Wow! Can you believe it's already Wednesday and we're on Day 4 of the summit? If you haven't been able to join live, all of the replays have been added to the classrooms, well, except for Cristal's. I'm editing that one today. Today we have a full calendar packed with all kinds of fun for you and your family. All times are central and check the calendar for zoom links. The fun begins at 9:00 a.m. with @Dale Cox sharing a bit of Physics with us. If today's session is anything like yesterday's food science session, you're in for a fun time. Next, joining us at 9:30 a.m. from the UK is @Varsha Mistry with an Indian Cooking demo. I've been a member of Varsha's community for a while now and I can vouch for the ease of prep, my family loves what I'm learning to create. At 12:00 p.m. @Henry Hunter will be joining us bringing Bread as Science and answering your bread baking questions. For those of you who have been in the community for awhile, you may recall my on Saturday We Bake posts where I share what I'm learning to create over in the Crust and Crumb Academy. At 2:00 p.m. @Elizabeth Houston will join us to share Unplugged Coding Stories. Liz and I met in another community and it turns out we live in the same town! Small world and fun tea time. Check the Map and see if there are community members near you that you can connect with. In this session, Liz shares what it actually feels like to think like a computer. Wrapping up the day at 3:00 p.m. is @Chanie Twersky who will be sharing some important insights on how to parent teens. It's a delicate phase in a child/parent journey and we sometime gloss over what's most important to address. And, if you have teen sons, you may also want to check out #Praise What Can Be Repeated with Max who works with moms of teen boys. A perfect complement to Chanie's session.

Here’s some more pre-recorded sessions you don’t want to miss. @Jen Staniforth shares ideas around #Emotional Regulation Through Play w/Jen a great segue to our play sessions later this week. @Betty Jo Winters has a fun and upbeat session designed to help you #How to Choose the Best Toys with Betty Jo for your kids. With back to school and the holidays approaching, it’s worth a listen. One aspect many families find challenging is how to teach kids about money and finance, @Gopika Ashok M has us covered with an excellent session on #Finance in 60 Seconds Be sure to check the calendar for the times of today’s live sessions. We have more fun in store.

Wow! The sessions today just kept delivering nuggets of useful information. If you missed #The Missing Piece of Emotional Regulation - Brenda @Brenda Chilstrom shared several tips for creating structure and also encouraging healthy eating habits. Pair that with @Kayla Meyer session #Good Enough: The Science of Secure Attachment and enjoy some very helpful content. The live sessions wrapped up with @Nat Carey sharing his philosophy on how dads can be there for the family when there’s nothing left in the tank, watch the replay #When Dad Has Nothing Left with Nat. Tomorrow brings more live sessions starting with @Dale Cox bringing science and physics to life at 9:00 am. This session is sure to jumpstart your day. Then at 2:00 pm join @Mayelice Castro for an introduction to teaching French in 10 minutes a day. The live sessions conclude at 3:00 with @Cristal Vancarson who will be doing live, virtual photo shoots for families in attendance. This is something to experience. How’s your experience been so far? Have you had a chance to attend a session or two? Tomorrow, I’ll be highlighting some more of our pre-recorded sessions, too.

We're thrilled to have so many fresh faces joining us this week, just in time for the Unplug and Play summit. I know that each of you is bringing your own flavor of curiosity and commitment to play. @Ayisha Taylor is a mom of 5 looking to ease the screen time struggle with her 1.5 and 4-year-old, and she's here to learn alongside us. @Alex State from Las Vegas came through a @Dale Cox invitation and is fully committed to homeschooling two little ones through play. @Alida Vermeulen from South Africa is stepping into grandparenthood and is excited to be here. @Tami Ekpo has a 14-year-old with a passion for the science behind cooking, and she's diving into ideas for meaningful connection around food and learning. You'll definitely want to visit the Culinary Classroom and the Curious Kitchen Classroom. @Melinda Pate from Southern California is a homeschooling mom of 5 and creator of fun-based learning printables. @Patrick Taylor from Central America has that adventurous, inquisitive child in him that makes play so alive. @Chris Pallister from Clevedon is a newly-retired granddad to 4 who loves the idea of helping kids discover life beyond screens, and he's rekindling his passion for photography too. The photography session with @Cristal Vancarson tomorrow may be of interest. @Frances Scully is a curious educator and grandmother of 8 who coaches others on child engagement. @Khanyi Mzolo wants to rejuvenate connection between his son and grandson through intentional play, what a beautiful three-generation goal. @Demetrice Odds from Florida is a veteran and AI consultant focused on calm creativity, and she wants to connect her godchildren with life off their tablets.

’Twas the night before the summit, and through the community, Families were planning their week of curiosity. The calendar was checked. The favorites were marked. Four classrooms stood ready, though still quiet and dark. The flour was waiting. The yarn was nearby. The robot had stories it wanted to try. The guitar was tuned. The questions were brewing. The speakers were busy their notes they were reviewing. Parents were asking, “Which sessions are we doing?” Some planned to cook. Some planned to create. Some wanted the portraits before it got late. Some said, “We’ll watch the replay. We’re always behind.” And I, at my keyboard, with tea close at hand, Was checking each classroom and reviewing the plan. Tomorrow the doors open. The waiting is done. A week of connection, learning, and fun. You do not need perfection. You do not need it all. Choose what fits your family and answer curiosity’s call. Then close out the calendar and get some sleep tonight. Unplug & Play begins tomorrow. It’s sure to delight! Let’s make it memorable. See you there.