What’s your favorite book to read to a child? Is it a good story to dramatize?  Caps for Sale is one of my all-time favorites for this. I love to get kids totally immersed in the story. It’s fun to do it with them. Everyone stands up and pretends to be the peddler, carrying their imaginative caps stacked on their heads, walking very carefully. Then they walk around the room shouting, “Caps. Caps for Sale. 50 cents a cap!”

I had the wonderful experience of reading and playing KIDFUN with Ryan’s preschool class yesterday at Congregation M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and, of course, we read Caps for Sale and acted it out. Ryan’s very smart teachers, Mrs. Cohen and Mrs. Zaslow, got in the act. Mrs. Cohen even went into the cabinet and pulled out little styrofoam bowls so the kids actually HAD caps to balance on their head. One of the children in the class got so into it, he kind of exaggerated the price of his caps and said, “Caps. Caps for Sale. 50 dollars a cap!” WOW! That’s inflation for you!

Thanks for inviting me … when can I come back? And, thanks to Ryan for helping me teach lots of KIDFUN games to her friends.

Ya’ never know how an experience may twist and turn when playing with kids. Just hand your child a kid-sized apron and let’s see what kind of concoctions you can cook up in the kitchen! Edible … or, even better, non-edible! Don’t worry about a recipe. Make up your own KIDFUN Recipe,  where the most important ingredient is — FUN! Anything is possible this way!

Here’s what happened in my kitchen. Ryan found a kid-size apron we bought on a trip and she said, “Look Grammy! I’m wearing my apron! Let’s cook!” (Apparently, they do this at her house.) So, she asked, “Where’s the flour?” Hm … I couldn’t find it at first. You can tell how much I bake! And, accidentally, when I pulled it out of the cabinet, I dropped a box of pre-packaged Rasberry Ice flabor Crystal Light. “Grammy, you dropped something.” Hm — Raspberry color. This could be fun! So, Ryan poured the flour in a large plastic bowl. (no measuring cups) … I added the water. She stirred. We added some salt, some oil (you see, IF I measured we would have made play dough!) THEN, that Raspberry mixture came in handy. Our bowl of unmeasured batter all of a sudden got quite beautiful! Pink, then, with more mixture, a beautiful deep raspberry color! Scumptious, right?

I got out some clear plastic drinking cups and we spooned in this “concoction” and now the chef became the server presenting this Yummy Mystery Dish to her daddy and grandpop! Playing pretend was the perfect topping to an unexpected bit of fun in the kitchen!

This is such a great idea …. not for the youngest of kids but once they are old enough. One of our most frequent responders to KIDFUN, Eileen Shorr, shared this idea. Have siblings work together and create a voicemail message and then record it. What a refreshing message this would be if you called their number! In fact, Eileen recommended it to her daughter Rona for her kids,  Aaron and Sammi, to do. (I know, Eileen just wants another excuse to hear her grandchildren’s voices!)

This is how Eileen described the project … “I have heard a few phone messages recently that were made by young kids.  The cutest are two kids together.  It must have been a whole project to write the script and then to practice it together.  Every time I hear one it puts a big smile on my face.”

Thanks, Eileen — I love this! I bet our readers will, too!

Imagine all the things around you that can make up the pieces of an orchestra! Just ask Sari, our one-year-old. Her hands tapping (or banging) on the high chair tray and us on the dining room table made a fabulous percussion section — drumming, of course. More percussion instruments were the tong clicks she makes with us joining in — sounded just like lots of mallets on wood blocks. Then, of course, there are the symbols — our clapping hands. We had some bongos … the tops of our heads! At first, she couldn’t figure out we were just playing KIDFUN. I think my granddaughter thought we were just being silly until she realized her power as the orchestra conductor!

There are lots of ways kids play like they are grown ups. Lately, for us, it’s been wonderful seeing Ryan turn into a loving mother for her “Baby Alive,” carrying an infant seat and all. But, watch as certain activities we do start changing. For example, note-taking. I find it interesting that Ryan likes to have a pad of paper and a pen, writing notes on papers that more resemble scribbles or initials than actual messages. But, think of it. What will happen to pens and pads of papers in a few short years? Will phones, iPads, computers do away with these instruments? Will they be old-fashioned.Every time someone pulls out a paper calendar, I giggle and think, “What’s that?”

Well, all this will be reflected in our kids mocking behaviors. We went to the movies with Baby Alive in one hand and Ryan’s “toy” cell phone in the other. (It was her mother’s old one.) She cuddled her baby in the movie but when we left, people walking out smiled as Ryan described the movie enthusiastically on her cell phone to her imaginary friend.

You should take pictures of your kids acting all grown up as they role-play because in only a few years those roles will probably look very different. I guess we should photograph technology tools, too, because they change even quicker.

Some of you may remember that I write letters to my grandchildren. Yep, love letters. And, nope, they can’t read them. But, they are here in my computer and in their parents’, just to be safe. Hopefully, one day they’ll read them and learn about all the great things we did together and also gain historic information about their lives. You know, the first time they ate cereal, walked, talked, etc., etc.

But, what a wonderful reversal I had this week! Ryan dictated a love letter to me. It was an e-mail from her mom. I’m not sure how it came to be but reading … I love you in my heart. You are the best Grammy in the whole world … is, well, the greatest gift I could get! In fact, I blew it up on the computer and put a photo of Ryan and me beneath it, printed it out and it’s hanging on my office door. Okay, we all know I’m sentimental.

Of course, this is a wordy way to suggest you encourage your kids to write (dictate) love letters to the special people in their lives … especially with Valentine’s Day only a month away.

Does this sound familiar? You might think I’m writing about that fabled Gingerbread Man … “Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man.” But this is actually my reminder to parents and anyone who cares about kids. Be sure there’s time to play outdoors and run and jump and shout for joy. Look at the smile on Ryan’s face as she’s chasing her dad at a wonderful sculpture garden we visited last week called Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. You may not think of a sculpture as a great experience for young children but it is. All those surprises out in nature. And, while we were there, there was lots of  open space to play a great game of chase. She loved it and got a great education about art along with it.

Okay, ready, set, GO! … Play chase as fast as you can!

It seems that it’s time to bring back some of the greatest KIDFUN tips that may have appeared long ago because, well, Ryan keeps re-inventing them, like Stepping Stones. Instead of stepping from paper to paper as if walking carefully in a pond, Ryan discovered a package of large colorful rubber bands and made a path from the foyer to the living room to the hallway to the kitchen, the family room and back to the foyer. And, she not only jumped from one to the other, being careful not to slip into the pond — especially with that mean old crocodile looming nearby (her grandfather!) — I followed along and did exactly what she commanded. “Jump from here to here, Grammy!” It was my pleasure and so great to watch her being creative as she developed her own path … without a word of encouragement from me. Maybe she’ll be the next KIDFUN author! Maybe your kids will be! Remember, we’d love to hear your creative ideas for fun — your kids ideas, too!

Resolutions … Have you made some with the kids? You know, it could be fun to have the kids think about what they’d like to improve in 2012 and then write it down to check up in three months, six months and so on. Actually, be sure to include YOUR resolutions on the family list! It should be as simple for them as … be neater with my toys, eat healthier, be more polite, etc., etc. Perhaps, you should start your 2012 List to give the kids an idea what you’re thinking. Make it something easy to achieve. Losing 10 pounds sounds good, but might not be that realistic. Make it simple and do-able!

Onto a great 2012 for you and the special kids in your life!

You know all those scraps of gift wrap you toss in the trash … either from little pieces left from your own gift wrapping or ones you open? Well, save the neatest pieces and put them in a box just perfect for a rainy, cold or otherwise dull day. They can be pasted into lovely collages. If your child is old enough to use scissors and cut those scraps into shapes, that’s fine and, if not, just give your child some paste and see what kind of design she comes up with. Older kids might think this fun for adding trim or custom-designed clothing to drawings of family members. Being resourceful with a lesson on recycling is always a good idea!