Letting go
I’m a control freak. If you’ve met me, there’s no point in my denying it. So for me, setting my children loose at Little Sprouts and especially Seedlings is as much a lesson for me as it is for them. In those programs, as in ... read more
I call it tiny. My kids call it nature. | KaBOOM!
Congratulations to Sunflower blogger Victoria Green, 4th place winner in KaBOOM!‘s national guest blogging contest. Go Victoria! Check out her (awesome if we do say so ourselves!) winning entry on KaBOOM!’s Play Today blog here: I ... read more
No place we’d rather be
by Jennifer Sneeden It begins in the cozy corner. Twenty-five little bodies, squeezing into the small space that has served so many purposes over the past year. These children relish the physical closeness, the proximity to one another. They all read more
Bring that beat back to me again…
I recently got back from an amazing vacation, visiting a wonderful, playful, up-for-anything friend and seeing my most favorite band in the world (Dave Matthews Band ♥love them!♥). I went completely on my own–no kids, no husband–and ... read more
Taking Action for Play: 2013 US Play Coalition Conference
Last year Jaime and I attended the US Play Coalition Conference on the Value of Play at Clemson University, where we marveled at the world of play advocates surrounding us – the academics, the preschool and K-12 teachers, the doctors, the ... read more
Crossing the Bridge
This morning my six-year-old son, Dylan, will cross over the Seedlings bridge for the final time (that’s Seedling talk for Graduation). To the outside world it might seem like an ordinary event, but for us–the Glas family– it’s the ... read more
How to make an invention
by Jennifer Sneeden Making an invention is very difficult… The first problem is that you might not know right away what you’re trying to invent. That means you’ll need to have lots of materials to choose from. And all those materials may feel a ... read more
Helper day
Sometimes, when I’m a helper at Seedlings, I’ll see a stream of older folks walking by the playground. Our program shares space with a Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which hosts classes for seniors at the same time we’re ... read more
Play helps a neighborhood find a sense of community
Six months ago, we moved to a new neighborhood. We were moving from a townhouse with almost no yard, and while my boys seemed to be fine playing in a tiny patch of nature, I was hoping for something larger. Our new house has a fenced back yard ... read more
Experiencing Risk
To seven-year-old Jonathan it was the edge of the world. To everyone else at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex it was just the tall diving platform. After climbing the stairs I inched my way to the edge of the 33 foot tall precipice and looked ... read more
Games to get kids talking
My college roommate Hannah is a marvel. She looks for the fun in parenting, and she finds it. In the process, kids of all ages open up to her. I’ve never met anyone who could get kids talking the way that she can (okay, that’s not quite true; ... read more
Remember play?
Whenever I ask a group of adults to share a favorite play experience from their childhood there is a visible shift in their bodies. They become energized and I swear I see each of them as their little kid selves. Sharing treasured memories, we ... read more
Just Add Water!
Just Add Water isn’t just an improv comedy troupe at Yale. It’s a creed. If I were asked for the number one thing to do with children that is fun and has the broadest range of use, I would say to take whatever it is the child is ... read more
Where are all the kids?
Sunflower blogger Jaime won 1st place in KaBOOM!’s recent guest blogging contest. Check it out below and on KaBOOM!’s Play Today blog. Then read more great Sunflower posts by Jaime here. Victoria won 4th place in the same contest! Check out her ... read more
Not Just for Kids
I spent my first week in Växjö, Sweden, pedaling the hundreds of bike paths strewn across the county. One especially sunny weekday afternoon I was speeding around the lake enjoying the feeling of being thousands of miles from home. As I rounded ... read more
Playful morning
It’s Friday 5:30 AM, on my way to 6 AM yoga. This morning I am met with a damp chill and sweet smelling air filled with birdsong. Over my shoulder I nod a good morning to the lake, still and barely awake. A white feather floats down before me as read more
Steady Yourself
A little boy glanced at me from across the playground. Both his hands were on a big green post. He took his first steps to climb down off of a small tower as our eyes met. I saw one hand flutter, a tiny wiggle in his body, some small ... read more
Sledding, South Florida Style
Kids have been playing with cardboard boxes since the beginning of disposable packaging– and rolling down hills since the invention of gravity. But, in today's world, having the chance to do just that is a big deal. read more