Blog - Growing Nimble Families

Shame old lady

in Education, Play activities on 08/18/10

We had our first totally family holiday with Grandparents and inlaws. We all went to Jamaica. My parents were both born there and as a child I have been there quite a few times. However I’ve not been back as an adult. This was the perfect opportunity for my parents to share stories of their childhood, including games and adventures,… View Post

5 ways to calm the unsettledness of moving with children

in Education, Seasonal play on 08/12/10

Traveling unsettles children. They are out of their routines and everything is just different. We can’t always bend enough for their needs and that inflexibility leads to conflict. We’ve just had one of these periods of traveling. Things are not as we expected, which is fine and normal. How would we really know how things would be? We’re adjusting and… View Post

Fun with magnets

in Education, Play activities on 07/21/10

This is a guest post by Nanny Dee. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. Most children are fascinated by magnets and their seemingly magical abilities to attract other objects. Little M (26 months) had a great time playing with this basic magnet kit I assembled for him: Basic Magnet Kit for Toddlers… View Post

What to do when “there is nothing to do”?

in book review, Education, Play activities on 07/14/10

This is a guest post by Zoe Toft. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. How do you come up with play ideas for your kids? And, perhaps even more importantly, how do your kids come up with play ideas for themselves? During holiday periods I, like many parents, plan ahead for games… View Post

Raising Playful Tots show 33: Travel with kids = My Busy Kit

in Education, family atmosphere, Family Theme, Play activities, Podcast, Simple Family Lifestyle, summer on 07/14/10

Traveling with your child isn’t always the most playful of experiences. Lorraine Akeman Mom and blogger Co-founder of My Busy Kit shares the fun you can have with a special busy kit made for your child to enjoy while traveling in this 24 minute show. You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by clicking here, you can… View Post

Winners of the Outdoor products

in Play activities on 07/07/10

Congratulations to the 4 winners of the Outdoor products for the summer contest! 1. Katrina 2. Angela 3. Janis 4. Dani

Outdoor Toddler Child Craft Ideas

in Play activities, Seasonal play on 07/07/10

This is a guest post by Jaime-Ann Laidlaw of Crafts for Kidlets. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here. So I was thinking, when was the last time I let my kids go outside and just have fun playing with things that were not store bought? I mean when I was young the… View Post

Raising Playful Tots show 32: How we can be playful with music

in Better Conversations, Conversations around play, family atmosphere, Family Rhythm, Podcast, Self Care, Simple Family Lifestyle on 07/07/10

Dr Petra Kern owner of Music Therapy consulting share insights into playful activities to do with Under 5 children using music. Music you would find in any home with any person. She also talks about the universality of music for families, disabilities and Autism in this 27 minute podcast. You can download the MP3 file for this podcast directly by… View Post

Summer vitamins and Watermelon seed spitting

in Play activities on 07/01/10

Do you have your PURTS the new summer vitamin? Are your toddlers getting their vitamins? With the start of summer more of us will be aware of covering up our toddlers to avoid skin problems. We’re careful that they eat their greens and munch an apple to get their Vitamin C. It’s what caring parents do. Vitamins are vital to… View Post

Raising Playful Tots show 31: Preschool play in newsletters

in Better Conversations, family atmosphere, Podcast, Simple Family Lifestyle on 06/30/10

What’s in your preschoolers backpack? Is it full of crafts and activities? Lurking near the bottom is probably a newsletter or something for us to read. This week I take a look at what we find in our preschool newsletter. Is it useful for parents other than just dates or does it help connect and play with our children in… View Post