A Pizza Party...Pirate Style

    Thus far, our blog posts seem to range from educational topics to family fun  as we find our way in the wonderful world of blogging.  This post is about throwing together a few ideas to create a memorable children's party.  I wasn't planning on blogging about it, but I thought it might serve as a bit of inspiration for busy parents.
    My son, Preston's third birthday was nearly two weeks away.  I hadn't planned a thing!  Was it too late?  During a quick shopping trip to Target, an adorable birthday party invitation caught my eye.  The cover showed an image of a pirate boy.  Hmm... I thought for a moment, and plopped a few packs into my cart.  Preston likes pirates.  Can I turn "PIRATES" into his theme?  What will we eat?  Where will it be?  All sorts of questions went through my mind, and then, the answers all came together to form a plan.

    I was able to rent a room at a local pizza shop.  They would provide the pizza.  All I needed were some decorations, drinks, cake and ice-cream.  I was almost there!  I began to think like a pirate--a "pizza-eating" pirate!
    First, the cake:  I took the invitation to a local bakery for inspiration and this is what they came up with:     

     

I thought it was cute...especially for being so last minute.  The drinks were easy: some bottled water and soda placed in an icy treasure chest for easy access.  The decorations...coins, beads (the loot and treasure), lots and lots of red and blue balloons, and some red, blue, and map covered table cloths.

    Then, the goody bags:  I wanted to use them as sort of a decoration, so I made the pirate boy from the invitation and stapled a friendly little face to each of the bags.  I also tied a balloon to each of the bags.  They turned out pretty cute!  You can see them in the background of the photo above.  Next, I had to come up with a hands-on activity for the kids and some giveaways (of course).  I decided to turn the kids into little pirates by giving them an eye patch and a bandana.  I also armed them with swords.  For the activity, I had the kids create their own thumbprint ocean designs.  All we needed was ink-pads, some markers and some tiny fingers.  Thumbprint octopuses....little orange fish...it's amazing what a kid will come up with!  They loved the activity, and it was a nice keepsake for the moms and dads.

That's Preston the Pizza Eating Pirate on the right!

 















    Since I sent out the invitations last minute, they served more as a reminder.  I made phone calls and used FaceBook to get the word out!  Everything turned out great...except, we were so busy visiting and making fingerprint pictures that we didn't have time to get any super good photos.
    The kids are still talking about the party and from what I hear, they're looking forward to the next one.  I better get planning!!  In the mean time, my little pirate is causing me to "Shiver Me Timbers" as I try to type this post.  I'm about to make him "Walk the Plank!"

Painting on Rocks…It’s not Just for Kids

Posted by: Lori Laniewski

      They come in all different shapes and sizes.  They’re free, and fun to find, skip, and collect.  They’re also perfect for painting on! 

      Who would have thought that rocks would make such an excellent canvas for the imagination?  Klutz, that’s who (okay and maybe grandma, too)!  

      Made up of crystals and minerals, each backyard treasure, with its own unique shape and size (and a little imagination) has the potential to become a painted masterpiece.  In their book, Painted Rocks, Klutz provides “tips, techniques, and inspiration” for painting on one of nature’s most abundant resources.  The book comes with paints, a brush, and even a rock as well as a few googlie eye accessories…The rest is up to you!

      I purchased my copy of the Klutz book a few years ago, and found myself completely inspired by all the colorful examples of rock art!  Since then, it has become a family-fun favorite activity.  Over the years, we’ve used this craft as an inexpensive addition to birthday parties and backyard picnics.  Our rock painting booth was an especially popular addition to the Country Fair themed birthday party we threw one year.

Nice Clean Rock: Before

From dinosaurs and monsters to pirates and frogs…the rock painting possibilities are endless.  So gather up the kids, your paints, brushes, some water and rocks (of course), then get out your creativity and begin!  Before you know it, you will have a beautiful collection of painted rocks to share or keep.   

For us, searching for the perfect rocks to paint was as much fun as painting them.  I hope you enjoy it, too!  

Check out these sites to learn about rocks:

Geology for Kids 

Mineralogy for Kids

Check out these rock themed books:

 Do you know of a good book or website about rocks or rock painting?  Please share it with us!

Imagination in Education

 “I am an astronaut!” seven year old Neil beamed as he pulled a paper-made helmet over his head.  “I am a scientist!” exclaimed young Albert as a purple liquid oozed over the sides of his tube.  Is it a coincidence that these students share their names with two of the most famous men in history, or did these events really take place while Neil Armstrong and Albert Einstein were young boys?  Whether preparing to walk on the moon, developing the Theory of Relativity, or simply participating in pretend play, imagination is central to the creation of new ideas. 

“All human beings, even small children, are creative and that creativity is the foundation for art as well as for science and technology.  This creative ability Vygotsky (1995) called imagination” (Lindqvist, 2003, p. 249).  “Imagination is a form of knowing that children, by the indigenous nature of their childhood, use as an active way of understanding—of being at the very heart of theirs’ and others’ aliveness” (Lewis, 2007, p.23).  However, in the educational world of standardized curriculum and tests, imagination in the classroom often seems left out.

    A young boy once became fascinated with the old saying, “No two snowflakes are alike.”  During each snowfall, he wondered what the tiny white flakes really looked like.  He went on to capture the first photograph of a single snow crystal.  In his lifetime, he photographed more than 500 snowflakes and found that the saying he heard as a child was true.  Just like the children in a classroom, no two are alike.  The boy became known as Snowflake Bentley (Briggs-Martin, 1998). 

            “I have a dream,” Martin Luther King said.  As it turns out, he is not the only one.  In classrooms where teachers value imagination, are students more likely to realize their dreams? In the past, imagination and creativity in education were often associated with the arts (Claxton, 2006).  But, how is imagination in education perceived in these modern days of the 21^st century?   As rapidly changing technology and innovation become society’s focal point, one has to wonder, how would a young Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, Wilson Bentley, or Martin Luther be viewed today? 

If children are to have the maximum opportunity to learn, strategies and techniques must be partnered with approaches that best do so.  Could gaining a clearer sense of imagination and bringing imagination to the forefront of education lead to better classroom instruction and deeper learning for all? 

                             

         © 2011· Lori Laniewski * All Rights Reserved 

Illustration by: Cartoonaday.com