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Creative Parents, Creative Kids

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Nurture your own creativity while you're busy raising a family

Being creative is good for the soul at any age, and it's a great stress-reliever when you're raising kids. So if you're having one of those extra-challenging days with your toddler or preschooler, why not pull out the art supplies and watch the mood go from terrible to, well, a little less terrible. (We're talking glue-sticks, people, not magic wands.)

Then, when you get some time to yourself at some point in your day, journal, blog, paint, or otherwise nurture your own creativity. It's a great way to ease the stress that goes along with being a parent and to do something nice for yourself at the same time.

Creative Thinking

Selected Posts from my Yahoo! Parenting Blog

NEW ! What follows are a roundup of posts related to creativity and creative parenting from my Yahoo! Parenting blog @ Yahoo! Canada. Enjoy!
A Thriftin' We Will Go
My ten-year-old son and I share a passion for anything vintage or retro, which means that we can often be found making the rounds of thrift or second-hand stores to see what treasures we can unearth.
Your Family Can Change the World
One of the things I love most about the Internet is the speed and ease with which it connects large numbers of people with potentially world-changing ideas. Someone comes up with a great idea for making change and that idea goes viral. Within a matter of minutes everyone is talking about and coming up with fabulous variations on that initial theme. That's what the Internet does best.
Real Life 101
What skills do kids need to thrive in the real world?

PBS on the value of creative play

How and why to promote creative play

"Play should be the result of the children's ideas and not directed by the adult. Try to foster your children's abilities to express themselves through play. Try to help your children base play on their own inspirations, not yours. Your goal is to stimulate play and encourage children's satisfaction in playing with each other or by themselves."
more

Instant art supplies

Tune into the cool retro design possibilities of these vintage wallpapers

Bookmark these vintage wallpapers for a day when you're looking for art inspiration for yourself or your kids. Print out some swatches on your colour printer and you've got the modern-day equivalent of those wallpaper sample books we used to cut up when we were kids.

Kidspiration

Crafts and games - created by Ann Douglas, author, The Mother of All Parenting Books

Sidewalk Bingo | Cookie Kit | Be a Family Tree Detective! | Backseat Survival Guide | Decorating Clay Flower Pots | Turntable Magic | Friendship Chain | The Joy of Sand | Beat the Heat | Campfire Fun | Going Buggy | Life's a Beach | Back to School Blastoff

Creative Inspiration for Parents and Kids

Instructables.com is a website "where passionate people share what they do and how they it, and learn from and collaborate with others. The website is totally addictive."
Don't say you weren't warned.

“Upcycle obsolete or found objects into something unexpected and fabulous. Go wild!”

Kid Art @ Flickr

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Fun Finds @ Etsy

Vintage Watch Repair Tags
A fun addition to a scrapbooking project, and yet inexpensive enough to use for everyday art.
100 Vintage Buttons
Because they don't make them like this anymore.
Small Mixed Pack of Mostly Old Paper
This will inspire you to start creating your own creative fun packs with materials that might otherwise have been tossed in the trash.
Destash Beads
Here's the secret to unlocking the hidden treasure at Etsy. Type in "destash" and you'll find motley assortments of supplies being sold off by Etsy designers and artisans.
Supplies - A Manual for Creative Flight by Julia Cameron -- Just $5
Etsy is also a terrific place to pick up craft books -- both vintage and new (at discount prices).
A smorgasbord of supplies
Supplies galore.
Important!

Remember that there's no expiry date on creativity

You're never to old to enjoy being creative. In fact, recent studies have shown that most of us feel a desire to become more creative at mid-life. (This is Mother Nature doing her part to encourage us to keep our brains active during the second half of life.)

So follow that impulse wherever the path of your purple crayon takes you.

Have fun!

- Ann Douglas

Free Paper Toy Downloads -- The Best Site Ever!

You can't beat this site for Free Paper Toy templates, ideas, and downloads. Projects for beginners and experts alike.

Inspiration Alley

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What are your inspirations?

What inspires you as a parent and as a person? How do you encourage your child to remain excited about learning (or do you have to encourage your child at all)?

  • lifeandchocolate Feb 8, 2012 @ 6:14 am | delete
    Really enjoyed reading this article. I also have creative kids and have written about raising a creative kid. Thanks!Parenting the Creative Kid http://kelleyward.hubpages.com/hub/Parenting-The-Creative-Child
  • AppalachianCountry Aug 21, 2009 @ 8:20 am | delete
    Wonderful lens. Thank-you for all the great ideas and tips. 5 stars*****
  • stickytabby Jul 25, 2008 @ 7:48 am | delete
    Hi..Great lens you have there!..Talking about babies and all that..Cant wait to have one! I have similar resources you might find interesting. I would appreciate it if you give these a visit - Baby Girls Names | Baby Resources | Baby Information
    Grumbles of a Pregnant Woman | Stages of Pregnancy
    Baby Development | Baby Names | Baby Resources | Baby Center
    Jessica Alba's Baby | Celebrity Baby Namesor you could paste these on your browser - http://www.aroundthewww.com/baby-resources/all-you-want-baby-names/
    http://www.aroundthewww.com/pregnancy-tips-advices/grumbles-of-a-pregnant-woman/
    http://www.aroundthewww.com/baby-resources/babies-babies-babies/
  • PirateMummy Feb 28, 2008 @ 5:36 am | delete
    Anndouglas, what a great lens! 5 stars from me. This is a great resource, you're bookmarked and i'll be back often!!! And i've lensrolled you to my classic wooden toys lens, if you don't mind. :)
    cheers, --jo
  • Evelyn_Saenz Feb 15, 2008 @ 7:12 pm | delete
    The Purple Gallinules just flew over to check out your lens. We love to teach how to read color words while learning science.
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Craft Supplies You Can't Find Anywhere Else

Etsy (which has to mean "addictive place to shop" in some language) is an amazing place to scout out one-of-a-kind supplies for arts and craft projects.

PS -- Feel free to visit my corner of Etsy while you're in the neighborhood. I specialize in vintage books and ephemera, discount books about creativity, and unique and inspiring craft supplies.

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anndouglas

I am the author of numerous books about pregnancy and parenting, including The Mother of All Pregnancy Books, The Mother of All Baby Books, The Mother... more »

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