Often creatives love coloring outside the lines. Other times there’s a sense of calmness that comes from staying within them. Whichever mood your girl is in, here are seven unique coloring books to share with her. And remember, it never hurts to have coloring as an option when it’s time to shut off screens. Seven Unique Coloring Books  Zolocolor! 96 pages of shapes, googly eyes, and more; all waiting for coloring inside, out, around, and over the lines. Edie Harper Coloring Book This book contains 20 of Edie Harper’s paintings. Kiddos can imitate the color schemes Harper chose for her final works or create entirely new ones.   Jungle Paradise You will find both popular jungle animals and beautiful nature quotes throughout this book’s pages. The Art Coloring Book Dozens of painters can be found in this coloring book, which also has white space for new works of art. The Night Voyage On the eve of her birthday a girl goes on a magical journey to distribute gifts around the globe. Although The Night Voyage is categorized as adult, I think an older child (over eight) who loves coloring will be swept away by its beautiful pages. The Coloring Book This book motivates readers to use colors imaginatively. It also makes them to think creatively as they respond to unique challenges on every page. Color with Mom: A Coloring Book to Share For those who want to settle down side-by-side with their child for some coloring. Each part contains two images of the same theme, like fresh fruits and frozen treats. …

Christmastime is here again, and its music is coming at us from every direction. Whether you love it or hate it, I am confident you’ll find these songs sung by women worthy of your attention. A little rock, a little soul, and some delightful spins on classics, this playlist shakes the bah humbugs from even the most determined holiday grouch. 10 Fabulous Christmas Songs Sung By Women 1) It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Diana Ross Born and raised in Detroit, Diana Ross rose to fame as the lead singer for the Supremes (one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time). Ross is the only female artist to have number one singles as a solo artist; as the other half of a duet (Lionel Richie); as a member of a trio; and, as an ensemble member. Watch her perform It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year with a full orchestra. 2) Go Tell It On The Mountain: Dolly Parton Oh Dolly, how we love you. A lot of folks have been talking about the new podcast Dolly Parton’s America from NPR (and rightly so). However, look no further than this video of Dolly performing Go Tell It On The Mountain to grasp the power of her voice. 3) One More Sleep: Leona Lewis Singer, songwriter and actress Leona Lewis recorded this tune in 2013; it peaked at number three on UK charts. With this chart entry, Lewis became the first British female solo artist to reach the top five with eight …

Ever since reading the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I always found the idea that a simple wardrobe could be an entryway to another world fascinating. Imagine my delight when my oldest daughter and I saw a travel show snippet about a fantastical slide whose entry point began in a laundry room dryer. At the bottom of that slide was a world unlike any we’d ever seen. The woman who slid down shared she was at Meow Wolf, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My daughter looked at me and said with 100 percent assurance, “We are SO going there”. This month her wish came true. What Exactly is Meow Wolf? First, you need to understand the Santa Fe location is just one chapter in the Meow Wolf story. Meow Wolf started in 2008 as a small collective of artists who could not find their way into the “traditional” art world. At their very first meeting everyone put two words into a hat. They then picked two random words out and got “Meow Wolf.” The group’s goal was to create immersive, multimedia experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of storytelling. Through many ups and downs (well captured in the documentary Meow Wolf: Origin Story), these determined artists brought several brilliant exhibitions to life on their own terms. Then, with the help of longtime Santa Fe resident George R.R. Martin, Meow Wolf took over a vacant former bowling alley, transforming it into a multi-use art complex. House of Eternal Return  Today Meow Wolf Santa Fe …

Girls That Create is excited to share a guest excerpt from Dr. Vanessa Lapointe’s book Parenting Right From the Start: Laying a Healthy Foundation in the Baby and Toddler Years. Dr. Lapointe is a mom, registered psychologist, parenting educator, best-selling author, international speaker, and a regularly invited media guest. Founder and director of The Wishing Star Lapointe Developmental Clinic, she has been supporting families and children for almost 20 years, and has previous experience in community mental health and the school system. The Importance of Development Awareness in a Fast-Paced World How many times have you sat in a restaurant and watched a child under the age of six receive a scolding for not sitting still during a meal? Or heard a three- or four-year-old admonished for not sharing? Or observed an eight-year-old punished for having a meltdown when asked to take out the garbage? Or witnessed a fourteen-year-old get grounded for freaking out when told they couldn’t hang with friends on a Friday evening? The parental response of punishment and consequence for such actions is not an uncommon occurrence in our world. Yet each one of those examples represents a child with an underdeveloped brain responding exactly as they should according to their stage of development. Many of us fall into the trap of expecting a child to absorb and adopt adult behaviour even though the human brain doesn’t fully mature until sometime in the mid to late twenties. That six-year-old fidgeting at the dinner table is incapable of sustained focus and attention; the three-year-old simply …

Nothing shuts down creativity faster than hunger. It’s easy to forget about eating when one is lost in a meaningful project. This also applies to kids, so it’s important to stave off “hangry” episodes by being prepared. Here are 10 easy snacks to help your child’s imagination. 10 Easy Snacks to Help Your Child’s Imagination Popcorn: We’ve come a long way from when popcorn was only available in the movie theatre or with a microwave. There are lots of single-serve bag options. Just make sure you’re paying attention to what’s been added. Simple ingredients and flavors made from real food are what you’re looking for (it is recommended children younger than four not be given popcorn). Dark Chocolate: The magic word is flavanol. A plant nutrient found in many foods and drinks (including dark chocolate), flavanols have been shown to improve blood flow to the brain and heart. Dark chocolate has more flavanols than milk chocolate. Frozen Grapes: A staple in our freezer during the hot Texas summers, but also great year-round. Put grapes in a ziplock bag and then toss them in the freezer. Your kiddo will love the sweet, cool taste while snacking on these. If your child is younger than four, cut the grapes in half. Granola Bars: So convenient, but you have to carefully scan all the ingredients in store-bought bars. Pay attention to how much saturated fat and sugar are in each bar (I try to never go over six grams of sugar, aka 1.5 teaspoons in a bar). This past summer I received …

Sometimes we love the Internet…sometimes we hate it. Regardless of our feelings, all of us need to be having multiple talks with our girls about Internet safety. Luckily many resources exist, including Google’s “Be Internet Awesome” curriculum. Its purpose is to help families develop online healthy habits through five key areas: Smart: Share With Care Alert: Don’t Fall for Fake Strong: Secure Your Secrets Kind: It’s Cool to Be Kind Brave: When in Doubt, Talk it Out Below are several pieces of “Be Internet Awesome” and other resources to aid you with raising well-informed and empowered Internet users. Google’s Family Guide and Tips  Packed with valuable stuff, the Family Guide and Tips (using the five areas mentioned above) encourages family discussion, learning, and thinking about maneuvering the online world together. Download the Family Guide Download Tips Google’s Wellbeing Family Guide Maintaining a balanced screen life can be hard. Past generations simply switched off their televisions. Today, disconnecting means parents and children are prioritizing the quality of time they spend together. The Digital Wellbeing Family Guide sparks dialogue about screens and what it means to balance online time with the physical world. Download the Digital Wellbeing Family Guide LifeKit Podcasts Internet and Screens Recently NPR produced a series of LifeKit podcasts about kids and screen time. Doctors and experts share science-backed advice with host Anya Kamenetz in these three excellent episodes: Can Screens Help Your Child’s Brain? 4 Tips To Get The Most From Kids’ Media 5 Strategies For Coping With Screen-Obsessed Kids Parents, Check Your Own …

Books based on real people pack an emotional punch. Not only do nonfiction stories help girls by teaching history and allowing them to see the world from different viewpoints, they provide role models and inspiration. My oldest recently came across the story of Virginia Hall in the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. She’s quite taken with the decorated American spy who thwarted the Nazis during World War II (I’m confident there’s a Virginia costume in our future). Girls need to have exposure to diverse people who have pursued dreams and overcome adversity. Through nonfiction stories they learn they’re not alone in their feelings and that others who came before them discovered ways to cope and respond to hardships. Luckily, we live in an age where there are as many tales as there are children’s interests. Is your girl concerned about the earth? Tell her about Rachel Carson, an environmentalist who wrote the book Silent Spring. Does she worry about making her voice heard? Suggest she explore the world of Sojourner Truth. Reading real stories encourages self-reflection, empathy, emotional intelligence, and offers a front seat to observing life lessons. They’re a win-win for anyone wanting to boost a child’s reading list. Activities To Do With Girls Have your child write on a sticky note the names of the people they’re reading about. Arrange the names in chronological order, along with the years the people lived. Take time to sit down with your child; ask her to share the stories she is reading and what she likes …

Maybe you stepped on paint one too many times. Or found countless markers missing their caps. Perhaps you are constantly breaking up sibling ruckuses because the youngest is “borrowing” art supplies from the oldest and not putting things back. Whatever the case, you know it is time to make your girl her own art space at home. Lucky for you, the talented Jany Lee at Savvy For Life has several ideas on setting up a fun and functional art space geared towards young children. Affiliate links used in this post. Art Space Top Needs A durable table that is stable and easy to clean Storage for creative materials such as markers, crayons, chalk, washable paints, glue, tape, stamp pads, stamps, twine, ribbons, scissors Place and materials to display artwork and creations Task lighting, which provides increased lighting for tasks (think lamps) Art Space Color Schemes Red represents courage, strength, and excitement Yellow represents creativity, friendliness, optimism, and confidence Blue calms the mind, helps with concentration, and is great for creative exploration Purple enhances the imagination and inspires creativity Green is associated with balance, creative thinking, inventiveness, and innovation Storing Supplies  IKEA is Lee’s favorite shop for organizing tools and her top choice for bookcases is the IKEA Kallas (the bookcase must be secured to the wall, can be laid horizontally or vertically, and you can customize the cubes with different boxes) Mason jars are very affordable containers for holding materials, as are small tin buckets or flowerpots Woven baskets on the floor or under an easel can provide …

Have you ever found yourself searching for picture books where a woman or girl is the central character? Turns out sheer numbers are to blame. A startling study revealed that from 1900 to 2000 males were the central characters in 57 percent of children’s books published per year. Only 31 percent had female central characters. The publishing industry still has a way to go, but there have been efforts towards greater female inclusion. Here is a list of picture books encouraging artistic girls to pursue their artistic dreams, with every story starring a woman or girl. This post contains affiliate links via Bookshop, whose mission is to financially support local, independent bookstores. Picture Books With Women and Girl Main Characters Picture Books About Visual Artists Me, Frida: As Frida Kahlo begins to explore San Francisco, she discovers the inspiration she needs to become one of the most celebrated artists of all time. The Dot: One little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair, Disney Artist Extraordinaire: From her imaginative childhood to her career as an illustrator, designer, and animator for Walt Disney Studios, Mary Blair wouldn’t play by the rules. Through Georgia’s Eyes: Lyrical and vivid, this is a portrait of Georgia O’Keeffe, a woman whose eyes were open to the wideness and wonder of the world. Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity!: Tells the story of an artist whose work will not be complete until her dots cover the world, from here to infinity. In Her …

Why Girls That Create? Several years ago, I became part of the team behind WONDER WOMEN! THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SUPERHEROINES. The documentary film explores the enduring legacy of Wonder Woman and how powerful women are often portrayed in mainstream media. It also encourages girls to be creators of the media they want to see. Fast forward to 2019. The need to nourish and inspire girl creators is just as necessary now as it was then. Although women currently comprise half of the U.S. population, mass media continues to show them in much smaller numbers. This underrepresentation is also true for women who are behind the scenes, creating. That is why I launched Girls That Create in 2019. This online platform exists to support the parents and caregivers of future female creators.  Consider The Numbers • Men dominate U.S. media. Men receive 63 percent of byline and other credits in print, Internet, TV and wire news. Women receive 37 percent. (Women Media Center)  • In 2018, women comprised just four percent of directors working on the top 100 films, eight percent on the top 250 films, and 15 percent on the top 500 films. (Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film) • In a recent study of 820,000 exhibitions across the public and commercial sectors, only one third were by women artists. (The Art Newspaper) • Another 2019 study on the music industry revealed female songwriters and producers are vastly outnumbered. Across seven years, 12.3 percent of songwriters of the songs …