Great Ideas for Play

Arts and crafts sometimes get a bad rap for being messy, or requiring a lot of tools or supplies to complete a project. Lanyards – a great craft for girls and boys – is generally fuss-free!

I recognize the craft as “lanyards,” but there are many more names. Its primary moniker is “Scoubidou,” a popular French song; as the craft became a fad in the late 1950’s in France. The strands area also called craftlace, boondoggle or gimp. (See more information and history at Wikipedia!

To help you and your kids get started, we have a helpful book by Klutz, Scoubidou Lanyard & Lacing Book. (I previously highlighted Klutz for its Cat’s Cradle book.) I don’t think I would be the craft-lover I am today without the Klutz books of instructions and supplies I enjoyed as a child!

Now, the most standard of lanyards starts with two laces and the square knot (or box knot). It’s better if these are contrasting, or at least different colors; along with making it more fun to look at, it makes it easier to “tie” each of the knots. You can make a lanyard with solid sides, add a “twist” with spiral knots, or even try a zig-zag pattern. And this is just with two strands!

One strand on one side and three on the other make a neat, say ruler sized lanyard. You can also make it 2×2 or even 3×3 lanyard that is quite, for lack of a better word, “meaty.”

I’ve included here some various lanyards in my collection from the past several years. Though it’s relatively simple, one of my favorites is the long purple twisted one with the white and pink on the inside. (It is one purple strand by two white and one pink on the other side, resulting in the neat pink middle.) You can also see some pretty crazy experiments with several more strands!

For all lanyards, you do have to do a little bit of planning ahead. A whole lot of lace is going to be “tied” up (literally!) in the design, especially when you get into the larger varieties. When you start a new lanyard, it may help to bundle up the loose strands with a small rubberband or zip tie to keep it all from getting tangled. Another note, pull each knot tight before you go to the next one for a nice and even design.

The most practical applications for lanyards include keychains and of course, “lanyards” to keep a nametag or other item around your neck. Many years ago a friend and I made lanyards for all the YMCA lifeguards, and each had a little fish on it.

For some more examples, very helpful videos, and some really crazy designs, visit Laneyards.

Our very broad Arts & Crafts section is fun to browse for new crafty ideas! Also be sure to keep visiting our blog for more crafty fun posts.

(Awesome elephant photo above is from Mum’s Friends.)

Archery is fun sport that supports hand-eye coordination, concentration and teamwork. In an article from Minnesota Bowhunter’s, Inc. they make an excellent point: “As a person grows older and plays less football and other team sports requiring a lot of strength and physical activity (we do usually have to work the next day), archery may come back as a more popular activity.” But between indoor opportunities, and of course, the great outdoors, archery is definitely something worth exploring!

Field archery is set in wooded areas; and is a type of archery where the outdoors is really on display. The three elements of field archery are field, hunter, and animal, with varying targets and distances, with closer target positions for children.

To help grow the interest in archery among the young, classes and clubs teach and train the ins and outs of the sport. Those near Atlanta, Georgia are lucky to have the resources from Learn Archery. A special “try-out” class lasts an hour and costs just $10, and this and most classes are available for kids ages 9 and up.

Earlier this year, in Hudson Falls, N.Y., people celebrated the Hudson Falls Fish and Game Club’s new facility with an archery demonstration. Forty kids ages 3 to 13 took part. This indoor facility has piqued interest in the sport, as now kids can practice year-round.

An appropriate spot to become familiar with archery terms and rules is the revamped Olympic.org site. You can also view a neat, interactive tutorial of archery techniques. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 14-year old Mariana Avitia of Mexico was the youngest Olympic competitor in archery.

Get started with the Faux Bow, a bow and arrow set that looks like a real crossbow, but is safe for indoors and out. It’s given away in the product title, but the Marshmallow Bow and Mallow has unique “ammo”: mini marshmallows! The Falcon Fire Compound Bow (pictured) hits targets 30 feet away.

You can also head to our website for other bow and arrow toys, as well as our entire selection of outdoor toys.

Children who regularly listen to bedtime stories can learn to be more attentive at school and use their imaginations to visualize language. When the brain is resting before sleep, positive messages have a better chance of sticking in kids’ minds to influence and comfort them throughout life.

Of all the ways and places that stories are told, bedtime stories are the most intimate. Books are great, but there is something special about parents telling stories directly from their heads. The story becomes a gift—a pearl of wisdom, tailored lovingly to fit the needs of the particular child. Parent and child share a bond through storytelling that won’t be forgotten.

Think you don’t know any bedtime stories? That is ridiculous. I bet you could tell five great stories right now. Simplify the plot of a book you loved as a kid. Even if you barely remember the story, you know how it made you feel. Drop yourself in as a character and start mixing it with real life experiences. (See, this is good for your brain too!)

But eventually you’ll want to have some stock stories. There are lots of ways to build your bedtime story repertoire. To get started, pull inspiration from folk and fairy tales. There are data bases, like the Joy of Story Listening, that will give you quick summaries. Think of these folktales as the skeletons of your bedtime stories. Add muscle and flesh with descriptions and asides that you know will get your child’s attention.

You can also make your own stories! Once you’ve learned and told a series of folktales, give it a try. Start with a character that has a problem. Throw in some friends and enemies for this character as they try to fix the problem. Try giving it a twist—maybe the character doesn’t get what he or she wants, but they gets what she needs. (Basing stories on Rolling Stones songs is obviously another great idea.)

Don’t forget that as kids get ready for bed, their brains are even more receptive than usual so save the scary stuff for some other time!

You can do it! You can’t go wrong. Telling a bedtime story to your kids is like performing for the most important (and forgiving!) audience in the world. Whether you turn out to be the next J.K. Rowling or just stumble through retellings of Aesop’s fables, your kids will love relaxing to your voice because you love them.

We hope you liked this Growing Tree Toys Let’s Play Post. For more on the Art of Storytelling, I highly recommend Effective Story Telling: A Manual for Beginners. While all of the images or posts may not be child-appropriate, there are a number of interesting pictures at the blog, A Journey Round My Skull that can serve as inspiration for great stories. “Bedtime Story” painting is by Mary G. Smith.