Jo D's Studio of Stratford

03/29/2026

My kids love these!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CTkt3uJ5w/?mibextid=wwXIfr

12/01/2023

NEW! Last Minute Wrap Up Bundles are LIVE, along with Christmas Bundles!

We have had great luck with mystery bundles in the past - Here are more details:

Last Minute Wrap Up Bundles

- available Dec 1-15 on ecommerce under their own category

https://d12789.paperpie.com/c/241/last-minute-wrap-up

- 11 themed, discounted bundles, at 25-30% off retail
- Themes are: Human Body, Sports, Architect, Science, Bugs, Weather, Cooking, Get Creative, DIY and Relax, Baby, Toddler)
- Ready to go and packed in a cute, branded tote bag (just add wrapping paper!)

Christmas Book Discounts

- available Dec 1-24 on eCommerce and found under Seasonal > Christmas category

https://d12789.paperpie.com/c/175/christmas

- 4 large bundles of Christmas titles are 50% off
- Themes are: Picture Books, for Littles, Activity, Nativity
- all other individual Christmas titles are 30% off

12/28/2022

Big news! Those of you in my VIP group will have seen my graphics; I will share them in the comments here.

And for the final square... We are PaperPie! We create products and opportunities that enrich, inspire, and nourish the mind, heart, and imagination. We believe stories are made to share. We transform lives - one story, one book, one family, one child at a time.

Are you ready for the next chapter!? Stay tuned here for the full story and heart behind our name and check out PaperPie.com for more!

10/15/2022

Just posted this over in my UBAM VIP group- would any of ya'll be interested in some coding posts/lessons? A review of the Duplo Coding Express, perhaps?

08/19/2022

Boredom Buster #25- Cut and paste!



So many simple crafts using things you have around the house - and scissor skills are key for the littles.
We debated a random recycling collage or a “make a picture using shapes” activity and the vote went for the shapes.
Letting littles work on school skills while being creative and a little messy is usually a win that keeps them busy and older kids can have fun with the challenge of making a recognizable design using only tiny squares (mosaic style) or triangles or by digging into some of these projects:

https://d12789.myubam.com/p/8989/never-get-bored-cut-fold-and-stick-ir

https://www.freekidscrafts.com/paper-crafts/cut-and-paste-crafts/

(This is our last summer boredom buster- next up: back to school and homework helpers!)

08/18/2022

Boredom Buster # 24: Draw a comic strip or book!



We have been inspired by recent trips to the aquarium and planetarium.
The littles each wrote a chapter of the same story and I did my own page to sort of get them going.

We have mini books with tips for drawing stick figures, but older kids could enjoy this title:

https://d12789.myubam.com/p/6861/make-your-own-comics-ir

There are tons of sources out there for drawing cartoons or manga- and we have seen a good selection in the library too!

08/17/2022

Boredom Buster #23: Build an Obstacle Course!



We are blessed to have a play structure that lends itself to obstacle courses… but you can use painters tape and pillows in an apartment if need be.

Ours required throwing a ball into a milk crate, then taking a car or trike to the climbing wall, heading down the gangplank, through a tunnel, over a balance beam, hopping over some cones and then throwing a kid basketball basket.
The whole family gave it a try with surprisingly close- and fast- times of just over one minute.

A backyard or park layout that doesn’t require a swingset:

https://www.familiesmagazine.com.au/kids-obstacle-course/

An all out indoor version:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lCYBkNht_j8

Benefits:

https://kidwee.com/blog/14-benefits-of-obstacle-course-for-preschoolers/

08/15/2022

Boredom Buster #22: explore nature!



There are two books that come to mind; the Never Get Bored Outdoors (see video)

https://d12789.myubam.com/p/7815/never-get-bored-outdoors-ir

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HPhuKX8qH44

And the “My Very First Outdoors Book,” pictured below.

https://d12789.myubam.com/p/7831/my-very-first-outdoor-book-ir

The kids LOVE heading to the yard, beach, or woods for a scavenger hunt or to look for critters or identify plants.

There are a ton of resources available, but here are some ideas/printables for your own scavenger hunt:

https://www.greenchildmagazine.com/nature-scavenger-hunt/

08/12/2022

Boredom Buster #21: Sensory bins!




We already talked about how great play doh or clay can be, coloring, painting… but there are multiple benefits to sensory bin play, especially for the under eights:
“Other reasons sensory play is beneficial for children include:
It helps to build nerve connections in the brain
It encourages the development of motor skills
It supports language development
It encourages ‘scientific thinking’ and problem solving
It can involve mindful activities which are beneficial for all children”
From: https://www.goodstart.org.au/news-and-advice/october-2016/exploring-the-benefits-of-sensory-play

There are SO MANY options - here’s some inspiration: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/53521/sensory-box-ideas/

Our collection of things that can keep the kids busy for longer than a half an hour is pictured below.
I like to mix up what is provided so that the play can vary. Figures and “dirt” and it is a farm, maybe next time plastic flowers, then there’s the “snow” and some animals or Frozen figures, we have kinetic sand in various colors to create different scenes…
And when I was little my grandma gave me dry uncooked rice to play with and some cups and funnels and I was busy for hours, so we also have a bin of split peas to practice pouring and just enjoy the feel of.

And don’t forget that clay and kinetic sand (and slime, though I try not to have it around) can be beneficial for arthritis or anxiety in adults too!

08/10/2022

Boredom Buster # 20 - put on a show!



Why not sing some songs, do a little dance, practice an instrument?
My kids LOVE putting on shows and just singing through life (seriously though- sometimes I feel like I live in a Musical) and giving them permission to get all fancy and make noise will keep them busy for a while!

Drumming, guitar, and keyboard books:

https://d12789.myubam.com/p/7132/drumming-book-ir

Older kids might enjoy this book on how to write scripts:

https://d12789.myubam.com/p/8349/write-your-own-scripts-ir

And I forgot to include this gem when I posted the puppets; I had two over the course of my childhood from Dell Publishing (Wizard of Oz and Nutcracker) and a third Strawberry Shortcake nursery rhymes and I LOVED them:

https://d12789.myubam.com/p/6016/slot-together-theater

(I just wish we had one for fairy tales/slightly younger kids- I found this on Etsy https://www.etsy.com/listing/914129203/toy-theatre-violet-toy-theater-paper)