Tag: Open-Ended

Art With Kids – It’s The Process Not The Product (so just have fun)

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For young children, it’s the process of making the art that matters vs the end product. They are interested in the way the colors mix, the drip of paint and glue being squeezed, the feel of the materials, and the enjoyment of peeling as many stickers off a sheet as possible. They don’t care if their end result always ends up baby poop brown 🤷🏼‍♀️, so neither should you.

Have fun with the making together. Get creative with the materials and tools you use (Pilot was very excited to have ‘space paper’ (foil) to paint on). And don’t feel pressure to save everything they make. Also remember that this is why it’s important for even young children to have good quality (which doesn’t have to mean $$$) materials. How can they enjoy mark making if the crayons and pencils they are using don’t leave a lovely bold mark?

Flower Power (in your mud kitchen and beyond)

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Did you luck out with a lovely bunch of flowers for Valentine’s Day? A week on they may be ready for the compost, but don’t be too hasty throwing them away. Instead pull off the petals and use them in your tiny human’s mud kitchen.

Don’t have one? No worries. Why not set up a little potion making/cooking station inside with the petals, water, and any other natural ingredients you can find. Worried about the mess? Use a towel as a tablecloth/rug to catch all the spills.

A LEGO Space in LA | #inspiredbyCPS

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Processed with VSCO with q5 preset

I have been in full pudding mode thanks to the flu, but my dear friends in LA have been working hard to create this #inspiredbyCPS LEGO space for their (almost!) six year old son. His baby sister is now on the move and Oliver was desperate for a nook in their apartment where he could build away from interested little hands. With a few clicks on Amazon, they had the perfect place for him to build – a wall mounted shelf desk, organized LEGO storage drawers, wall shelving for displaying his creations, and artwork/lighting for aesthetics (the lightbulb in the hanging light even changes colors so Oliver can set it for “different moods” :). He was so excited at the finished product he didn’t even wait for them to clean away their tools before he started building!

Mirrors | #curatedPSA + #unexpectedtoys

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You might have noticed that I use mirrors in all my installs – inside and out. Aesthetically, they are an easy and inexpensive way to make your space feel bigger and brighter. I love adding large mirrors on walls opposite windows to reflect light, over desks and work spaces, or hung low to the ground so our small humans can watch themselves play and learn (side note – all kids love looking at themselves in the mirror).

A long or full length mirror is also essential for your dramatic play nook (how else can you admire yourself post dress-ups?).

Outside I often hang mirrors over/around sandboxes and mud kitchens, but you can choose to hang anywhere where you want to add a little more dimension.

You can look to thrift a large (my general go-to) or get something simple like the NISSEDAL mirror from IKEA.

I also love to use small mirrors in play. You can buy acrylic mirror sheets, which are non breakable and make a really lovely play surface – for inside and out (note they will eventually get scratched). I’ve also used smaller square mirror sheets to create mirrored trays for a more portable play surface/display case.

I also keep a couple of table top/hand mirrors with my art cart. They are great when drawing portraits or for adding a new dimension to still life artworks. You can also use the acrylic mirror sheets as a washable canvas.

Addie + Charlotte’s Play Space | January 2020

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Addie and Charlotte are such creative kids, with art and craft materials to rival a professional artist. Charlotte loves American Girl Dolls, and has an enviable collection of dolls and their fashions/accessories. Both girls also love LEGOs. All of this adds up to a lot of stuff but not a lot of space to put it all. This equaled a main level play space that was overflowing and muddled with art supplies and toys, while their basement play space was being underutilized.

  • Main Level Play Space | Before
  • Main Level Play Space | Before
  • LEGOs | Before
  • Random Toys | Before
  • Kids’ Sewing Supplies | Before
  • Art Papers | Before
  • Basement Play Space | Before
  • Basement Play Space | Before
  • Basement Play Space | Before

This is where I come in. 🙂 Their lovely parents were keen to find ways to maximize their play spaces and create better storage and organization. They also wanted to keep with the same beautiful aeshtetic on the main level they had created with their custom pieces from Forty Third Place. Here’s what we did:

Continue reading “Addie + Charlotte’s Play Space | January 2020” →

Heavy Work for Kids

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Let’s talk about ‘heavy work’. 💪 Heavy work is any activity that requires you to put pressure on your muscles and joints as they are moving. During yesterday’s playgroup, there was some brilliant heavy work happening as the kids worked together to load up and push a wheelbarrow full of big rocks, which then transitioned to loading up and pulling each other around in a wagon. 🙂

“Heavy work helps your child in more ways than one. Aside from helping your child to feel calm and self-regulate, it also improves clarity and alertness, extends attention span, aids body awareness, and strengthens muscles.” (via Connections Therapy Center)

To trampoline or not to trampoline?

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To trampoline or not to trampoline? A solid question for those with kids and yard space. I never thought we would be a trampoline family (although childhood me would have been so disappointed – how I longed for one as a kid). However two years ago a neighbor opened our back gate and rolled over a small old trampoline they no longer needed and we were sold. This one had no net and more than once my kids bounced with a little too much enthusiasm and…. 🙈. But my boys LOVED it and on days when energy was high (my oldest is 100% the energizer bunny), I would just send them outside to bounce and burn it off.

Fast forward to six months ago and this same family was moving overseas and looking to part with their springless trampoline. We jumped on the chance to upsize and found ourselves rolling over a much larger new friend (while a new family came and rolled away with our old one). During play dates and playgroup, it is the hot destination for multiple friends. Watching them learn to negotiate the space and use their bodies in new coordinated ways is a joy (and quite humorous) to watch.

So if you’re on the fence and wondering whether you should jump in (pun intended), my vote is a resounding yes!

Interested in learning more about the benefits of trampolining for kids? Visit here and here to read more!

Nathan + Maren’s Play Space | December 2019

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I can’t think of a better way to end the decade than by being given the privilege to create a brand new play space for two wonderful tiny humans. When I visited their home for a consult, the kids main play space was the open concept living room that connected with the kitchen. Having toys in this space works well, because it’s a great space for the kids to play when a parent is cooking and they want to be close. But the room as overflowing and with the prospect of a new play kitchen coming for the holidays, something new had to be done. The kids’s bedrooms were also jam packed with toys, most stored in way that they just weren’t being used.

  • BEFORE | LIVING ROOM
  • BEFORE | LIVING ROOM
  • BEFORE | NATHAN’S ROOM
  • BEFORE | NATHAN’S ROOM
  • BEFORE | MAREN’S ROOM
  • BEFORE | MAREN’S ROOM

The solution was creating a new play space in the finished basement, that up until now had double as holding place for things that needed storing or donating.

  • BEFORE | BASEMENT
  • BEFORE | BASEMENT
  • BEFORE | BASEMENT
Continue reading “Nathan + Maren’s Play Space | December 2019” →

Evie + John’s Play Space Makeover | November/December 2019

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Lucky me! This was the second play space I have helped to create for Evie and John. The first in their old home, and this new space in the finished basement of their new home. Their parents were keen to create a space where both kids would want to play independently/together, without the need for constant parental supervision or help. They wanted this space to be the main hub for toys, and a place that the kids’ friends could run amok and have fun in.

The rundown when I arrived:

  • The space had been freshly painted white to help brighten the mostly windowless room, painters tape still needed to come down.
  • There was a large dresser in the space that was slated to be sold.
  • There was a gorgeous pile of artwork in need of displaying.
  • More functional storage options were needed for toys/materials.
  • The bunkbed was being underused and the top space used for storage.
  • BEFORE
  • BEFORE
  • BEFORE
Continue reading “Evie + John’s Play Space Makeover | November/December 2019” →

DIY Toy Picnic Basket | #inspiredbyCPS

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We took down our tree today and packed away Christmas, with our eyes and hearts now firmly focused on the promises a new year brings. But before it’s all done and dusted, I had to repost this photo a dear friend shared my way. It’s her niece with the Christmas gift that was inspired by the work and ideas I share here. My friend thrifted the gorgeous picnic basket and all the fun accessories for it, and then topped it off with some cute Melissa and Doug Toys wooden play food. Can you even with how perfect this gift is?! Nothing makes me happier or prouder seeing what I do trickle out into the world in such beautiful inspiring ways. Keep tagging me, sharing your stories, and making my heart so full. And thank you for believing and trusting in me! x x