Inspire Imagination & Character with a Classy Collection of Dolls (Holiday Gift Guide Tip #1)

What wishes and dreams do we hold dear for our young girls as they grow up?  How are we speaking life and love into them.  What kind of story are we hoping they write for themselves, for others, and for the future? 

As mothers and teachers of young ladies we feel a tremendous burden to guide the next generation to seek love & mercy, to recognize inner beauty, to find joy, to develop their passions, to recognize their potential, to stand for what they believe, to inspire others and so much more!

One simple way  to inspire our little ladies to dream big is by helping them to develop their imagination. There are role play activities, art projects, and creative play centers we can set up in our homes and classrooms to encourage imagination.  Pretend play with dolls is one timeless activity to encourage exploration, friendship, kindness, communication, and imagination.  

Our girls have so much to offer their generation.

Confident. Stylish. Smart. Responsible.

Creative. Capable. Friendly. Talented.

Compassionate. Service Minded. Adventurous. Strong.

 Athletic.  Conscientious. Determined.

Our Generation is an exceptional avenue for introducing girls to the world of dolls. More than just lovely 18 inch dolls, Our Generation is committed to creating a community of girls growing up together to form an extraordinary, empowered force for good.  I especially love this {paraphrased}quote, from the OG dolls, found on their website,

"We're helping our families learn to recycle, supporting charities, raising money to build homes for Haitian orphans, helping our sisters learn to read, and making sure the new students at school does not feel left out.  All that are we find time to play hopscotch and hockey, catch frogs and climb trees...to be kids. Grabbing hold of the joy that is today!"

How can a toy company accomplish all these goals?  

by creating dolls that highlight admirable character traits

including stories that encourage conversations and give dimension to each unique character

with a website encouraging girls to follow their heart

from a company who sets the example of giving back.

My 6 year old daughter has Jenny (the Sweet Shoppe Mystery gal).   She is a beautiful, affordable doll who easily passes for a more expensive, unnamed brand of dolls my daughter's friends bring over when they come to play.  Jenny, and the rest of the OG dolls, come with appropriate accessories and outfits that are easy for little hands to change.  The product line includes fun add-ons for adventures, travel, pursuing hobbies, and changing clothes.  We have found our doll to be sturdy and easy to clean.  All of the dolls feature rooted hair that makes it possible to brush and change styles. 

If you are considering a doll for Christmas for a girl in your life I would recommend checking out Our Generation.  I noticed today several of the dolls are at clearance prices on Target(dot)com. I have also heard a tip that there will be significant savings on Our Generation dolls and accessories on Black Friday. Hopefully you will be able to get your shopping done early and under budget.  Leaving you with extra time to  explore, pretend, instruct, and dream with your daughters, and extra money to share with those in need! ;)

Disclosure: Battat toys sent Jenny and the Sweet Shoppe to our family to introduce us to the brand in hopes that I would share my experience with you here on ABC & 123.  All opinions are my own and I was not paid to promote specific text links.  

Tweet

Pin It Now!

A Little People Halloween Makeover

We have had a few very rainy days recently here in West Michigan.  Since our little boys couldn't be outside we were looking for a different distraction.  We came up with a simple, seasonally themed, activity to encourage hours of creativity and imaginative play. 

To begin we set up some of our favorite Little People pieces into a village.  Then we collected all the "spooooooky" things we could find around the house.  With toys and materials collected the transformation of the town was up to the boys.  They worked together to makeover the town of Little People into a fall festival.  Piles of toliet paper became "ninja mummies." My three year old did lots of cutting practice as he turned orange twine into spider webs.  We planted cookie cutter pumpkins in a special patch. Battery powered candles made fun additions when we turned the lights off on the town and played by candle light.  

When our older children came home from school they were excited to add their own touches to the set up with egg carton bats and plastic rats.  They all went to bed tonight dreaming of how they could add on to the scene tomorrow.  Finding a new way to play with the toys I feared the kids might be outgrowing was quite a treat!

Tweet

Pin It Now!

Imagine Childhood - Explore the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play with Sarah Olmsted

Growing up there was always a distinct moment when I knew autumn had arrived.  I'm not sure if it was the light, the temperature or the sight of that first golden tinged leaf on a tree, but as soon as I noticed it everything changed.  Summer always had a sort of length to it, not just in the hours of the day, but in the slower speed of the activities and in the way my mind would wander, moving at the pace of the shadows cast by the drifting sun.  But from the moment fall hit, the energy was instantaneously different.  The cooler air stirred faster movement from place to place and the hours spent indoors at school heightened the intensity of the time spent outside.  Suddenly each moment in the sun was a cherished one, as it stayed around just a bit less each day. Places I'd taken for granted during the preceding months were now special destinations.  The space in autumn is closer somehow than the other seasons, especially as the leaves begin to fall.   Walking in the park, I'd take unnecessary detours just so that I could wander through the patches of trees, so I could enter those golden caves.  I'd shuffle my feet along the ground to hear that familiar crunch and crackle and everything else in the world would disappear... like the only thing that existed in the entire universe was that small bubble of golden trees and their shooting stars shaped like leaves. Growing up, autumn transformed my everyday world into the space of dreams.  The season was magic.  

~ Excerpt from IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play.



If you couldn't already tell by the passage above, autumn is my favorite time of year.  From the colors, to the smells, to the feel of a crisp breeze on my face in the morning. . . I love it all.  But this year, for the first time in my life, I'm spending the season much farther south.  Where I am, the average temperature lately has been 85 not 55.  There is no drama or fanfare by way of changing trees, there's no smell of damp leaves.   And so, without the usual telltale signs, I find myself having to pay even closer attention to the subtle shifts and changes.  I find myself searching for fall like a detective following clues. 


Whether you live in a place with four distinct seasons, or in a location where things stay relatively the same from day to day, week to week, and month to month, there are always slight changes happening right in front of you. There is magic hiding both in the drama and subtlety of nature.  Take a moment and see what you can find today.

Suggestions for exploring fall:

• Build Leaf Boats
• Play with Shadows
• Go on a Micro Hike
• Play with Pumpkins
• Make Sweet Ginger Leaves

GIVEAWAY!:
If you'd like to explore the pages of IMAGINE CHILDHOOD further, today is your lucky day!  Roost is giving away THREE copies right here!




Thank you so much Katie for hosting me on your lovely blog!
~ Sarah Olmsted

It is our pleasure to have Sarah here on ABC & 123 today.  Her book IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play is a beautiful and inspiring piece for every classroom resource collection and parent's tool kit.  We are thankful for the generous offer of sharing 3 copies with our readers.  Please submit your entry for this giveaway x3 in the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tweet

Pin It Now!

Picnic Table Talk: Your Child's Imagination

Welcome! New to ABC and 123?
Please check out our FAQ in the left sidebar.

This week's Picnic Table Talk is Imagination!

Post suggestions:

~How does your child play pretend?

~What types of toys and activities do you have to promote imagination?

~Why is it important for our children to play pretend?

Tweet

Pin It Now!

Let's Pretend

Welcome! New to ABC and 123?
Please check out our FAQ in the left sidebar.

Pretending benefits your children in many ways. Through pretending kids: find motivation to learn, develop essential skills, test their own ides, and explore with imagination.

Read more about child's play and how to encourage imagination.

"Young children learn by imagining and doing!"
Read more about the Importance of Pretending in this valuable article by Ellen Booth Church.

Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog shared how her family plays Animal Hospital, what fun and maybe there's a future veterinarian in training!

Find out how Michelle at Her Cup Overfloweth sets up their restaurant. You can also see their Bumble Bee Beauty Salon.

Adventures of a Flake shared a post about imagining with dress up play.

Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog provides us with suggestions for pretend play sets.

Play Activities encourages imagination with Guess This Nursery Rhyme

Find information and answers to imagination question here in a post about being Stuck on Pretend.

Read about ways to encourage role playing with boys in Still Stuck on Pretend!

Dandelion Mama encourages imagination with bed-sheet forts and play restaurant.

Angry Chicken suggests some objects and toys to add to the collection for pretend play.

Magic Onions encouraged imagination with so many of their activities. This Magical Fairy Letter encourages suspense and wonder.

Or perhaps you and your children will play pretend with your very own Gnome Feast.

Host a pretend birthday party-
Serve a pretend cake and party food can be made from play-doh and you can even use real unlit candles with it. Invite all the stuffed furry animals and all the dolls that live at your house to your party, perhaps even some real friends can come if they are visiting at the time.

Tweet

Pin It Now!