, a windsock recycling craft, a globe-making activity, and many more, including holiday themed-decorations. Also included is an informative section for parents on the stages of a child’s artistic development. This is a perfect book for creative families who want to make something great together.

This book is a way of sharing insights empirically gathered, over decades of interactive media development, by the author and other children’s designers. Included is as much emerging theory as possible in order to provide background for practical and technical aspects of design while still keeping the information accessible. The author's intent for this book is not to create an academic treatise but to furnish an insightful and practical manual for the next generation of children’s interactive media and game designers. Key Features Provides practical detailing of how children's developmental needs and capabilities translate to specific design elements of a piece of media Serves as an invaluable reference for anyone who is designing interactive games for children (or adults) Detailed discussions of how children learn and how they play Provides lots of examples and design tips on how to design content that will be appealing and effective for various age ranges Accessible approach, based on years of successful creative business experience, covers basics across the gamut from developmental needs and learning theories to formats, colors, and sounds

Education is not only about being able to read, write, and count. Creativity is a huge part of the educational process and of our lives. Children are naturally creative and they like to be busy, especially if this is fun and something comes out from their hands. Adults often do not recognize the value of this important activity. We can not only spend a great time together, but we can help our kids develop many skills and abilities. It also provides an excellent opportunity for trying new ideas. Creativity is what makes a difference in developing creative ways of thinking and problem solving. Creativity is much more than product: it is a process. It is a specific form of self-expression. It is to learn with inspiration from personal experience. The importance of a childs creative process is also in the opportunity to experience and explore materials. Cooperation is an important component in the creative process, which is directed by the adult, but should be a result of the childs preference. This kind of activity can help us learn more about our kids, about their feelings, their way of thinking, their uniqueness and their mental and emotional health. Childhood development of creativity is not about telling them, but showing them, and doing it with them.

10 proven practices to help children thrive In a world that seems to grow more unpredictable and challenging by the day, how can we increase learning and joy for children while offering them much-needed support? Uncertainty and disruption have created a youth mental health crisis that requires all hands on deck. This urgently needed guidebook offers comprehensive and scientifically-grounded methods you can use to support young people’s well-being, no matter what obstacles they face. Written by an expert with decades of experience in education, youth development, and social work, this timely and timeless resource includes: 10 practices that can prevent and address mental health challenges and enable young people to thrive Strategies for taking care of kids while also taking care of yourself Information on the most pressing issues youth face, from nurturing healthy relationships to building community and belonging Key takeaways and reflection questions for individual use and group discussion as well as "Try Now" sections with tips and tools that can be used immediately Providing essential information, practical advice, stories, and time-tested strategies to help kids live and learn, Whole Child, Whole Life is required reading for anyone who is working with, caring for, or raising young people.

This unique guide pairs the expertise of a trained child psychologist with the fresh voice and perspective of her young daughter to help children and their parents embark on an emotional regulation journey while strengthening their relationships and nurturing their confidence to overcome life obstacles. The young readers will learn, alongside their caregivers, how to set goals, deal with setbacks, and live a life in line with their values. Dr. Dessy and Lora’s guide will help us better understand ourselves and our loved ones, recognizing why we feel and act the way we do and deepen our empathy and care for each other. Using a holistic approach, Dr. Dessy offers step-by-step guidelines on managing strong emotions anytime and anyplace. With simple language and fun illustrations, Dr. Dessy and Lora explain how our brains work, with Aimie (the amygdala) making us feel, Brightie (the cerebral cortex) making us think, and Dooie (the pre-frontal cortex) making us act. By keenly understanding how these parts of us act and interact, and practicing the lessons and exercises offered in this guide, you and your child will be empowered to face fears in any setting. The toolkit with strategies will help children and other family members enjoy events, places, and situations avoided in the past or suffered through because of baseless worries and a thousand “what ifs.” Intended primarily for parents/caregivers with children aged eight to twelve and mental health professionals, this guide addresses a growing societal problem: Research shows that anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide, impacting the quality of life of millions of children and their families. But whether it’s anxiety issues or any other strong emotions, this book will help people get a handle on why they feel the things they feel and learn what to do about it. Indeed, the readers will be equipped to use proven science-based strategies to cultivate a resilient mindset preparing them to tackle life’s biggest challenges.

The stories in the collection concern a typical suburban, public high school. Typical is the operative word. Tax money poured in by the local community for extraordinary services provided to all school-age children. Money spent everywhere: acclaimed educators hired, spectacular facilities built, resources like computers and laboratory equipment acquired, extra-curricular activities created, yet the outcome? Academic failure, violence, drugs, gangs, and, drop-out rates approaching fifty percent. There is the result! Why? Where has the money gone? The resources gone? The stories provide a glimpse and a few answers. There are portraits of students, teachers, and, school administrators. In these you can figure the reasons for the failures. Often, the failure is a combination of forces, the kids themselves, instability of parents and extended families, poor teachers and administrators, and, a bureaucracy gone wild. To pinpoint any one cause as a reason for the school's record is difficult at best.