Exploring the #GeniusOfPlay + Blast Zone Magic Castle Bouncer #Giveaway 9/11

Today's Genius of Play discussion was sponsored in part by GeniusofPlay.org. This Blog POP! Magic Castle Bouncer Giveaway was sponsored by Blast Zone and in not way affiliated with Genius of Play.

Momma Told Me: Don't just sit around like a bump on a log!

While Summer may be coming to an end, and most of the littles are back in school, I'd like to discuss the importance of  continuing playtime year-round. As a parent or caretaker you may struggle with the notion of playtime being a Summer or Weekend activity. The focus of school and studies seems to take priority and we, as the adults, seldom have time to schedule in the giggles and games kids crave in between homework checks and fixing dinner. Or, perhaps, you feel guilty leaving your children to play in the yard or their room on their own, as though you're somehow neglecting them. Momma was the first- always no nonsense studies and sleep on school days- but The Genius of Play is here to make an argument in favor of kids.

You may not know but taking time out of the day for free play can be integral to your child's mental, physical, and social growth, and a case can be made equally for solo play, social play, and family activities. They all hold their own unique benefits.Of course, living in sunny Southern California, we take the chance to practice any and all of these outdoors whenever we can.Our D.I.Y. Lawn Twister idea is still wildly popular with the neighborhood kids and even inspires adults to get out and get involved when this colorful game board hits the grass.

Naturally, children with siblings have constant access to group play benefits, but those who don't should be encouraged to interact and play with children both their own age, and those outside. Learning to work respectfully among your peers is just a valuable skill as learning to look up to those older and wiser than you, or learning to guide those younger and less experiences. All valuable skills for school, the workplace, and life. Make believe play and problem solving are also important skills developed during free play activities involving make believe. While your child will naturally create scenarios and stories for their playthings, sharing the creative vision, and watching it evolve, with other children and adults is a true learning experience!

Outdoor and active free play is simply good for the body all around- from the stress relieving benefits of play to the decreased risk of heart disease, that most often caries on into adulthood behaviors, physical activities are a major win. In fact, studies show that children naturally gravitate towards active play with a whopping 20% choosing to engage in physical free play through no other prompts but their own. We like to set our bounce house up every Friday and let the daycare children lose. Because ages vary from 4 to 10, there is a variety of negotiation and verbal skills constantly in use- and we've found the younger kids tend to push the older ones to be more active through unique games and imaginative scenarios!

But you don't have to have a bounce house to make play time fun. The beauty of play is that there are no rules. (Well, there are safety rules, of course.) Anything can be anything- a twig turns into a magical sword, a ball pit turns into a magic castle, and when props and dress up get involved superheros turn up to save the world in the most unlikely of ways. Studies show children as young as 3 learn to understand the real world though direct pretend play and that similar free play helps develop more creative personalities.

Whether the benefits are cognitive, physical, emotional, or social, it doesn't take an expert to see that free play is beneficial to everyone. If you feel guilty about turning a child loose with their own toys and friends then schedule family play time several nights a week to help reconnect and grow with your child. You're likely to learn a wealth of things you never knew about a child during free play time. Experiment with different types of play, pretend, creative, and physical to help develop a variety of skills and truly nurture your child while having fun. (Us adults can be pretty sneaky, eh?)

You'll discover tips to schedule and encourage free play, as well as more facts and information about the benefits of free play at The Genius of Play. And, while they're all about the benefits of playtime for children, I argue that these benefits do not stop simply because one has become an adult. Make sure to take time out to play and grow for yourself as well. Those benefits of stress reduction and heart health apply to big people too! Take the Pledge To Play and be a part of the Play-volution today. I promise, it'll be the easiest, most fun, pledge you'll ever commit to! Now, tell me, what was one of your favorite free play activities as a child? If you have a child of your own, what is they favorite free play activity?

What Daughter Says: While it may be easier to sit around like a bump on a log the benefits of engaging one's mind and body through free play are clearly overwhelming.

In the spirit of fostering free and active play, we're giving away a Blast Zone Magic Castle Bouncer! Once you've entered continue hopping along to our other amazing Blog POP! School Rules giveaways!

Summer Fun, Outdoors, With Lawn Twister Idea

Momma Told Me: You're not playing that in my house!

True story; the first time I ever played Twister I was 16, it happened to be the same day I learned to play Monopoly. I know, I know, what kind of childhood did I have? Well, understandably, Momma was not one for the concept of kids twisting up like pretzels next to expensive artwork and fish tanks.  During my prime Twister years, we lived in a small 2 bedroom condo with no room for such shenanigans, and by the time I was old enough to partake in our new home with a yard and garage, and plenty of space- I was awkwardly tall and had outgrown the small plastic sheet board.

Among the number of concerns most adults have about playing this beloved vintage game, number one is where the participants will play it. For those playing, or perhaps going through a mid-life crisis on a girl's night sipping wine and digging through their children's board games, the board is a standard size and highly inconvenient. Let's face it, this dotted sheet slides, tears, and outgrows anyone past 3 and a half feet in height. Let me revive your love or perhaps curiosity in this 1966 Milton Bradley game that was initially marketed towards adults at cocktail and office parties.

Introducing Lawn Twister; Twister on a scale that fits your needs- Do you have a party of 25, and need a 10 x 10 grid? Are all of your players adults and need spots further spaced apart? Are you trying to get your tots to work on their flexibility for the first time and need a smaller grid? Or do you just have visions of a spotted tarp flying in the air as siblings collide in twister limbs, spooking the dog, to chase the cat who runs across your keyboard and deletes a nights worth of work? Lawn Twister isn't only entirely customizable as a party or social game (use spots with your team's colors, go neon for the 80s party, etc) its much more fun to play outdoors. Grass tends to have a better grip, and the board will last up to 5 days, or rinse off in minutes.

Simply go to your local lawn and hardware store and as them to direct you to the marking chalk, or 'marking paint.' This will usually be located near the other aerosol based paints, and comes in water based (which you will want to get) in as many as 10 shades. Cut a hole out of a box bottom and invert the cans, spraying about 2-3 inches off the grass. Having a deeper box will keep the spray from misting and make for nice even dots. Allow the paint to dry a minimum of 30 minutes in sunlight before beginning to play. Some color may rub of on hands with sliding, but is entirely washable. Create a simple spinner out of a foam board with an arrow attached by a tack, or have a designated caller to try and twist people up as best as possible. Enjoy!

What Daughter Says: Play outside, it's healthier for you anyway!

Make Every Moment Memorable (This Summer): Tips And Tricks

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Momma Told Me: Make moments memorable.

It's officially here. Summer. I've defiantly held onto Spring for several weeks, but the fact of the matter is school is already out for half of the country. And if you think juggling a household with all the kids out of school is tough, try having 2 step-siblings from another state on vacation while your eldest is sent out the door to elementary each day. It's some kind of cruel torture, but this woman doesn't make the school calendar where we live, so Sabrina's (11) stuck doing her time for three more weeks while her brother and sister sleep in. And that means rallying the troops in time to get errands done and be in front of the school by 1:30, 5 days a week.

Of course not everything always goes as planned. There are half days, doctors appointments early Summer holidays and vacation plans to prepare for. Sometimes we're forced to pack up the entire team and head into Walmart for some serious bonding shopping. I'm grateful Walmart has a built in Pharmacy and grocery department, but do they have to have an entire man cave built into the back? Let's face it, the men often peel off towards electronics, and we're left trying to make grocery shopping sound exciting. Well, guess what? It is exciting! Turn your kiddos loose (not literally wild and rampant, just short leash loose) and see who can find the shopping list items first. The winner gets to pick-out their favorite frozen reward, like Kiara's Outshine frozen fruit bars.

The holiday last weekend was one of our last chances to hit the local beach park before all of the vacations and planned activities officially start. For example, Sabrina's youth/adult bowling league wrapped the week before, and this week Kiara (9) and Noah (4) will begin bowling with their father and I for 10 weeks. That means our Thursdays will be quite hectic with picking Sabrina up from school, monitoring homework and reading, then heading out to the alley in the town next over by 5PM. I keep the freezer stocked with a plethora of snack options to keep the Grumple Monster away and small tummies satisfied on busy afternoons like that. Sabrina even likes helping out, and playing chef, by making her sister and brother pizza Hot Pockets they can easily take in the car on the way to the alley.

We're lucky, in Southern California, we only live minutes from several harbors or beach parks full of family entertainment and activities. For Memorial Day we brought some #SummerGoodies in a cooler to Mandalay Shores where there are plenty of other children for the kids to play with and interact with. It's not uncommon to hear the 'ping ping' of a bell on an ice cream cart go by, and I was grateful to have my own stash of OUTSHINE® Fruit & Veggie Bars on hand to dole out to the outstretched hands. Everyone in our family has their favorite flavor from Strawberry Rhubarb to Creamy Coconut, made with real bits of coconut and fruit juice. These were much more refreshing then any of the 'drive by' options would have been!

Since the sun is out, okay it's out almost all year round here, I've been encouraging outdoor play much more lately. The kids often complain that they want to go to a park; but I rarely have time to pack everyone up for even a short trip in between packing, laundry, appointments, bowling practice, and more. We compromise by finding unique and fun ways for the kids to interact and play in the yard outside. Why spend a bunch of money on new toys that will be tossed aside in a few weeks when you can use a little imagination and your surroundings to make a magical playtime?

New for our family this year is Yard Twister. We invested about $20 in 4 cans of washable (water based) Marking Paint cans from the local hardware store. I had a hard time hunting them down at first, but you should be able to locate them with the other aerosol based paints in up to 10 different shades and colors. This unique paint is often used to mark fields for sporting events, or construction notations on grass concrete and more. With a simple template we easily made an interactive grid on the lawn that was dry in just 30 minutes. Okay, okay, keeping hyper kids off the wet paint for 30 minutes is near impossible- Try my tip, heat up a few Pepperoni Pizza Hot Pockets, filled with premium meat and real cheese, and cut them in half to serve on a plate. Small hands, and mouths, will be busy in no time!

You don't have to feel like a day camp coordinator or Super Mom to create some flavorful moments with your family and some great eats. And you don't have to break the bank either, with 12 CT Value Pack bundles of Hot Pockets an your favorite Outshine real fruit juice bars on hand. Just be sure you stop to take an extra breath, then reach into the freezer, pull out that folder of awesome Pinterest Summer pins, and you're sure to make every moment memorable this Summer!

What Daughter Says: Use simple tricks and frozen snacks to help make busy Summer afternoons more memorable.