I strew their paths and then they strew mine

I can't remember where I first read about "strewing," but there's a good explanation of it here. It involves providing materials to our children that we think may spark an interest. Then you can sit back and see where they go with it. I am especially fond of this concept right now, because Robert is teething and miserable. The time we manage to find for actual instruction, book reading, or mom-led projects is hard-won. When I practice strewing, they have an activity they can enjoy while I nurse Robert for the 30th time in a day!

Last night I was going through my craft room and found a bunch of wooden beads that I'd picked up at various at yard sales. I didn't have a plan for them; they probably came in a box with something else I really wanted. I also had an old silverware organizer, and I knew we had a new pair of shoelaces laid aside in a dresser drawer. So I put together this little work station for Suzi. First you sort the beads (by size or color), then you can decide on a pattern, and then you string the beads on the shoelaces! I placed it on her desk for her to find in the morning.

Of course, if I make something for Suzi, I have to do something for Ivey too! It couldn't be more beads, because Ivey drops things in the floor all the time and Robert could find one and put it in his mouth. But I had a little container and a bunch of small clothespins. Kids love these clothespins, because they aren't clothespins to them. They're little people. So I painted the little people red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple and left them out for Ivey to find. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of them.

They both liked what I made them. Suzi played with her beads for a while, and Ivey shared her "rainbow guys" with Robert. The rainbow guys are now all over the floor, naturally.

I had a bunch of extra clothespins that I didn't find time to put away, and Suzi picked them up. She took them to her desk, asked to borrow a pen, and started making them into unique characters. That was a little accidental strewing!

This is Little Sunshine. He has a black eye because his little sister, Alice, punched him.

We had to have a talk with Alice. She claims she did it because he was being aggravating.

Suzi wants to make these for people for Christmas. Some of them are happy, some sad, some angry. That one on the bottom right is a Suzi self-portrait of sorts, in a bowtie and suspenders. I love that girl.

It's so neat to see what I get back when I give them little things like this to use--aside from the mess in the floor, which is a given. I get to see Suzi's creativity. Ivey shares with her little brother and includes him in her play. I am gifted a little clothespin person to keep me company on my end table. Most of all, I get feedback about what I can do next! I may see if I have some magnet strips to glue on the back of these guys so they can congregate on the fridge. I wonder what other things I have stashed in my craft room that I can use. You probably have some good stuff at your house, too!