I’m a mom, stepmom, and theatre educator helping exhausted parents access their inner creative playfulness for more connection and joy. No messy crafts, complicated setups, or sensory bins here! Just simple, silly moments that bring your family back together through laughter. My short weekly emails share reflections from real life and a simple invitation you can try for yourself or with your kids.
Playful Heart Monthly Check-In & Easter Egg Ideas!
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Hi! Instagram went down for a couple hours the other day, and it made me realize just how important it is to have other ways of connecting with this community — so thank you for being here! I missed sending out last month’s email because I was immersed in directing a big middle school musical — always the busiest week of my year. I’m coming up for air and excited about getting back into Playful Heart Parenting, and I've been dreaming up new fun resources to help bring more laughter, silliness, and connection to families. Let’s jump into it: EASTER EGG HUNT HELP I’ve always loved the magic of an Easter egg hunt, and it’s a whole new level of enjoyment as a parent! One thing I don’t love, though, is a ton of cheap, little plastic toys that either instantly get thrown away or just add to the never-ending clutter in our house. So, I made a list of creative, fun, and actually useful things to hide in Easter eggs in addition to (or instead of) candy! Here are links to those items: https://www.amazon.com/shop/playfulheartparenting/list/2137RD31TNT6U?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfplayfulheartparenting_QW37DCDZ8KB53JD2N0CJ And here is a PDF of 30 cute Easter jokes for kids that you can print, cut up, and hide in the eggs! 30 Easter Jokes for Kids.pdf SEVEN-DAY PLAY CHALLENGE WAS GREAT! Thank you to those who participated in the first ever seven-day play challenge! It was so fun to connect with you in a much more personal way through Marco Polo. If you missed out on this, stay tuned — we will have another one next month! RECENT GAMES WITH LOVE
FREE RESOURCES If you haven't already grabbed these previous free resources, I'm linking them below. I will continue to come out with more free resources and share them with you here, as a thank-you for continuing to subscribe to these emails and be part of this community! 25 Easy Silly Moments updated.pdf Using AI For Connection & Quality Time 15 Creative ChatGPT Prompts.pdf INSPIRATION FROM YOU: I always love hearing from you — especially when it comes to how playfulness is helping you and your family. Here is a recent message that touched me: "I have to thank you for your content. I started following you last fall, because I don’t feel naturally playful with my 4yo, and I can use inspiration. (I also haaaate playing with toys with him, like cars and trains, which is what he always wants). Your recent video about playfully telling them not to do something has unlocked so much for us. He asks me to play “Don’t you dare” now, and I’ve even extended it to power reversal—”Oh PLEASE don’t make me brush your teeth! Nooooo!” And we’re both having such a good time! He’s getting himself dressed for the first time, transitions are easier, but honestly, we just feel so much more connected. Everything is lighter. Thank you, thank you, thank you." That’s all for this month! See you in April! Love, Mia |
Playful Heart Parenting
I’m a mom, stepmom, and theatre educator helping exhausted parents access their inner creative playfulness for more connection and joy. No messy crafts, complicated setups, or sensory bins here! Just simple, silly moments that bring your family back together through laughter. My short weekly emails share reflections from real life and a simple invitation you can try for yourself or with your kids.
I was telling my therapist yesterday how TIRED I’ve been. Yes, I have a teething 1yo and a 4yo who occasionally karate-kicks in our one big family bed. But overall I actually sleep pretty decently compared to many moms I know… So of course my inner critic jumps in with “Why are you so tired? You shouldn’t be. You’re not healthy enough. Not active enough. Not drinking enough water. You’re lazy.” That’s all normal negative self talk, right? But here’s the weird thing. THEN, I have a critical...
Surprise! I've just made a brand new play resource: "Turkey Day Play!" It's a printable Thanksgiving-themed resource full of prompt-based games for laughter and connection. If you don't have the apps or advent calendar, this will give you a good idea of what's inside -- and if you do have them, you'll love this "gravy-flavored" version! DOWNLOAD, PRINT, AND PLAY: Turkey Day Play.pdf *perfect for family get-togethers and fun even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving! If you try these out, I'd...
The other night, my stepdaughter was telling me about a cheerleading game they played called Little Sally Walker. It's a silly dancing game I used to play with my theatre students. She said that when it was her turn, she “couldn’t think of what to do” so she just gave a shy little disco finger while everyone else was being sassy and shaking their hips... I told her I understood. It’s hard to feel that pressure in the moment. I can totally remember what that feels like. Then I asked, “What if...