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KIDSTOCK-ING STUFFERS

11/30/2020

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A gift giving guide for the creative child contributed by Colleen Hourigan

With the holidays just around the corner and the weather getting colder, getting creative is a great way to keep kids busy inside! This year, we are focused on gifts that kids will use more than just once. We have compiled a list of low cost, arts oriented stocking stuffers that can be reimagined over and over in new and exciting ways! Browse the list of creative types to find which one best fits your child and get inspired by our gift giving ideas.

Creative Writers
A simple yet extremely versatile gift is perfect for a child who best expresses themselves through words. Nothing is a better vehicle for creativity than a blank page! A whole notebook or journal of blank pages means endless possibilities for writing stories, songs, script ideas and so much more. Does your child struggle to get started? Consider this list of 55 free prompts to start each writing entry. 

Artistic Creatives
There are TONS of options out there for different art kits and projects, but we encourage gifting your child different basic supplies and letting their imaginations drive their creations! Building your child’s collection of materials is the gift that keeps on giving, as they can continue to think up new ways to use them to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Looking for the lowest cost option? Our most popular supplies often go on clearance at craft stores after each holiday and are a great way to stock up on projects for the next year.

Some of our crafting staples at Kidstock are
  • Colored Tissue Paper
  • Popsicle sticks 
  • Pipe cleaners
  • Colored/patterned paper
  • Paints and brushes
  • Foam
  • Googly eyes 

Problem Solvers
There are so many options when it comes to small puzzles for all ages, not to mention all of the variations from your average jigsaw puzzle! If your child is ready to take the next step up in puzzle solving, consider a 3D puzzle or a blank puzzle where children can create their own. Puzzles are a great low cost gift that will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills in a fun and creative way. All puzzled out? Put one of those old jigsaws to use with one of these recycled puzzle ideas! 

Detailed Makers
If your child is detail oriented and loves to create their own usable items, consider gifting them with sewing materials! There are many great kits designed specifically for young creators. With one of these kits, your child can make their own accessories, costume pieces and stuffed toys safely and without adult supervision. 

Imaginative Storytellers
Puppets and dolls are a fantastic way to keep your child busy for hours indoors. Playing out different characters and stories helps kids with developing their social skills and imaginations both independently or with others. Consider steering away from the classic TV and movie characters and opt for more general dolls and puppets to encourage the creation of their own stories and characters. Some basic animal and human dolls/puppets will allow for endless possibilities when it comes to imaginative play. Having trouble thinking of new ideas? Use Scholastic’s free Story Starter’s wheel to help your child get their creative juices flowing.

Innovative Builders
Pre-designed block sets can be great for learning how to follow instructions or being used as an action figure or set piece for play, but consider giving your child an assortment of basic blocks this year. Instead of building a structure once without being able to modify what they built, children will have the opportunity to take apart their creation over and over to create something entirely new to play with to fit their narrative. Low on inspiration? Check out this pinterest collection we found with over 100 things you can make with simple, wooden blocks.

No matter the child’s age, each of these gifts give an opportunity to use their imagination. Did your child create something neat with a Kidstock-ing stuffer? We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or post in the comments!

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BUT MY CHILD NEEDS HELP WITH MATH...

11/27/2020

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contributed by Sarajane Mullins, LMHC, NBCC

The American education system has been a hot topic since March. How we educate our children, where we educate them, and how we do right or wrong by them has made headlines in nearly every US state since the Spring. The conversation has been at best, a controversial topic and at worst, a national crisis. In the midst of all the turmoil, there has been an entire industry of arts professionals who have jumped to the helm to support children with their pursuit of learning. With the theater industry almost entirely out of work, many actors, designers, puppeteers, and visual artists have taken to the internet to teach their craft. For some, it might be the need for income. For many, it’s a much deeper personal knowledge of how theater can open up skills for that child, no matter what that child may pursue.

If you want your child to succeed with skills, the research shows that access to theater arts programming gives them a boost. 
Any person who has spent time in theater arts can tell you how their experience in theater shaped their entire life, even if they did not choose a career in the arts. In fact, especially if they did not choose a career in the arts. 


But doesn't my kid need to focus on math?  Many parents, already frustrated with school districts both public and private, are struggling to feel confident that their child will get the education they need to succeed during the COVID 19 pandemic. Why should our children access arts education if they are already limited in how they access their “regular” subjects of math, language, and science? The answer is clear: when students have access to theater arts, they do better in other academic areas. The College Entrance Examination Board examined SAT test scores in 2001 and found that students involved in drama activities outscored their peers in both language and math sections. As if that was not enough, the board continued to examine the scores in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 and consistently came to the same conclusion. The most impressive results showed that students involved in a drama performance scored 65 points higher in language and 35 points higher in math compared to their peers, who did not participate in theater arts activities (1). But, it's the exposure for students who were not interested in performing that is most compelling. Students who chose not to perform but still wanted to take classes in drama arts for the experience, still outscored their peers in language and math by 55 and 26 points respectively. Test scores are not the only evidence to suggest that the arts prime students for better learning. Enrollment in theater arts is also directly correlated with students' current ability and this is perhaps an even more powerful conclusion. In a 2014 peer reviewed study, authors determined that sixth graders achieved higher levels of literacy ability and mathematical ability if they were receiving theater arts interventions through school (2). The ability of their peers not receiving theater arts interventions was measurably lower.

So how did we develop the view that the arts should be separated from academics if the arts have been proven to help our kids excel? Part of the popular conception follows the notion that arts education falls tightly into the category of “enrichment,” a category that suggests the arts are superfluous and unnecessary. The term enrichment likely started as a positive, to imply that a life with art in school was more enriching or that an education is enriched through the arts. After school arts programs as well as daytime assemblies fall under the umbrella of enrichment for many schools. Yet, the term also implies to parents, school systems, and educators nationwide that the learning is extra, in addition to, and therefore not of primary importance to knowledge acquisition. This view is decisively disconnected from the research if we consider that a lack of engagement with theater arts is directly correlated with less knowledge and less ability. It means that when we do not offer theater arts, we possibly make the acquisition of language and math skills more difficult for that child.  If we can see that students who have access to theater arts outperform those academically who do not have access, we can discern that the arts are not merely an addition to a good education but somehow a tool or pathway to helping achieve that good education. The arts are not an addition, they are a thruway.
​

While many agree that the arts are imperative for careers that require expression, communication, and empathy, it is easily overlooked that the arts improve our wider academic abilities. The benefits are not limited to expressive communications. The knowledge that theater can further the skills that students need in careers such as accounting, law, and nursing has the power to change the perspective of many parents. The next time you wonder how to help your future accountant prepare, consider the benefit of a drama class. Then, sit back, relax, and know that research is on your side.


SOURCES
  1. American Alliance for Theater Education: https://www.aate.com/benefits-of-theatre-ed
  2. Inoa, Weltsek, & Tabone: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1050665.pdf
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    The Creative Catch Up is a blog for people with creative interests in the greater Boston area. Posts are contributed by Kidstock! family, friends, & related creatives.  

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​50 Cross St., Winchester, MA 
​781-729-5543
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