{"id":474,"date":"2014-12-08T16:35:49","date_gmt":"2014-12-08T23:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/?page_id=474"},"modified":"2015-07-08T20:34:47","modified_gmt":"2015-07-09T02:34:47","slug":"toy-night-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/toy-night-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Toy Night"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"dad&louisa\"

It may be snowing, but Louisa is eager to use her new snorkel set!<\/p><\/div>\n

Playing with your children and their toys: it is easy when they are little, but as they grow up a bit, we don’t play quite as often. But an 8-12 year old enjoys Mom and Dad engaging with them just like a little one does. And toys\u2014oh, they take on magic when a parent is involved playing with them.<\/p>\n

Christmas is past, but where are the Christmas toys now? Are they retiring on your children’s shelves, or relegated to the back of the closet? Or have you delved into them together? I think it’s sad to see a woodworking set or radio building kit untouched on a boy’s shelf, often just for lack of know-how.<\/strong> They grow out of them without ever playing with their toys sometimes. Your touch would have made them come alive. Your shared interest would have sparked enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

How about penciling in next Monday night on the calendar right now? Call it “Family Toy Night” and get the kids to bring their Christmas kits or toys. And play with them together! Read the picture books together out loud. Open and make the sand art kit, or the leather stamping set. Just watching your ease with instructions makes a child feel more able.<\/p>\n

Watching you paint with the art set creates a model to follow. I have observed that when we do art together, my kids spend a lot of the time watching me\u2014at least as much time as they spend creating something. Parents are ready-made models and examples to follow. Showing how to use something\u2014and the delight you feel in making things and playing together\u2014is the finest form of mentoring.<\/p>\n

Get those toys out and play with your kids. You’ll be glad you did!<\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

May I recommend:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"family2\"
\nEating all the Time
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

>\"lego-615239_1280\"
\nIt’s Mom…Not Fisher Price
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\"13495\"
\nTruck Catapult Wood Kit
\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Playing with your children and their toys: it is easy when they are little, but as they grow up a bit, we don’t play quite as often. But an 8-12 year old enjoys Mom and Dad engaging with them just like a little one does. And toys\u2014oh, they take on magic when a parent is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[23,10],"tags":[171],"class_list":["post-474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nurturing","category-why-homeschool","tag-toys","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/dadlouisa.jpg?fit=397%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6IrRN-7E","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":519,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/rotate-your-toys\/","url_meta":{"origin":474,"position":0},"title":"Rotate Your Toys","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Toys are the tools of little ones! I learned in college how stimulating a child's brain led to higher intelligence, so I always wanted to have as many as good toys as possible at my house, feeling like they would help my kids brain develop. I was on the lookout\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to Homeschool"","block_context":{"text":"How to Homeschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/images\/hth\/toybox.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":807,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/what-do-preschoolers-need\/","url_meta":{"origin":474,"position":1},"title":"What Do Preschoolers Need?","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"What do preschoolers need? That's an easy answer: #1 they need YOU! Yep: they need Mom, in all her constantly loving glory, with lots of hugs, snuggles, toe-kissing, hand-holding, hair-tousling, kisses, pats, holding-on-her-lap and listening. That's the #1 need. And in your moment-by-moment interaction, be sure to lead them to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Preschool"","block_context":{"text":"Preschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/what-articles\/preschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/rebekahpuzzle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":347,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/its-mom-not-fisher-price\/","url_meta":{"origin":474,"position":2},"title":"It’s Mom…Not Fisher-Price","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"When we spend $$ for that colorful, wonderful new toy, we are hoping, wishing, and dreaming that we can delight baby or keep our toddler busy \"for hours\" like the package says. But it turns out that toys are just toys\u2014and not Mommy. No surprise. Mommy is what children really\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nurturing"","block_context":{"text":"Nurturing","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/why-homeschool\/nurturing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/lego-615239_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/lego-615239_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/lego-615239_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/lego-615239_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/lego-615239_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":759,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/making-sunday-special\/","url_meta":{"origin":474,"position":3},"title":"Making Sunday Special","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Ahh, the Sabbath day! How nice it is to take a break from teaching school, from big meal prep, from doing housework or shopping. I think God gave us a great gift by establishing a day of rest. I sure need it! The culture we live in has pretty much\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Molding the Heart"","block_context":{"text":"Molding the Heart","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/why-homeschool\/molding-the-heart\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/sunset-691204_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/sunset-691204_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/sunset-691204_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/sunset-691204_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/sunset-691204_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1222,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/demanding-toddler\/","url_meta":{"origin":474,"position":4},"title":"Demanding Toddler","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I need help! My toddler is so demanding, and takes up much of my attention and time, that I am having trouble homeschooling my other children. Answer: It's tough\u2014I sympathize! Having a bin of interesting toys for your toddler to play with on the floor while you are reading\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How to Homeschool"","block_context":{"text":"How to Homeschool","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/how-to-homeschool\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"baby_joseph","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/baby_joseph-226x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":353,"url":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/excuse-this-house\/","url_meta":{"origin":474,"position":5},"title":"Excuse this House","author":"Diane Hopkins","date":"","format":false,"excerpt":"Excuse This House Some houses try to hide the fact That children shelter there\u2014 Ours boasts of it quite openly, The signs are everywhere For smears are on the windows, Little smudges on the doors; I should apologize, I guess, For toys strewn on the floor. But I sat down\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Parenting"","block_context":{"text":"Parenting","link":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/category\/why-homeschool\/homeschooling-parenting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/69.195.124.81\/~homescp3\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Photoxpress_7237543-199x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=474"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7356,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/474\/revisions\/7356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyhomeschooling.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}