Platforms, Play & Pursuit: Week 8

(As it turns out, we're headed out for a family camping trip this weekend complete an earned trip to a water park.  I may have to re-run this week, I'll be busy packing and then relaxing in my favorite place, the majestic outdoors!)

I'd love for you to come with me on a path of being intentional.  Intentional in helping my boys fill their empty summer hours, living out the dream of actually doing some of those fun ideas I've pinned on Pinterest, and pursuing and nurturing their little hearts.  Read more about it here. 

This weeks' Platform(giving the kids a place to start independent play):


     Inside: I'll set the stage for a puppet show...create a "stage" and bring in some stuffed animals.  


     Outside:  buying dollar store or grocery store bouncy balls to leave in the backyard.  Endless fun!

This Weeks' Play: Heading to the hobby shop to buy boxes to make these great little LEGO boxes. 

This Weeks' Pursuit: Take and teach my boys thrift store shopping.  Talk about prices of new shoes, toys, clothes vs. thrift store prices.  Here's a cute article about 5 Things You Should Always Buy at a Thrift Store  (Maybe we'll even find the boxes we need for LEGO Travel Boxes in our trips!

*My boys are 6, 8 & 10.  If these activities are too advanced, switch them up so they work safely and sanely for your kiddos.

Platforms, Play & Pursuit: Week 6

I'd love for you to come with me on a path of being intentional.  Intentional in helping my boys fill their empty summer hours, living out the dream of actually doing some of those fun ideas I've pinned on Pinterest, and pursuing and nurturing their little hearts.  Read more about it here. 

This weeks' Platform(giving the kids a place to start independent play):


     Inside: Bringing the dress up clothes upstairs!  Maybe I'll add to the box, some of their dad's things.


     Outside: Sprinkler fun!  If I can get my stuff together I'll make a cool sprinkler I've seen on Pinterest for them to play in.

This Weeks' Play: I buy blank cards in packs of 50 about twice a year.  I'd love to work with the boys and decorate them in some fun way in advance as Thank You cards.  Always feeling behind in this, It'd be great to go into the holidays with a stack ready to go!


This Weeks' Pursuit: This week I'll spend 20 minutes here and there with each boy in his room.  Organize, beautify (in a boy sort of way) and donate unused stuff.

*My boys are 6, 8 & 10.  If these activities are too advanced, switch them up so they work safely and sanely for your kiddos.

Platforms, Play & Pursuit: Week 7

I'd love for you to come with me on a path of being intentional.  Intentional in helping my boys fill their empty summer hours, living out the dream of actually doing some of those fun ideas I've pinned on Pinterest, and pursuing and nurturing their little hearts.  Read more about it here. 

This weeks' Platform (giving the kids a place to start independent play):


     Inside  Every day I'll set out a couple of board games in a place where they'll give inspiration.  Yes, I will play when I'm asked.  I'm committed to always saying "yes" to games when I'm able, because I want to be in check...am I saying "yes?"  I want to be interruptible  At least to one thing?


     Outside I'll try and sneak out at night and draw something outside with sidewalk chalk for the boys to discover...hop scotch, their names, funny pictures, etc.   


This Weeks' Play:

You can gather this from the picture, right?

This Weeks' Pursuit:  when I remember this week, I'll sneak around and attack the boys and tickle 'em all up.  They love, love this!!  


*My boys are 6, 8 & 10.  If these activities are too advanced, switch them up so they work safely and sanely for your kiddos.

Platforms, Play & Pursuit: Week 5

I'd love for you to come with me on a path of being intentional.  Intentional in helping my boys fill their empty summer hours, living out the dream of actually doing some of those fun ideas I've pinned on Pinterest, and pursuing and nurturing their little hearts.  Read more about it here.

We are travelling to a Classical Conversations Practicum this week, so my plans are itty bitty.


This weeks' Platform(giving the kids a place to start independent play):


     Inside: bringing a journal and pencil on our trip to write or draw when things are quiet


     Outside:  I'll make my best effort to get the boys to a new, fun park on our trip.  


This Weeks' Play: will be provided in kid camps. 


This Weeks' Pursuit: In spite of a very busy week planned (I'm providing a training out of town with my kids in tow) I'll try hard to spend extra minutes with them during the day and at bedtime to connect & love on them.  I'll also send my husband mushy texts while we're gone.

*My boys are 6, 8 & 10.  If these activities are too advanced, switch them up so they work safely and sanely for your kiddos.

Platforms, Play & Pursuit: Week 4

I'd love for you to come with me on a path of being intentional.  Intentional in helping my boys fill their empty summer hours, living out the dream of actually doing some of those fun ideas I've pinned on Pinterest, and pursuing and nurturing their little hearts.  Read more about it here. 

This weeks' Platform(giving the kids a place to start independent play):
     Inside:  I'll sneak up and drag a toy from a closet that doesn't get much use. Most of these toys in my house are kits...building or science.  I'll just take it all apart and set it out on the kitchen table and leave it with a note that it's the week to share and explore each others' ideas.  The boys will take it from there.  


     Outside:  *I'm going to give my boys all a permanent marker for their own to make art rocks to put in our rock garden up front.  

This Weeks' Play:  I bought the boys Shrinky Dinks for Christmas, but we've never used them!!  Do you have something like this to pull out of the cupboard?  Maybe I'll get brave and try these DIY Shinky Dinks.


This Weeks' Pursuit: Food feeds the soul, right?  Going to surprise the boys with these puppies one morning.  :)

*My boys are 6, 8 & 10.  If these activities are too advanced, switch them up so they work safely and sanely for your kiddos.

Platforms, Play & Pursuit: Week 3

I'd love for you to come with me on a path of being intentional.  Intentional in helping my boys fill their empty summer hours, living out the dream of actually doing some of those fun ideas I've pinned on Pinterest, and pursuing and nurturing their little hearts.  Read more about it here.  

This weeks' Platform (giving the kids a place to start independent play):
 

  Inside: simply paying attention to staging books around the house.  Maybe I'll make a book nook somewhere, cozy, quiet place to pick up a book and read.
   
  Outside: I've got a ball of twine, I'll pile up some sticks and leave it with the twine...see what these boys and their imaginations come up with.


This Weeks' Play: Using posterboard or a canvas, we'll use masking tape to spell out our names on the canvas.  Then we'll paint over the canvas and tape.  Peel off the masking tape for a fun reverse stencil.  Wall art for each bedroom!

This Weeks' Pursuit: At bedtime (one on one stories are the best in our house) I'll tell the boys stories:  stories of when I was their age, of how my parents met and married, of what naughty thing I did when I was little and the consequences...

*My boys are 6, 8 & 10.  If these activities are too advanced, switch them up so they work safely and sanely for your kiddos.

Favorite Matching Spaces

If I look tired in this picture it's because I am. We had treasure & tragedy last week, I'm still catching up on rest. Today I'm taking care of some lab work that requires sharing lots of my blood, & drinking no caffeine all day. I have taken 4 naps today and am STILL tired. (I'm NOT sick, just routine stuff)

I know, I know, I'll quit whining. At least I got to take 4 naps...

But I had to share this picture, as I was sitting at the library I saw that the pattern on the chairs matches that of the background on my blog. Ha!

One of these days I will tell you the story of our last week, but not tonight. Tonight I will be satisfied with good places to be and matching patterns.

Platforms, Play & Pursuit: Week 2

I'd love for you to come with me on a path of being intentional.  Intentional in helping my boys fill their empty summer hours, living out the dream of actually doing some of those fun ideas I've pinned on Pinterest, and pursuing and nurturing their little hearts.  Read more about it here.  

This weeks' Platform(giving the kids a place to start independent play):
 
 Inside:  *Fresh Playdoh!  We don't play with playdoh often anymore, so some **boughten Playdoh ought to be a lasting treat.  My wise sister has decided getting it at the store is well worth the investment.  I'll change/add toys and props throughout the week.  I DON'T CARE IF COLORS GET MIXED! If mixing colors makes you crazy maybe you should look away...this is half of the fun of playdoh!
    
 Outside:  Going to plant some dollar store squirt water bottles in the yard for kiddos to play with.  This is also a good time to order Mr. Yuk stickers and teach kiddos about what bottles NOT to play with.


This Weeks' Play: Heading outside to create some artistic nature to share

This Weeks' Pursuit (in search of my childs' heart):  Setting a schedule this week to be sure we get Bible reading and Scripture Memorization in.  I really struggle to get this done each day, but it's what I want to be consistant with more than anything.  I'll follow up with a plan!

 *My boys are 6, 8 & 10.  If these activities are too advanced, switch them up so they work safely and sanely for your kiddos.

** boughten refers to anything that wasn't home made in the Little House book series.