wordplayhouse®

one year: at play

We thank you for celebrating play, growing, learning, family, and the wonder of childhood each week with us, all this year long. One year ago today, we began sharing with you. We remember, in jubilant reverence and celebration of children's wondrous imaginations everywhere, our very first story here. The first time we invited you to join us...

 

malleability of play | december 26, 2010 

Child's play is a story unfolding in real time. Spur-of-the-moment. Fresh spontaneity. This wood toy dock, caught in time in this photograph, is meant for pirate ships. It has yet to see that intended water vessel against it's wooden planks. Instead it has been danced upon, to the sweet song of a child, by a princess as small as your hand. The dock has been driven on by a soundless, tiny truck and passed beneath by a wooden train announcing, "Choo, choo" in a tender two-year-old's voice. This unfolding story, unexpected, is perhaps more endearing than one of a pirate ship dockside. source for our wood toy pirate dock, above.

•    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •    •  

a year of play and a few play ideas we've shared this year

nature of play: a natural playground • wheel silly outdoor activities • ideas for play food pretend play outside • how do you raise happy children? • 5 ideas to make work into child's play • puddle play • a winter playground  © heather cahoon wordplayhouse

We're so glad you happened upon us. 

If you have been inspired by what we share, please subscribe or choose a way to remember to visit us again:

  

| our shop |

(not) hot cocoa: full-of-fun food play

 

It's a tradition now they wouldn't end the evening forgetting—our sleepy children and I sitting quietly together at the close of each day, just before dream time, during this wintry, sparkly season. You'll find us around our lit evergreen or shadowy candlelight. Sparkles in all eyes. Twinkles in the smiles. The children, big and small, snuggled at my side. "Please tell us The Story About the Girls," the children plead. They are asking for the next adventure in the never-ending, ever-aweing story thread I began so long ago. We're eating warming goods we baked together. Some cookies. Sometimes gingerbread. Or hot cocoa. Then the young ones ask for song, and I'm plinking an out-of-tune tune on our 90-something-year-old piano (over accompanying 'tink-tinks' made by the little, still baby-like hands, of our youngest above). With some out-of-tune singing too. 

And we're all laughing. Because this time, this silly hot cocoa isn't for sipping—

It's chocolate pudding.

 

make and enjoy our very own full-of-fun idea—

wordplayhouse^® hot cocoa chocolate pudding fills four mugs (1 cup serving each)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups whole or 2% milk

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large marshmallows

 

Place dry ingredients in a medium saucepan and whisk together. Gradually add milk as you whisk. Place over medium heat. Whisk continuously as the mixture cooks, until it comes to a boil. Continue cooking and whisking a couple minutes more, until the pudding coats the back of a metal spoon. Pudding will thicken as it continues to set on its own. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and butter (optional and delicious without, but I like to add extra richness when I'm using 2% milk). Pour pudding into four mugs. Top with marshmallows (or homemade marshmallows made with our recipe). Eat while pudding is warm, and enjoy in the evening together as we do. 

And after you enjoy all the surprised-that-it's-pudding-and-not-hot-chocolate giggles, sing an out of tune song or two. 

{Ready for more food play silliness? Try our just juice? just kidding for more giggles. Lots of them.} © heather cahoon wordplayhouse