Welcome to eleven incredible humans joining our play-filled community this week! @Kata Rebbenszki is here with her music-loving 1-year-old daughter, eager to be fully present without the distractions of phones and housework. @Leah Connolly shares that same goal with her 15-month-old, both are seeking fresh activity ideas to support their little ones' development and would do well connecting around creative setups for that stage. @Hydee Douglas is a self-described hot mess doing her best, ready to spend more quality playtime with her 2.5-year-old. @Dana Britton has a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl who thrive on learning through play at play center and outdoors. You may want to connect with @Jen Staniforth, who runs The Baby Sleep Skool and brings 20 years of experience with littlies plus her own crew of six to the table. @Amy Jess is a mum to one fur child and one tiny human, hunting for new play ideas with her camera and appetite for travel in tow. @Danielle Wilson keeps it simple with her energetic 20-month-old boy. @Chanie Twersky is a mother of eight and inner child expert who leads Peak Parenting, she'd be a brilliant resource for any of you navigating multiple kids or big feelings and Chanie is one of our speakers at the upcoming Unplug & Play Summit in August! @Caitlin Siegers is determined to keep her 5-year-old and twin 7-month-old boys engaged without defaulting to screens. @T M has three kids, a firecracker 7-year-old, a tinkering 10-year-old, and an unmotivated 17-year-old and is calling out for help. @Celia Kibler runs Be A Better Parent and has five kids plus nine grandchildren, all ages, you may want to reach out to her for strategies around raising calm, respectful kids. @Mayelice Castro teaches kids French through play in just 10 minutes a day with The 10 Minutes French Club and could offer language-infused activities. @Brenda Chilstrom is a pediatric OT and feeding specialist behind Preschool Director Network, Raising Curious Eaters, and ULTIMATE Preschool Playbook sensory and emotional regulation are her specialties and all three of these lovely ladies are speakers at the Unplug & Play summit, too!

For those of you who were here last week, I wanted to provide a quick update on my daughter and to thank everyone who reached out. My daughter saw the podiatrist earlier this week, no tendon damage and stitches come out in two weeks. She’s healing nicely and in good spirits. I spent the day with her today, chasing a toddler so she could rest.

My 'Learn to Journal' content will be featured here as well as on my Skool community and YouTube channel (@RamonaZihlkePlanning). Journal activities are beneficial in so many ways (stress relief, educational, bonding, fun) depending on the avenue you take. As clouds are something I love to watch, I have started a 'cloud journal' what will be interesting to review in the long haul. Whether it's clouds, bugs, trees, pick a topic of interest and write what you see. For example, with clouds, older children and adults may want to learn the specific names of the clouds. For younger children, have them describe what they see or make a story about it. A journal does not need to be perfect. A journal needs to reflect you, your personality, your bonding activity with family. Keep it fun, interesting. Then watch the rewards roll into your life.

Have you ever? Try something new?

This is one of those activities that starts small and somehow takes over the afternoon in the best possible way. It’s also a family favorite. You may have already discovered that kids naturally build stories around the things they create. Give them a few open-ended materials and suddenly there is a hidden animal village under the coffee table, a dragon training academy in the backyard, or a tiny civilization surviving an incoming snowstorm made entirely of couch cushions and paper towel tubes. The goal of this activity is not perfection. It’s imagination, experimentation, and giving kids enough room to follow their own ideas. Gather the Gear: - Cardboard boxes or scraps of cardboard or paper - Tape or masking tape - Paper towel tubes - Plastic containers or lids - Rocks, sticks, leaves, pinecones, or other outdoor finds - Stuffed animals, action figures, or toy cars - Markers, crayons, or paper Optional: Fabric scraps, String or yarn, Aluminum foil, etc. The Steps: 1. Invite your child to create a tiny world. That world could become:a jungle, secret spy base, tiny city, fairy village, dinosaur habitat, Mars colony, animal rescue, underwater kingdom, or something completely unexpected. 2. Start by laying out the materials and resisting the urge to organize everything too much. A little creative mess tends to lead to more experimentation. 3. As they build, try staying in the role of curious observer instead of director. Instead of:“You should put this over here.” Try:“What happens in this part of the world?” “Who lives here?” “How do they solve problems?” “What are the rules in this place?” Those kinds of questions keep the child in charge of the thinking. Many kids will continue returning to the world throughout the day, adding details, solving new problems, or expanding the story. That continuation is part of the magic. The Twist: About halfway through, introduce an unexpected challenge to the world. Maybe: - A storm is coming - The bridge collapsed - A mysterious creature appeared - The food supply is running low - The power stopped working - The world must now survive at night only