Our community is growing and we have some talented and dedicated community owners here. Today is your day to tell us a little bit more. 🦉Who are you and who do your serve? 🔂 In 1 or 2 sentences, describe your community. 🔗 Drop a link to your about page. Comment on 1 or 2 communities that interest you. Let’s support each other and build new relationships. If I missed your name, it’s not personal, with over 80 members, I’m not sure who has a community🤫 @Janell Bitton @Allan R. @Blue Mojo @Brenda Chilstrom @Celia Kibler @Daniel Cavaretta @Des Cooke @Elizabeth Houston @Evelene Sterling @Michelle Fuentes @Gus Gray @Amy Grantham @Jose Guerra @Heather Wilson @Katya McEwen @Lisa Vanderveen @Maryna Tempalova @Max Orlewicz @Mayelice Castro @Natasha Bryant @Paul Wren @Ruben Plasmeijer @Ramona Zihlke @Rene Kerkdyk @Roslyn Hill @Tim Tindle @Wendy Lee-Chu @Yu-Tzu Huang

We’ve had so many new folks join in the last month, I think it’s time for a fun game of introductions. Now, when I’m conducting in person training, I usually do this by passing around of toilet paper and asking everyone to tear off as many sheets as they’d like. No further instructions are given. After everyone has taken their share, I then let them know it’s time to share one fact for each square (or sheet) they took. That usually gets folks talking. Since we don’t have any toilet paper, let’s roll the virtual dice instead. For each dot that you get, share something about yourself. I’ll start. PS: This is on the honor system. https://www.calculator.net/dice-roller.html

There’s a moment you probably know well. Your kid walks into the room and says, “I’m boooored.” And almost instantly, you feel pressure to solve it. This week’s Playful Shift will be all about boredom, the science, some strategies, and more. Check the calendar for details. When I was growing up, I quickly learned saying, “I’m bored” usually meant “here come some chores!” So, growing up in an era where self-entertainment was key, I discovered how to keep boredom at bay. Today, the pendulum has shifted, maybe those of us who lived through the “bored = chores era” thought we were being helpful. Can you relate? We answer the cry by suggesting activities, or we offer screens. Maybe we throw out craft ideas. We mentally scroll through every possible option trying to “fix” the boredom before it turns into whining, fighting, or chaos. Raise your hand if you can relate. 🙋🏻‍♀️ But here’s the thing I’ve been re-learning. Boredom is often the space right before creativity wakes up. Researchers studying the brain’s “default mode network” have found that when the brain is not locked onto a task or flooded with stimulation, it starts connecting ideas, replaying experiences, imagining possibilities, and building internal narratives. In simpler terms, the brain starts wandering on purpose. That wandering matters. Let me say that again, the wandering matters! It’s where pretend games are born. It’s where inventions begin. It’s where kids suddenly decide to build a fort, write a comic, make up a dance, or turn a cardboard box into a dragon cave. The hard part is that boredom usually does not look magical at first. It looks uncomfortable. A lot of modern parenting culture has quietly convinced us that we should constantly enrich, entertain, optimize, and supervise childhood. But childhood was never designed to run on nonstop stimulation. Kids need some empty space. Not endless empty space. Not neglect. Not “figure it out completely alone while I disappear for six hours.” But enough room for their own ideas to start bubbling up instead of always receiving ideas from us.

For many places around the world, today we celebrate Mother’s Day. I believe some countries celebrated earlier this year. That’s not the point. Today we celebrate the mom’s. What is (or was) a Mother’s Day tradition you recall? In my family, it’s breakfast at McDonald’s. The tradition started after my daughter got her driver’s license. She and my son wanted to treat me to breakfast. Being kids, they didn’t realize that Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants. After striking out a few times, we landed at the drive-thru of McDonald’s. I can say, that was probably one of my best ever Mother’s Days. Now, it’s your turn!

Let’s extend a warm welcome to the newest members of the community. I invite you to explore, ask questions, and if motivated, introduce yourself. Monday- Friday (US) I post a short education piece and a related play activity with variations by age. You can generally find those under Play Prompts. Weekends are for getting to know each other. Excited to have you here. @Kristy Allison @Jen Staniforth @Claire Amelia @Lisa Kilby @Sasha Woodall @Anna Murrietta @Monika Howerton