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

Today, I had breakfast with a friend, in a neighborhood known as East Nashville. It reminds a lot of the neighborhoods from Chicago. Sidewalks, small restaurants, people out walking. It got me thinking about what we’ve spent the week looking at, which was how our kids can spot problems and "hack" systems inside the house. But there’s a bigger goal, that of teaching them how to be a playful citizen. The first stepis realizing that the entire neighborhood is a laboratory. When we walk down the street, most adults see "functional" things: a sidewalk is for walking, a bench is for sitting, and a fence is for privacy. This is functional fixedness in action, we only see objects for their traditional uses. But kids have a "Wet Paint" brain that is still flexible. To them, a sidewalk is a balance beam, a bench is a base, and a fence is a musical instrument. Today, my challenge to you is to take our divergent thinking on the road. Take some time to look at the community and ask, "What else could this be?" When we start seeing the world as something we can influence rather than just something we live in, a deep sense of ownership begins to grow. If you do this yourself or with the kids in your life, pop in and let us know what you noticed.

It’s another Friday night. You’re tired from a long week of work, the kids are full of energy as they anticipate the weekend. The fridge has a mix of odds and ends but you haven’t been to the grocery store this week. You want to skip the routine veg out in front of the screen conundrum. What do you do that gets everyone at home involved?

Let’s extend a warm welcome to our newest community members @Allan Webster and @Michelle Fuentes We’re excited to have you here. We just finished an exploration of Easter traditions and activities and will take a breather tomorrow. This is a great time to explore the community and please introduce yourselves. To help you get started you’ll find most activities under Play Prompts or Games. We’ve just started Saturday Free4All where members are encouraged to share ideas, ask questions and more. There are some fun topics such as how to journal, springtime French words, the role of apologies, and curiosity in our lives.