Greetings to my fantastic and supportive community members. First, I'd like to start by extending a warm welcome to @Chanie Twersky who is the founder of Peak Parenting. She's a wise human and I think you will enjoy getting to know her. Second, I'm going to be away from the computer most of the week attending and presenting at the Chattanooga Homeschool Expo. I have a request, while I'm away, can you post some fun games, play ideas, or just get to know you conversations? We're building great momentum here and I am trying to avoid the summer (at least northern hemisphere) doldrums. I'm attending several play focused workshops and presenting on play as a learning tool so I'll be sure to bring back some new ideas. I look forward to learning from all of you while I'm away.

Let's extend a warm Connected Through Play welcome to our newest community members, @Liz Brants and @Jerry Cavender. I encourage you to visit the #Welcome to Connected Through Play classroom to get the lay of the land and then complete your first mini mission #Try This Today and share your results. We'd love to get to know you so when the time is right, please introduce yourself and let us know where in the world you are, your favorite play memory, and one fun fact. You've joined at a great time as the Grand Unplugged starts next week!

Have you ever watched the TV Show, "Chopped"? Contestants are provided a mystery basket with 4 ingredients and asked to create an edible dish in 30 minutes. Today, you get to play your own version of chopped. Follow the prompt and share your creation. To keep it simple, limit yourself to 30 minutes. Gather Your Gear: - Something sweet - Something savory - Something salty - Something sour - Cutting board - Kid-safe knife or butter knife - Spoons - Small bowls - Plate or serving tray - Napkins Optional extras from the kitchen, seasonings, oil, veggies, etc. Steps: 1. Place your ingredients where everyone can see them. 2. Talk through a few possibilities before you start. Could this become a snack plate, dip, toast, wrap, skewer, tiny sandwich, salad, dessert bite, or something no one has named yet? 3. Create one shared dish using all four flavors. 4. Taste as you go, if it is safe to do so, and make small changes along the way. 5. Give your dish a name before serving it. Twist: Want an extra challenge? Plate it like it belongs in a fancy restaurant, even if the final dish is wonderfully strange. Variations by Age: Ages 3–6 Younger kids can wash produce, tear soft ingredients, spread, sprinkle, stir, arrange pieces, and help name the dish. Keep their part hands-on so they can see their choices become part of the food. Ages 7–12 Kids in this age range can help decide what the dish needs next. Is it too sour, too salty, too plain, too soft, or missing crunch? Let them suggest small changes and help assemble the final version. Ages 13–17 Older kids can help the family make one clear food choice instead of turning the plate into chaos. They can help decide whether the dish should lean sweet, savory, snacky, fancy, messy, or funny, then help bring the pieces together. Share Your Creation: Post a photo of your finished dish and tell us the name your family gave it.

We’ve had so many new folks join in the last month, I think it’s time for a fun game of introductions. Now, when I’m conducting in person training, I usually do this by passing around of toilet paper and asking everyone to tear off as many sheets as they’d like. No further instructions are given. After everyone has taken their share, I then let them know it’s time to share one fact for each square (or sheet) they took. That usually gets folks talking. Since we don’t have any toilet paper, let’s roll the virtual dice instead. For each dot that you get, share something about yourself. I’ll start. PS: This is on the honor system. https://www.calculator.net/dice-roller.html

Today, I had breakfast with a friend, in a neighborhood known as East Nashville. It reminds a lot of the neighborhoods from Chicago. Sidewalks, small restaurants, people out walking. It got me thinking about what we’ve spent the week looking at, which was how our kids can spot problems and "hack" systems inside the house. But there’s a bigger goal, that of teaching them how to be a playful citizen. The first stepis realizing that the entire neighborhood is a laboratory. When we walk down the street, most adults see "functional" things: a sidewalk is for walking, a bench is for sitting, and a fence is for privacy. This is functional fixedness in action, we only see objects for their traditional uses. But kids have a "Wet Paint" brain that is still flexible. To them, a sidewalk is a balance beam, a bench is a base, and a fence is a musical instrument. Today, my challenge to you is to take our divergent thinking on the road. Take some time to look at the community and ask, "What else could this be?" When we start seeing the world as something we can influence rather than just something we live in, a deep sense of ownership begins to grow. If you do this yourself or with the kids in your life, pop in and let us know what you noticed.