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Ice Chalk Color Mixing

Today's activity was ice chalk mixing. To create ice chalk, I mixed equal parts corn starch and water in a muffin pan, added food coloring, and froze with a craft stick inside.

I imagined they'd be able to paint with them, but it didn't quite work that way. We dunked them in water and they started to melt a bit, but still they were useless for drawing. However, we turned it into a great color mixing activity! This was a fun way to demonstrate how yellow and blue make green, red and blue make purple, red and yellow make orange, and so on. They really enjoyed mixing the colors and seeing all the combinations they could make.

I'll need to work on the recipe to make ice chalk that actually draws, but this was a fun and educational activity for this hot summer day!

Superhero Scavenger Hunt

Ready for a fun twist on the ever-popular scavenger hunt? Do your kids love to dress up as superheroes? This is going to be a blast!

We are costume junkies, so we already had all of these costumes in our dress up box. I made the boys their scavenger hunt list and laid out the costumes.

I then explained the rules. Look for superhero symbols I've hidden around our house. When you find a symbol, you run back to the corresponding superhero's costume and dress up as that superhero before moving on to find your next symbol. When you do find the next symbol, you come back and dress up as that superhero, and so forth. Of course, there was quite a bit of villain fighting in between the symbols searches which made for a great time!

Giftedness explored: An update

Gifted children and adults are different. They know it. Friends and family know it. Society knows it. But differences can sometimes foster confusion, suspicion and uncertainty, resulting in misunderstanding and wasted opportunities.

Gifted children's needs and challenges are often minimized, sometimes envied, and not infrequently mocked and belittled. Regarded as serious, driven and socially awkward, they are nevertheless expected to be ideal students, requiring little assistance from educators. Parents who advocate for an education commensurate with their child's abilities are treated as demanding and ungrateful, and chastised for requesting resources routinely allocated for average or lower ability students with "greater" needs.

Gifted individuals have IQs of 130 or above, which is two standard deviations above the norm. In other words, they are outliers. Their minds work differently. They think with greater complexity and depth, acquire knowledge at a faster pace, and grasp new concepts more quickly. Whether considered a blessing or a curse, their "gift" is something they are born with and they have to grapple with a learning style that does not easily conform to the world around them. This does not make them overachievers or hard workers; many are notorious underachievers and fail to reach their potential. They have different social and emotional needs than others, partly due to their innate intensity and overexcitabilities, but also in response to a world that often ignores and isolates them due to their differences.

This blog started in January, 2013 as an attempt to share ideas, insights, information and updates about gifted children and adults. As a clinical psychologist, I have worked with many gifted individuals, and have witnessed how intellectual strengths, learning style, and social/emotional needs influence initiative, self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships. I have seen how parents struggle to nurture and support their gifted children. I have witnessed the problems many gifted adults face as they struggle to find their place in the world, or maintain a marriage where there is little room for their intensity.

Since starting this blog , I have been contacted numerous times by parents with questions about their child's giftedness, school placement, social dilemmas, and the "normalcy" of their child's behaviors. As a result, I have recently started a new service: More about this can be seen on the link above. My intention is to offer consultation in-person or by phone or skype to individuals or families who need some additional support, coaching or advice regarding the effects of giftedness in their lives. I also offer programs in schools.

I plan to keep blogging, advocating and working with gifted individuals in my clinical psychology practice. Thanks again for reading, commenting and being a part of this blog. Any feedback is always welcome.

Swamp Bath!

We love to make bath time super fun in our home. When I saw this amazingly fun sensory bath at Growing a Jeweled Rose, I knew I had to try this out! Definitely check our her blog for more amazing ideas!

I started by cooking some spaghetti noodles, then coloring them with plain food coloring.

Next, I added a few drops of green food coloring to their bath water. Note: This does not stain the kids or the tub. Then I added what few creatures I could find.

Then I dumped in the noodles.

Next: Add children!

My boys loved this wild and wacky bath! They ended up stringing the noodles all over themselves to become swamp monsters!

Afterwards, I just scooped the noodles out of the tub (yep, that took some time) and the did a quick tub wipe down. Totally worth it.

Have a playful day!

Enriching Your Gifted Child’s Life by Building Memories

Much of the discussion surrounding gifted parenting often revolves around education but even for the gifted child there is a world of opportunity beyond the classroom walls. Building memories through shared experiences can be the most enriching and rewarding part of your child’s life and an undeniable boost to meeting their social and emotional needs.

Summertime and holidays are the perfect time to build memories with your child … exploring their passions, experiencing nature, spending quality time discovering each other beyond the day-to-day routines of school days and enjoying life together.

Dr. Dan Peters

In a recent , , co-author of , reminds us:

Remember, summer break is an opportunity for so many different experiences -- from creating and building, doing art, going on hikes, reading, exploring new places, taking classes, day and overnight camp, family adventures and more. While it is our job as parents to plan for your child's summer, it is also important to include them in the process. After all it is their summer. You might be surprised to learn what they have in mind.

One of the beauties of making memories is that it doesn't have to cost a lot of money and mostly requires only time. Yes, time is a precious commodity these days but you will never regret spending it with your child. Memories come in all shapes and sizes. They may involve an epic adventure to a faraway land or a simple backyard picnic. The important part is planning it together!

Backyard Picnic Table*

Research has shown that as we age, we remember less and less of childhood memories; especially those of our earliest years. From we learn:

“Young children tend to forget events more rapidly than adults because they lack the strong neural processes required to bring together all the pieces of information that go into a complex autobiographical memory.”

One way of ensuring that memories are not forgotten is to take the time to record your experiences. For younger children, this can involve creating a story. This can be accomplished through the use of diaries, journals, blogging, photos and videos.

Jon Hamilton in an article for NPR, suggests:

Another powerful determinant of whether an early memory sticks is whether a child fashions it into a good story, with a time and place and a coherent sequence of events, Peterson says." Those are the kinds of memories that are going to last," she says.

Hamilton goes on to write:

And it turns out parents play a big role in what a child remembers, Peterson says. shows that when a parent helps a child give shape and structure and context to a memory, it's less likely to fade away.

An effective way I found to create long-lasting memories with my children was in the kitchen learning to cook favorite family recipes. Not only did we enjoy our time together but they learned to make dishes that could be recreated throughout their lives.

Children in the Kitchen**

Memories become a remembrance of us when we are gone. I can’t think of a better legacy than to have built memories with my children that they will carry with them when I am no longer around. So do something special with your child and start building those memories today!

Special thanks to Gifted Homeschoolers Forum for including this post in their July Bloghop. To view more blogs in this month's tour, please click on the logo below!

* Photos courtesy of (Public Domain)

** Photo courtesy of morgueFile (Public Domain)

Create My World is a fanciful collection of 16 full-color illustrations paired with a corresponding affirmation. This whimsical book highlights the importance of our thoughts to shape our lives as demonstrated by the law of attraction. Some of the affirmations included in the book are I hold the keys that create my world,; I focus on what I love,; ;I am right on track,; and many more. Encouraging children to use their imagination to interpret each illustration is one of the highlights of this book. Each painting contains its own joyful characters comprising a mini-story in itself.
Empowering children with self-affirmation at a young age can be a stepping stone to a purposeful life of creativity, lasting fulfillment and joy.

I Create My World is a wonderful introduction to affirmations for children. It's never too soon to begin teaching the power of positive thinking to our children, and I Create My World introduces young children to this powerful tool.

The illustrations are imaginative and engaging. My sons caught on quickly to the fact that the little picture on the left page was hidden somewhere on the right page, so they had a fun time finding the picture. They really enjoyed the whimsical and fun illustrations and the short but powerful affirmations. There are questions at the end of book asking children questions like "Did you find the upside down city" which had my kids searching back through each page, intently looking for the answers to the questions.

This is a beautiful book that children of all ages (and adults too!) will love.

Connie Bowen has written and illustrated a fantastic children's book with a positive message while making it engaging and really fun to look at! My children really enjoyed this book, and I think yours will, too!

You can find .

Biography

Connie Bowen was born in Los Angeles, California and lived in a busy West L.A. suburb by the beach until age 13. It was pure culture shock when she was uprooted from junior high school to move with her mother to the wheat fields and cattle ranching area of the Pacific Northwest known as the Tri-Cities, Washington.

She majored in art at Washington State University and then attended a private business college in Portland, Oregon to study court reporting. After managing her own court reporting firm for 23 years, Connie retired to follow her dream of pursing her art career full-time.

It was the birth of her son that inspired Connie to create her first children's book of affirmations, "I Believe In Me," published by Unity Books, which won the national Athena Award for 'book as mentor' in the category of spirituality. As of 2012, it has sold over 55,000 copies, including the Spanish edition, "Yo Creo En Mi."

Her second book, "I Turn to the Light," composed of affirmations for healing, soon followed, as did "The Sunbeam and the Wave," written by Harriet Hamilton which Connie illustrated.

Connie's love of animals led her to form a lasting bond with author Susan Chernak, author of "Animals As Teachers and Healers." It was through this connection that Connie went on to illustrate two of Susan's books, "Heart in the Wild," and "All My Relations" for Random House and New World Library.

Connie combines her three passions of metaphysics, art and her love of animals in her animal portraiture and illustrations. Her several hundred animal portraits hang in private collections throughout the United States.

After a powerful personal shift in spiritual awareness, Connie began an intense quest for all things metaphysical and has continued her study for over two decades. Her deep and abiding interest in bringing concepts of self-esteem and self-love to children continues to inspire her whimsical artistic style.

Are all gifted children early readers?

True or False: You can tell if a child is gifted by how early he or she starts to read.

Answer: True and False

It's true that many gifted children read at a remarkably early age, amazing family and preschool teachers alike with their almost eerie knowledge of language. Many of these children are also highly verbal, possess a large vocabulary, and seem to grasp humor, subtlety and other nuances of speech well beyond their years. These become the kids who drag home wheelbarrows full of books from the library, walk into walls because they are always reading, and keep a book hidden on their laps during school to cope with boredom.

But not all gifted children read early. found in her study, and in a review of other research, that approximately half of gifted children start reading on their own before they start school. Those who do not read prior to kindergarten may be visual-spatial learners, have mathematical, artistic, mechanical, or spatial abilities, may have a learning disability, or may have been raised in an impoverished environment. Or they just could be late bloomers.

When children don't read at an early age, parents and teachers may overlook other outstanding abilities and assume they are not gifted. Strong verbal abilities stand out, and when children are shy, less verbal, or have a learning disability that masks giftedness, other signs of high aptitude are often ignored. Parents need to be aware of , request , and for gifted services.

Some children may never learn to love reading, though. Competing interests, learning disabilities, a visual-spatial orientation, or the ever-present lure of electronics can make reading a chore. One offers guidelines for encouraging reading when it is not your child's greatest interest.

Most gifted children who are not early readers catch up quickly, though, start reading on their own in kindergarten or first grade, and learn to love reading. Rather than decoding phonetically, they frequently surprise their teachers by devouring chapter books that interest them, and skip the "Dick and Jane" books completely. Intrinsically motivated, these children read because they want to, because books captivate their attention. Reading fuels their imagination and can become a safe harbor from the stresses of life. For an excellent article about how gifted students absorb reading material, see . But simply put: "they read faster and understand more."

As a parent, you can foster this love by offering as many opportunities as possible where your child can read for fun. And advocate when necessary to ensure that your child's reading needs are addressed at school. Even if your gifted child did not read at an early age, chances are he or she will become an avid reader, collect mountains of books and walk into walls, just like all the others.

Final words: A gifted eight-year-old (not an early reader, but voracious by kindergarten) tells his parents, "I know what I want to be when I grow up - a librarian. That way, I can read books all day!" What a disappointment when he learned that librarians don't get to read all day and actually have to work!

Please let us know about your child's reading experiences in the comments section below.

This blog is part of the Hoagies Gifted Education Page Blog Hop on Summer Reading. To read more blogs in this hop, visit this Blog Hop at .

Creating an Environment for Children to Thrive

Children have been compared to flowers often as the similarities are evident - they are beautiful, they are unique, they require tender, loving care, they bloom in their own time. Often we focus on changing our child rather than changing their environment, but changing the environment has a big impact on how our children grow. If we consciously tend to our gardens, our flowers will blossom.

The Physical Environment

1. It's hard with small children, but try to keep the clutter to a minimum. Simple, neat spaces are more pleasing and soothing than cluttered and crowded spaces.

2. Subtle décor can have a big impact. Fresh flowers on the table, light-hearted wall hangings or beautiful art all add to the feeling of your home.

3. Pleasant scents lift moods. Did you know that the human sense of smell can identify thousands of aromas and is 10,000 times more precise than our sense of taste? Find what scents energize your children and what scents soothe them.

4. Provide toys and activities that children can reach/do independently without the help of an adult. Put as much on their level as you are comfortable with, including healthy snacks, books, puzzles and games, cups/plates/utensils, etc. Provide a mirror at your child's level. Have stools available at sinks.

5. Let the sunshine in! Open shades and windows. Research has proven that natural lighting helps people be more productive, happier, healthier and calmer.

The Mental Environment

1. Protect your children as best as you can from things which are not age appropriate. This means mature television shows, video games, or movies with themes their young minds may not be ready for.

2. Be a role model! As much as you can show them how to live joyfully, laugh loudly, bounce back, show compassion, be optimistic, positive, and happy is as much as they will be able to do the same.

3. Ensure your child gets the proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise as these affect mental health.

4. Love, security and acceptance should be at the heart of your family life. Children need to know that your love does not depend on his or her accomplishments.Confidence grows in a home that is full of unconditional love and affection.

5. Nurture your child's confidence and self-esteem. Encourage them, Be their cheerleader. Give healthy praise. Set realistic goals. Avoid sarcastic remarks.

6. Let them play! Free play, messy play, exploring, and unstructured play time are great for children. Most of it comes off in the shower!

7. Ensure a positive, safe school environment. Work closely with your child's teachers. Always advocate for your child when necessary. Keep lines of communication flowing so that your child feels he or she can discuss problems with you.

8. Build competencies. Children need to know that they can overcome challenges and accomplish goals through their actions. Achieving academic success and developing individual talents and interests helps children feel competent and more able to deal positively with the stresses of life. Social competency is also important. Having friends and staying connected to friends and loved ones can enhance mental well-being.

9. Create a sense of belonging. Children need to feel connected and welcomed, and this is vital to their developing sense of self and their trust in themselves and others. Greet your child warmly every morning and after school. Include your child in on family meetings. Creating warm and memorable family traditions will build a sense of tradition and closeness in the family unit. Help your child develop positive relationships with outside family members, teachers, clergy, coaches, and peers.

10. Teach your child healthy mental boundaries. Explain that they have a choice in choosing peers who bring out the best in them and in staying away from people who don't. Show them how to set and enforce limits with others and be assertive. Role play how to handle multiple situations in which their values and limits may be tested so that they feel empowered in dealing with this when it arises.

The Emotional Environment

1. Ensure each child feels safe to express his/her feelings.

2. Keep family drama away from the kids. It's okay for the children to see parents argue as long as no one is verbally abusive and it ends peacefully as this can model positive skills, but if you can't keep from shouting and insulting, keep it away from the kids.

3. Sibling squabbles are to be expected, but make sure it doesn't get out of hand. If a sibling is feeling bullied or being hurt physically or mentally, you need to step in.

4. Avoid comparing your children to each other and to other children.

5. Respect your children. Listen to them and take them seriously. Make them feel like a valued member of the family unit.

6. Accept all feelings and teach children how to manage their emotions.

7. Create and respect healthy boundaries. Verbal and physical abuse obviously violates their boundaries. Additionally, children’s property, space, and privacy should be respected.

8. Allow children age appropriate decisions, responsibilities, and independence.

9. Be fair and reasonable in your discipline. Do not give consequences when you are emotionally charged.

10. Allow them to be who they are and nurture and love the child you have.

Living and parenting in an age of chronic stress, anxiety and distraction, what does it take to raise children to thrive, not just survive? Through the metaphor of flowers as children, the story of The Garden is a powerful and poignant parable about the essential process of tending, trusting and growing strong roots. A story told with resplendent illustrations, The Garden shows us how to reclaim and cultivate the transformative power of relationship, and reminds us to enjoy the process, through exploring our own stories, fears and expectations, and marvel at our children's growth as we learn to hold, let go, and respect each child's unique nature.

Lu's writing always touches tender places in my heart, and The Garden is no exception. This is a short, easy read but leaves a beautiful impression. Interwoven in this lovely parable, the author eases our fears as a parent, tells us in the most gentlest way possible to not look to other families and compare ourselves to them, our children to their children, because each is unique and needs it's own special blend of love and care to thrive. She warns us of getting trapped in the loop of noticing imperfections or wishing our child was different somehow. Then she asks the question we all ask in our parenting journeys - How can I get my flowers to bloom more quickly and stay open longer? Acknowledging that there is no magic formula, not for gardens or for children, Lu shows us how to relax and enjoy the process as we tend to our own families, and that even though we may not be perfect at it, our flowers will bloom if we lovingly tend to them every day. "The miracle grows where the eye can't see...in the strong roots underground that reach deep into the black earth with long tributaries of trust, anchoring the garden above to grow with the changing seasons, trampling of sneakers, silent snowfalls and spring thaws."

Beautifully illustrated and written, The Garden is a lovely reminder to have on your bedside table. There is something ever so soothing and grounding about this little book. I hope you'll and enjoy it as much as I did.

Lu is an award-winning writer, author, educator, speaker, television host, brain science geek, creativity crusader, and most grateful mama of two boys. She is the author of the acclaimed book "," former NBC anchor and Discover Health Channel host of Make Room for Baby. For five years, she hosted The Science Show, syndicated in 11 countries. She currently co-hosts a dynamic educational television program for youth in New York called Liberty Treehouse.

Lu's essays and articles have been published in The New York Times, Mothering, Parenting, Fit Pregnancy and Redbook. Lu and the amazing Tanya Leonello collaborated on a previous book, "," a children's story about what happens when connection and imagination join forces. Lu is founder of , her socially conscious initiative and newly minted studio awarded "Best of South Jersey." She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two boys. You can find Lu on Facebook on her page .

Caught in the middle: How to help gifted children survive the middle school years

Caught in the middle.

Just when life seemed manageable, middle school-aged children face confusion and uncertainty. Social demands, hormonal changes, and a burgeoning sense of independence challenge the self that once was. New worlds unfold, and the old rules from elementary school don't work any more. Neither child nor adult, they must discover who they are and how to define themselves.

Giftedness complicates matters even further. Heightened sensitivity, introversion, asynchronous development, a preoccupation with fairness, and intensely focused interests can make the middle school years even more difficult to navigate.

What challenges of middle school do gifted children face?

Fitting in - All middle school children face pressure to conform; how much they choose to conform and how well they manage to can determine whether they gain acceptance. Wearing the right clothes, affecting that certain attitude, and following the music, sports and pop culture icons of the moment are critical. Each middle school creates its own social hierarchy, and traits associated with giftedness are rarely valued. Intellectual interests, academic striving, emotional sensitivity, and concern about the meaning of life are not typical priorities for most middle school students. As a result, gifted children question whether to conform and disguise who they are, or find a small, select group of like-minded peers and remain an outlier from the larger group.

Bullying - A more serious threat is the risk of . The gifted child's intellectual differences, sensitivity, and talents can be targeted by other children. Due to their highly developed sense of fairness and justice, gifted children may be appalled by a social culture that perpetuates bullying, and feel unprepared to defend themselves. Those who lag behind in social skills may be particularly unprepared to navigate these challenges when bullying is part of the school environment. Repeated bullying can contribute to anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances isolation from others and physical complaints, and can create lasting emotional scars.

Underachievement - Enthusiasm for learning, often embraced throughout elementary school, sometimes fades in middle school. A variety of factors may play a role: social distractions, disappointment and boredom with classes, a decision to "dumb themselves down" to fit in, or role confusion. Gifted girls, in particular, may mask their intellectual skills to be more attractive to boys. And in schools where sports are highly valued, boys may assume that they cannot be athletic and pursue academic interests at the same time.

Identity formation - Middle school is a time when teens start to define themselves. Despite the pressure of conformity and a rigid school culture, most young gifted teens develop a distinct sense of who they are, with strong preferences, interests, and opinions. As they come to terms with their abilities, they must decide how this identity will form their sense of self. Will they hide their giftedness so that they can fit in with peers? Or will they embrace their identity as a "smart kid" or "nerd," regardless of the social consequences? Can they be smart and athletic? Can they be popular and achieve good grades?

A new awakening - Gifted middle school-aged teens open their eyes to the world around them with startling acuity. They start to question values and see the complexity and uncertainty inherent in what they once trusted. They may lose respect for authority figures, abandon family values and religious beliefs, and question the meaning and purpose of their existence. This painful existential awakening can eventually help them understand and define themselves more clearly. But, it may be confusing and difficult for a child to navigate. Some gifted children find a cause or activity that captivates their interests, while others may become anxious, depressed or disengaged.

Gifted middle school children need their parents' guidance as they traverse this difficult transition. Since middle school is considered a difficult time for most children, a gifted child's concerns could be easily dismissed as part of "normal" growing pains. Yet, their intensity, sensitivity, and the limited availability of true peers increases the likelihood of a rough road. Some manage without difficulty, but others continue to struggle throughout high school and beyond, battling underachievement, depression or feelings of alienation.

What can parents do to help them?

1. Tune in and listen. Pay attention to what they say and what they don't say. Notice changes in behavior, loss of interest in activities, refusal to spend time with friends. Other signs of concern include sleep problems, changes in appetite, apathy, a drop in grades, physical complaints (without a known medical cause), anxiety, or extreme irritability.

2. Ask them directly about their lives. What, are you kidding? OK, many teens are as closed as a vault, but with some timing and skill, you can find out more about what they are feeling. Sometimes teens are more receptive to communication when sharing an activity you both enjoy, riding in the car, or talking before bed. Parents know their children best and can usually find a good time to start the conversation.

3. Keep your emotions in check. Yes, it is upsetting and even infuriating to see your child struggle. But parents need to manage their own feelings without placing this added burden on their children. Middle school is a time when life feels out of control for many children. It's OK to show children that you feel angry about an injustice at school or empathize with how they feel. If your sadness or rage is excessive, though, they won't have the calm, stable foundation they need during this difficult time. If you need support, reach out to adult family members, friends, or a counselor. Even an online can help.

4. Withhold judgment. Quickly coming to conclusions, offering immediate advice, or taking charge will backfire. Children either rebel (through angry refusal or passive eye-rolling), or initially comply, but fail to develop the skills to negotiate difficult social situations. Your advice is valuable, but first help them sort through possible solutions to the problem. Ask what they think might work, help them brainstorm, and weigh the pros and cons of different outcomes.

5. Advocate, advocate. When schools offer little in terms of options for gifted children, parents need to strategically for services their children deserve. The teacher, principal, administration and school board may need input regarding what your child and what all gifted children need. about the needs of gifted children.

6. Seek support. Most importantly, if the school is unable to help, or if your child is showing signs of emotional distress, it is important to seek guidance and . While services may be available through the school, you may need to find a therapist outside of school who can meet with you and your child. Your pediatrician or the school psychologist are often excellent resources for recommending referrals in your area.

What has helped your middle school-aged child? Let us know!