A little bit of talking... a whole lot of loving learning!

This week is one of those busy ones. We're getting ready for colder weather (details coming soon) and I am looking forward to this fun, informative, and thought-provoking speaking engagement and workshop I will be leading in Portland, Oregon this weekend at The Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL), and The Washington Library Media Association (WLMA) Joint Conference 2008.

If you're a librarian in Oregon or Washington, I hope to get the chance to meet you! I'll also be signing books Saturday morning (which I believe is open to all - not just workshop participants) Come on out, and let's talk a whole lot of wonder!

Super Sand Clay!

For a boy who has had a history of getting engrossed in sand play, has been forever fascinated by anyone who works with cement, sand or gravel, and has a most recent fascination with the art, science, and play of Ancient Egypt, working out a recipe that we could simulate stone blocks with has been a major coup!

Above is the recent game Zeal made with this sand clay, a coiled up snake waiting to be painted and played. (Rules yet to be determined)

Here's the recipe:

Super Sand Clay
3 cups sand
1 1/2 cups cornstarch
3 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 1/2 cups of hot water

Combine all ingredients in a wok or large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes thick and heavy (several minutes). remove from heat and turn onto cookie sheet. Once mixture is cool, it will be able to be modeled. (Don't try to use it before it is cooled or you'll just get a sticky mess on the hands - spoken from experience)

I so wish I had a picture of him making this dough and the mess that ensued when he decided he needed to sift the sand with our various-sized strainers and funnels in stock in our kitchen. Oh well -- I have the experience!

And here's the new favorite book with one of the Pyramids of Giza, which has a remarkable resemblance to the texture of real stone blocks!

















He's so proud of this feat of ancient architecture!

October Issue of Wonderwise

Here is the introduction of this month's issue of Wonderwise. If you are interested in signing up, please do so at the right of this page.

Dear Friends in Discovery!

Welcome to fall and the October edition of Wonderwise!

I can't believe fall and October are already here. My mom always told me every year how the years seemed to be going by faster and faster as each one passed. I never believed her, until now. I hope that doesn't mean that I am growing up. :)

As much as I love the summer, I find that something in me is creatively heightened and turned on just as the leaves themselves are turning. The weather turns a bit cooler (but it's still lovely to be outside) and the days are a bit shorter (but not too short for a decent amount of fun). There's still enough time to think and wonder before the crush and craziness of the October through January holidays seem like they are ruling everyone's lives and thoughts. For us, we find ourselves turning toward each other, working on projects (sewing, house, writing, building, cooking and the list goes on) and it is a wonderful time to fall into our creativity and just let it take over for a bit. I hope this finds you too, falling on in, and letting your creativity consume you in every way possible.

In this issue of Wonderwise, you will find:
-Autumnal Reads and Recommendations
-Consuming Kids coming soon to a theatre near you!
-Concocting Creative Minds on Vegfamily

Enjoy, and Happy Wondering!

Daydreaming is important work!

"Although there are many anecdotal stories of breakthroughs resulting from daydreams - Einstein, for instance, was notorious for his wandering mind - daydreaming itself is usually cast in a negative light. Children in school are encouraged to stop daydreaming and "focus," and wandering minds are often cited as a leading cause of traffic accidents. In a culture obsessed with efficiency, daydreaming is derided as a lazy habit or a lack of discipline, the kind of thinking we rely on when we don't really want to think. It's a sign of procrastination, not productivity, something to be put away with your flip-flops and hammock as summer draws to a close.

In recent years, however, scientists have begun to see the act of daydreaming very differently. They've demonstrated that daydreaming is a fundamental feature of the human mind - so fundamental, in fact, that it's often referred to as our "default" mode of thought. Many scientists argue that daydreaming is a crucial tool for creativity, a thought process that allows the brain to make new associations and connections."

Read the whole article in the Boston Globe here.

Book Recommendation: Wild Child

Wild Child by Lynne Plourde and Illustrated by Greg Couch

This amazing poem of Mother Earth putting her child (Autumn) to bed is a continued favorite around here! In years past, I have pulled this book out near the end of fall to welcome Winter (the child who awakens just as Autumn finally dozes off to sleep), but since this story is so much a part of the fabric of our lives, it has made its appearance at the start of the season this time around. I highly recommend it, not just for the sweet tale, but also for its rich imagery both in words and actual illustrations!

"Consuming Kids" coming soon...

I'm so very excited about the upcoming release of the documentary "Consuming Kids", put out by the Media Education Foundation.

Here's the trailer (caution: some of the images are disturbing):


I've been lucky enough to have met and talked and listened and learned with/to/from many of the people featured in the film and am so glad to see the film finally making its way to the public. And if you are in Oregon, or within driving distance, you will get your chance to see the film on November 13th (yes, it's a bit of a ways out, but this time of year people seem to need extra notice) as part of the Salem Progressive Film Series. I'll be the guest speaker that night and would love to see you there!

Creative Fun and Discovery with Paper

Paper Explorations

It’s that time of year again; we turn a little more inward and move our activities a bit more indoors. For many kids, school is back in session and often our learning tools look more like paper and pencils than the previous month’s water and lemonade stands. And with that, our opportunities for exploring and encouraging creativity still abound.

Paper is an everyday part of our world. It is a perfectly simple tool to explore with and learn from. It is such an everyday common item that children are not mystified by its presence, so they can really go further with their thinking and problem solving through their play with it. They can observe it, understand its special properties, experiment with it, and play with it. Whether you just put the materials out (sometimes with a how-to book appropriately placed near to it, sometimes not) or are leading a more organized group lesson, there are many opportunities to explore with paper and make discoveries.

Folding Paper
Origami is the art of folding paper (ori is to fold; gami is paper). The goal of this art is to create a given result using geometric folds and crease patterns. Folding paper, the possibilities are endless. Make a paper cup and see if it will hold a liquid. Next time you have a present to wrap, try folding a box. Play with how you can make a hat for your dress up corner. And don’t forget the all important and wonderfully fun paper airplane.

For simple folding that is still truly mesmerizing and even meditative, show your children the simple technique of folding back and forth to make a fan. It can double as a curtain for a favorite stuffed animal that likes to perform plays for you.
For some folding with a purpose, go here to learn about folding peace cranes (in honor of Sadako Sasaki who was two years old at the time of the bombing of Hiroshima and died tens years later of leukemia.)

The Science and Math of Paper Folding
How many times can you fold a single piece of paper? Go ahead and try it. Take a piece of paper, any size or shape, and begin folding it in half. Then, folding the same direction, in half again, and so on until you just can’t fold any longer. Count how many times you fold it. What did you get? Four times? Five times? Six? Did you possible even get to eight? Try it with even a larger piece of paper. What are you results? Well, the science and math of progression tells us it is impossible to fold a piece of paper more than eight times. Go here to see the story of how one high school student solved this problem and see the picture of her 11th fold! Now that’s creativity at its best.

Cutting Paper
Cutting paper (whether in the shape of jack o’ lanterns, snowflakes or otherwise) is a powerful learning experience and avenue for creativity to emerge. The use of scissors offers its own wonderful way for children to develop fine motor skills: cutting on lines that are straight, squiggly, or cutting out shapes are great! Even just cutting a piece of paper up into tiny little bits can be a wonderfully empowering little meditation for kids. Then add a fold to that cutting and see what happens. A fun way to add extra dimension to an abstract piece of art might be to cut silhouettes out of dark paper. Check out the book Easy-to-Cut Silhouette Designs by Betty Christy for some great silhouette projects. And for the more intricately minded/handed, introduce the creation of your own paper dolls. How can you make a series of dolls to hold hands?

Tearing Paper
And finally, a very wonderful tactile and fine motor developing experience with paper is to tear it. Tear it into big pieces, small pieces, even smaller pieces, or try tearing shapes or letters. Then try gluing the pieces back together. Explore the art of découpage with gluing those pieces onto a recycled bottle or some other item your child would like to breathe new life into.


Through observation, exploration, folding, cutting, tearing, and most of all, playing, the opportunity to develop and express creativity through paper! Dare I even say it happens ten fold with paper? No, maybe that’s 12-fold!