Blog

  • Back to School In The Year of COVID-19

    The traditional Back to School season is a big time for most kids. Like the calendar New Year, it’s a time for a new beginning, a time of adventure and looking forward with excitement about what may lie ahead. Even if they’re going back to a physical school, this year’s Back to School is like

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  • Summer Camp 2020: The Home Game

    There’s an annual ritual for many kids across the country at the end of June—summer camp. There are day camps and sleepaway camps, and while many around the country are trying to operate this year, many are not.  The ongoing impact of COVID-19, has upset plans and challenged families to create activities for the long

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  • That 70s Summer

    In the past week, at the beginning of June in the Summer of COVID-19, my email has been filling up with people wondering what to do with their kids this summer. Having struggled through the spring with distance learning and the upheaval to regular routines and plans, the anxiety about the summer is at a

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  • Summer Reading: The Joys and Values During Coronavirus

    As summer 2020 approaches, I’m talking to parents who are (metaphorically) tearing their ever-longer locks out as they try to balance parenting, at-home kids, supervising schoolwork, cancelled activities, and whatever passes for their work these days. It’s a lot to deal with, no question. Let me offer a solution: reading. For many of us, and

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  • Summer Play…At Home

    School’s out early. Weather’s getting warmer. Most traditional vacation activities for kids are cancelled. Welcome to the summer of Coronavirus. It may stress out some parents and caregivers, but let’s look at the bright side, shall we? Our prediction is that, with certain obvious restrictions to keep kids healthy, this may end up being an

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  • You’ve Got Game! Great Ideas For Players of All Ages

    UPDATED: August 11, 2020 Here we are nearing the end of the summer, and there’s a lot of question about whether schools will open, how families will get through the next few weeks, or months, or, really, however long it takes. Not surprisingly, board game sales (and puzzle sales) are up significantly this year as

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  • We Are All Children Now

    Most of us can remember many things from our childhoods. We can recall happy times, sad times, best friends, vacations, games, school, and myriad events that filled our days and helped us become who we are today. Though we can remember, we cannot re-experience. Our cognitive and neurological development make it physically impossible to return

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  • Stay at Home. Play at Home

    As we shelter at home during the Coronavirus pandemic, play becomes more and more important to relieve stress, pass time, forge connections and keep the mind engaged. In a previous post, we have discussed the ways in which play is essential for development, managing emotions and stress, and for entertainment and self expression. It’s impressive

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  • Productive Play for Uncertain Times

    If you read my previous post, you know how valuable play is for kids right now. Here’s a link, in case you didn’t. Chances are you’ve got tons of toys around your house, and many will work to provide this kind of variety. And they’re all types of play that kids already love. Often, when

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  • Play Will Save Us…Or At Least Help Us Through…

    Yes, I know that’s a clickbait headline, but while it’s a bit dramatic, it’s actually correct. These are challenging times, unlike anything most people alive today have ever encountered. So, before we get into any kind of discussion, it’s imperative to reinforce that personal safety, social distancing and staying safe and healthy are our primary

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