Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | Paid | My Orble | Login

Encourage Creativity

November 3rd 2011 00:55
9 Ways to Encourage Creativity


Creativity is not a frivolous trait. Children raised to be creative thinkers are also often excellent problem solvers and have an innate trust in their abilities. Your child may not write a Pulitzer Prize winning novel or star on Broadway, but then again, you very well may have a budding creative genius underfoot. Regardless, the benefits of creativity are wide-spread. Here are 9 ways to encourage creativity.

1. Ask lots of questions. Let your child ask questions. Indulge your child's curiosity by letting them pursue tangents and explore new subjects.


2. Tell stories. Encourage your child to come up with alternate endings to favorite stories or movies. Before finishing a storybook, see if your child wants to guess the ending. Imagine new characters or put the same characters in a different setting. Retell these stories at bedtime, while cooking dinner or driving.

3. Allow time and space to create. Exploring takes time. Resist the urge to give short cuts, or exclaim that an idea won't work, let your child try. Unless of course their idea is dangerous to herself or others. If you can designate a corner for art work that can be left out, great.

4. Be silly. Singing and dancing along to the radio or making up your own silly tune is the best way to encourage the same freedom for your child. Even if you are not a natural extrovert, you can let your silly side show every so often.




Read more here - 9 Ways to Encourage Creativity
28
Vote
   


Kids Art Show

August 2nd 2011 13:28
Better than a lemonade stand, a kids art show can be a fun way to promote creativity, earn money and build a sense of community.

Host your own with the following tips for a One Dolla Holla, Fifty Cent Center or Quarter Show Tips

Invite participates. You probably have a basic group in mind. It could be simply your own children or expand it to their close friends, a street in your neighborhood or make it a club event. Scouts or sports teams can pull off an effective quarter show.

Suggest sale items. Compile a list of items that are acceptable for the show. This can be decided upon as a group, or set in place ahead of time. Baked goods such as cookies should be wrapped ahead of time and ready to go. Handfuls of trail mix in baggies were just as popular as brownies at our show. Sun catchers, dream catchers, home made note cards and bookmarks were some of the offerings. Simple crafts, home made jewelry and little bouquets of flowers kept the show pretty, while they were there. We had a table for gently used toys and a place to buy hot dogs, lemonade and chips, for a quarter of course.

Read on for more information...and why a single set price is best.

19
Vote
   


A is for Always

April 2nd 2011 12:52
For 26 days in April (minus Sundays) I will be posting a blog for each letter of the alphabet.
"Sylvie's word of the day"
I am all for challenges, so when this was dangled in front of me in my writers group, I grabbed it.

Hundreds of people signed up, literally 1037 people. Go ahead, Sign up here, if you dare.

This mini adventure is fairly mundane, but with 1000 bloggers jumping in, stalking each other, chatting away everyday, something good is bound to happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Always is my word of the day, in honor of ALWAYS learning. Life is too ....oh wait, I'll just quote Henry Miller, he said it best.....


"develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music, the world is simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." ~Henry Miller

28
Vote
   


Learn About the Human Body

August 2nd 2010 11:27
Learning about the human body involves knowledge that children can use for the rest of their life. Help them become literate regarding the systems of the body through playing games. There is a lot of information to absorb; facts about the circulatory system, endocrine system, digestive system, bones and organs offer lots of game playing possibilities.

Use riddles to teach the children facts about the human body. Choose an organ and list the different attributes. Use these to form riddles about body parts. For example, ask the class, " I transport nutrients throughout the body. I am located in the middle of your body to the left. I am about the size of your fist. Who am I?" The answer is the heart. Ask just one fact at a time to see how quickly they can catch on. Include realistic images of the body parts. Cover the majority of the image with a sheet of paper. Slowly slide the paper down as you ask the questions.

Consider letting children create their own riddles and quiz each other. Be sure to check their facts ahead of time to be sure they are accurate.

Magnetic Flow Chart and Online Human Body Games can be found here...
human body, classroom learning games, human body online games
A Human Body...(in her brothers football gear...)


Read More
157
Vote
   


Fun Basketball Games

July 21st 2010 01:20
This weekend was my son's graduation party. We had approximately 200 people, give or take a neighbor. I had no idea my little ranch home could handle that volume...thankfully the weather was gorgeous and we had enough forethought to set up a volleyball net, corn hole and a couple of long tables to add to our outdoor seating.
The basketball hoop in the front driveway was a huge focus of attention for the boys. There were constant games, competitions and general silliness all night....well, until my son ended his own grad party by winding up in the ER. 18 stitches later, he is fine. Just a dunk shot gone wrong.

If we would have stuck to these classic games ( or even the online versions) we could have avoided yet another doctor bill....but, ah, the memories.
The party sort of followed us to the hospital...his closest friends and the majority of the soccer team waited on the lawn eating Taco Bell until he was all stitched up. Good friends are hard to find.

Read more...

basketball, fun basketball games
what should have happened...
187
Vote
   


Cranberry Thanksgiving

October 2nd 2009 18:39
Cranberry Thanksgiving written by Wende and Harry Devlin in 1971 is one of those time honoured books that lends itself to family traditions - in the case of Cranberry Thanksgiving it is Cranberry Bread.

Cranberry Thanksgiving is the story of a young girl named Maggie who lives with her Grandmother near a cranberry bog in New England. The book includes some interesting characters and colourful illustrations and the story takes some interesting twists and turns, demonstrating that looks can be deceiving. It even includes Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread recipe for you to bake at home


[ Click here to read more ]
32
Vote
   


Don't Discount Second Hand Stores

September 18th 2009 17:35
Investigating a new area to live, I started checking out all the stores - second hand stores included and noticed what bargains they had to offer particularly in the way of kids educational computer games and books. We managed to make some great savings and many of the books and cds were priced at $2 or less!

The Little Bear Preschool Thinking Adventure normally sells for between $10 and $15 and we picked it up for $1. A definite bargain


[ Click here to read more ]
43
Vote
   


Speakaboos

June 2nd 2009 02:38
The Speakaboo website served a great purpose this week as it gave us an online version of The Ugly Duckling to read and view as well as a follow on activity, but the site itself holds an interesting premise.

Coming soon, as the site announces, is a record your own story section which will allow kids and parents to record their own voices reading (or singing!) their favorite story, song, or nursery rhyme. Anything that aids in the improvement and creation of kids wanting to read or listen to stories is a great idea.
54
Vote
   


Free Online Children's Books

April 13th 2009 02:26
As an expat abroad, I am always searching for new stories to share with my daughter.

The Children's Library is a non-profit organisation offering a wide variety of free paper books to be read online including stories such as Axle The Freeway Cat, Blinky Bill, Cinderella and Mother Goose


[ Click here to read more ]
64
Vote
   


Sylvie Branch's Blogs

8130 Vote(s)
31 Comment(s)
102 Post(s)
4262 Vote(s)
8 Comment(s)
60 Post(s)
Moderated by Sylvie Branch
Copyright © 2012 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]