Getting ready to get the ingredients prepped and the experiment started. Over at @Henry Hunter's Crust and Crumb Academy, bakers are in full force today making this delicious sounding Special Round Challah. If you happened to catch Chef Henry's presentation during the Unplug & Play summit, he shared a bit about his introduction to Challah and the special memories it holds. Complicated breads are not my strong suit but I'm willing to get my hands dirty and try something new. Have you ever made a Challah? If yes, what tips do you have and if no, do you bake bread? What's your favorite. Stay tuned, I'll be sharing pictures of the adventure as I proceed.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the direction of our community and really need your input. Would you like to see:

This one's a bit long but I think you'll enjoy learning about some of our newest members. Why not pull up a virtual chair, find a new member and say Hi in the comments. For those just exploring, the Summit Classrooms: Cooking, Experts, Crafts/Hobbies, and Tech close today but you can purchase an All Access pass for $16 to see all the cool stuff you missed during our summit earlier this month. For those looking for activities, if you click the Classroom, you'll find the Curious Kitchen, Build, Play, and Story labs. Take a peek and let us know what you try. More labs posting this week. And now, without further delay - let's welcome our newest community members. We're thrilled to have a wonderful wave of new members joining us—people who get it, who believe in the power of play and real connection with the kids in their lives. @Kylie Larsen is here because she's passionate about helping students build confidence and develop winning strategies, and now she's bringing that same energy to family life. She's working through some health challenges with her family and wants her kids: Ry, Evans, and Kinley to trade screens for meaningful time together. @Krissy B is diving in with four little ones under six and a goal to get more hands-on and active in their everyday lives, a beautiful shift toward intentional parenting. @Morning Smiles is here because she's raising a future doctor and wants to nurture her daughter's ambitions while creating lasting memories together. @Angel Gerry loves the idea of using play to build stronger bonds and create meaningful moments with the children she cares about, that's exactly what we're all about here. @Angela Hawkins works with small children and is organized, caffeinated, and ready to find new ways to connect through play. @Natalie Naslund, a first-time homeschooling mom of five, wants to teach her kids to cook and share the joy of the kitchen together.

If you missed @Henry Hunter’s baking presentation at the Unplug and Play summit, check out the Recipe Pantry for his Kids Can Bake series. Every Saturday, in his community, he hosts a bake a long. During the week we learn about the bake, including history and technique. This week, we’re making Banana Blueberry scones. Supposed to be easy until someone (ok it was me!) accidentally added Worcestershire sauce instead of vanilla. Oops! Time to start again. Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it: https://recipepantry.app/recipes/restaurant-style-banana-blueberry-scones

When I was in elementary school, the 8th grade chorus and later, our Explorer post of musical theater nerds, did a compilation of show tunes, including some from Fiddler on the Roof. One of the songs was all about tradition. For those in the US, today is Labor Day and for many there are traditions built around last trip to the lake, family gatherings before school gets into full swing. or just watching a ballgame. As we move into the "ber" months filled with all types of opportunities for family gatherings, what are 2 of your favorite traditions, this could be one from childhood and one from adulthood, or some combination. Share them below as I'm working on two new labs (Curious Kitchen and Story) that aim to incorporate family traditions. For those of you new to the community, a great place to begin your journey is #Welcome to Connected Through Play or #Try This Today