I'm thrilled to welcome some wonderful new faces to Connected Through Play! I'm also trying something new this month and changing my welcome message. I'd love to know if you prefer this style or if you would rather just be welcomed by name? I'll include your first steps to navigating the community in the comment. Let me know what you think. @Senka Kovacevic brings a background in economics and a passion for special education and Montessori she's here for practical advice for teaching her 8-year-old. @Iryna Miroshnychenko, you two share that love of hands-on, curiosity-driven learning, why not connect and swap ideas? @N Nijdam is always searching for new ways to connect with her 4-year-old and lives in Amsterdam. @Stacey Hayward has a 4-year-old and a 9-year-old and is keen for fresh inspiration. @Abs F is raising three high-energy boys and wants purposeful, safe play you three have overlapping ages and goals, so you may want to connect in the comments and share what's working! @Corrie Herrin wants to connect better with both her teenager and kindergartner a beautiful dual challenge. @Shaye Williams is homeschooling five young children and looking for creative connection ideas. @Jen Staniforth, with kids ranging 5–19, may be a perfect match for you both. You may want to check out her Skool community The Baby Sleep Skool. @Iryna Miroshnychenko teaches kids and believes every child is a genius, she's here for experiments and meaningful lessons that spark curiosity. @Hira Palla is homeschooling a toddler and newborn and needs to keep her little one entertained while learning. @Josephine Withers has an "outside flavor" toddler and wants more activities. @Jessica Senhorinha is juggling two curious builders (PreK and primary) with limited time and wants quick, ready-to-go options for real connection you three are all in the toddler/PreK zone, so team up for ideas!

Years ago, in my family, a cardboard box became “Boxy.” Not a fort, not a spaceship. Just Boxy. A four-year-old decided that was enough, and for weeks, it was. Unplugged time doesn’t usually look like the picture in your head. It’s messier and smaller and stranger than that. Long weekend or not, what does unplugged family time actually look like right now? Not the ideal version. The real one. What does it actually look like this week? Tell us what you’re doing in the comments.

Are you motivated by the Skool leaderboard or is it a ho-hum thing for you? I personally waffle on weather or not I find leaderboards helpful. However, I as a community owner, the leaderboard is a wonderful way to keep our community members engaged and recognize those who have been active inside the community. So, drumroll please as we recognize our Connected Through Play Top 10.Here's something very cool, 5 out of our Top 10 will also be hosting sessions at the #Unplug & Play event in August. Can you guess who? This month's leaderboard is absolutely ON FIRE! 🔥 #1 @Sandy Chong — Crushing it as our sourdough baker extraordinaire, and holding strong at #10 all-time! #2 @Paulette Ng e Ng — Building incredible creative connections from the UK and making her mark! #3 @Jen Staniforth — The pediatric sleep specialist bringing 20 years of wisdom AND sitting at #6 all-time! #4 @Anna Murrietta — Designing a life of freedom and purpose after 25+ years of corporate leadership! #5 @Celia Kibler — Helping parents raise calm, confident kids and ranking #7 all-time too! #6 @Cristal Vancarson — LA photographer helping everyone show up powerfully on camera! #7 @Evelene Sterling — Cancer Thrivers owner and Skoolyard admin bringing the gardening and sewing vibes, plus #4 all-time! #8 @Sharon Yeh — Guiding cellular healing with science and soul! #9 @Gus Gray — The Lightwright helping you create a career that lights you up, and our #2 all-time legend! #10 @Paula Artis — IT instructor and ordained minister sharing 20+ years of expertise! Who's ready to climb the board next month?

It’s hot out there. Time to bring the cold inside. Grab some ice cubes and a tray. Your mission: figure out how to melt your ice cube as fast as possible without using the oven, microwave, or hot water from the tap. That’s it. Go. Gather Your Gear: • Ice cubes (at least one per person) • A tray, plate, or bowl to catch the melt • Timer (optional) • Paper and pencil to record observations (optional) Steps: 1. Everyone gets one ice cube. 2. Each person picks a strategy — hands, breath, sunlight through a window, a dark cloth, salt, sugar, pressing it between objects… 3. Set a timer for 5 minutes. 4. Compare results. What worked? What surprised you? 5. Try again with a new hypothesis. Variations by Age Age variations: 🐣 Ages 3–6: Just play with the ice — touch it, watch it, talk about what’s happening. “Is it getting smaller? Why?” No strategy needed. The wonder IS the activity. 🔍 Ages 7–12: Add a prediction round before you start. Write down what you think will work best and why. After, compare your prediction to what actually happened. 🧠 Teens: Challenge them to design the slowest melt insulate an ice cube using only materials in the house and see whose lasts longest. Bonus: look up why salt melts ice and whether that matches what they observed. Share in the comments: What method worked fastest in your house? Any surprises? Heatwave Hideout • Day 1 of 5

Except when we are traveling, then we ask our resident bread baker @Sandy Chong to share her bake. This week, over in the Crust & Crumb Academy, Chef Henry had everyone baking pretzels. Chef Henry is going to be sharing a cooking class during Unplug & Play (recorded) and a 30 minute Ask Me Anything about bread baking. Here’s his kid friendly pretzel recipe. Enjoy. https://pantry.bakinggreatbread.com/recipes/kids-can-bake-soft-pretzels Tagging a few members I thought might be interested in baking. @Jen Staniforth @Jenny Akinosho @Gus Gray @Anna Brown @Dannielle McAuliffe @Dee Gosrani @Michelle Fuentes @Jeannie Cole @Kristy Allison @Kiley Reynolds @Lisa Vanderveen @Liz Brants @Nat Carey @Amanda Owens @Sharon Otaguro @Paras Desai @Samuel Wendland @Sakthivel M @Sahibaz Tatla @Tim Tindle @Wendy Lee-Chu @Yu-Tzu Huang @Sharon Yeh @Catherine McDowell