Playtography

Miss Chrissy

Taylor Swift’s Photo Car Rally

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One of my children, just hit a milestone birthday. I created a fun evening for them, but was surprised, that none of them, had heard of a car rally. They were a bit skeptical. This was a popular event that I did when I was a youth. It’s a scavenger hunt on wheels, and now with the ease of cell phones, you can record the event, and make a cell phone call rally. Back in my day, one could find different objects, as proof, that you were there, or one had to dish out the film cameras, to then take proof of the event. Now, one just takes your cell phone and record each stop.

SEND THEM OFF to go skating, or something fun, with the other parent, or friend, while you work on getting it ready!

Need a little help from my friend, Taylor

I created this event, in about 6 hours, with a little help with some of my friends, and with the help of Taylor Swift’s music lyrics, as clues. It took them about two hours to complete!

1. First stop, the image of Katy Perry in a hamburger, with Taylor Swift in Fries, they made up, and so I send them off to McDonald’s to get dinner first, while I continued to get the clues over to the next stops. I had my husband, there earlier enough, to eat, and pay for their meals.

2.  I’d never walk Cornelia Street Again….but I will go drive and go inside….(Name a friends street) . Inside, I had the host read “Barefoot in the kitchen/sacred/New Beginning/That became my religion”.   Take a photo of all your barefeet in their House’s kitchen

3. Just before they left, the host gave them another clue- “I snuck in through the garden gate/Every night that summer just to seal my fate” 

(Find someone with a garden gate, and then tape a clue, in a envelope, to say where to go next, in our case, it was inside the home of the garden gate)

4. “Here’s a toast to my real friends  They don’t care about that he said, she said” 

The host will open up some sparkling apple juice bottles and give them plastic champagne drinking glasses, to toast. Photo of them toasting each other.

Before they leave, Host gives the next clue

5. “It’s a love story baby just say ‘Yes”….

GO To this house,  (one with a baby)! Take a photo with the baby…

And ask for the next Clue-

Host -will give them this clue, and they will open it there. 

“And we see you over there on the Internet

Comparing all the girls who are killing it

But we figured you out

We know now

We all got crowns

You need to Calm down.”  

Host takes a photos of all of them wearing crowns, gives them clue #6 with an address or you could be sent to a number of an address.

6. So it goes…“You did a number on me/but honestly baby, who’s counting?…

Go to this House #, and inside Host gives the foil Birthday Numbers to the birthday child. Take a group photo

Host then gives clue #7

7. But she wears shorts skirts/I wear T-shirts/she’s cheer captain/and I’m on the Bleachers”

HEAD to the bleachers at the Highschool field, and take your group photo.

(on the bleachers/or a person standing to give you the next CLUE #8!

8. I forgot that you
Got out some popcorn
As soon as my rep starting going down, down, down
Go to the movie theatre, and BUY a BAG of MOVIE POPCORN and then

“OLD TAYLOR CAN’T COME TO THE PHONE RIGHT NOW, WHY?  OH BECAUSE SHE’S DEAD!’

Head to the graveyard, your next clue will be handed to you .

9. Laughed on the schoolyard
As soon as I tripped up and hit the ground, ground, ground
And I would’ve stuck around for ya
Would’ve fought the whole town,…

Go to the School playground, take photos in the school yard with your popcorn and laugh and then read the last clue #10

10. And ah, take me out and take me home!  (go back home)

A bunch of smiles, and time to blow out the candles, made it a successful night! There are so many versions one can do!

This simple toy, will give your child a hand up when it comes to reading.

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When I was a child, I spent many years going to speech therapy in my school, where I was taken out of class to work with a therapist. I also, went to an additional speech therapy sessions in the evening through the health clinic. I do remember, how exciting it was to pick from a treasure box, when I went to an unpleasant place, like speech therapy or even the dentist. If I had a toy like this, I would of been an envied to all my classmates!

So, when I started photography sessions, I would reward children with a small gift of appreciation for co-operating and placed these fun martian fingers in my treasure box. They were a hit with the children, but it wasn’t until I started teaching preschool, when I saw even a more significant use! Anything, that encourages play and coupled with a task to do, can make learning fun, and I highly recommend it! These martian fingers, can go on the child’s pointer finger, and the child can point to the words as he reads along! They can help children sound out the syllables, as a teacher you will have their full attention, for those visual learners.

As moms, sometimes, we see these trinkets, as more junk that children collect, and eventually we are thrilled when it gets lost or thrown out, and so it was with one mother. Although, she quickly realized how valuable they were! Her son asked to wear it as he did his daily reading to her. She was amazed of how he practiced sounding out his words, and she asked for a few spares, for her children, as well to have any extra on hand, in which I highly encouraged.

The martian fingers can be found on amazon, and also I found mine, at

Oriental Trading

I even found glow in the dark ones, which would complete a fun costume on Halloween night.

I have also used them on photography sets, for fingers protecting the gold in a treasure chest. Pick up these creepy vinyl fingers, and toss them in the Halloween bags, this year!

Couldn’t live without this!

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My first year of teaching, I spend a lot of time creating my own curriculum, and faithfully, went through hundreds of laminating sheets, even though my class size was small with 6 children. I always made 6 copies of each, one for each child.

A better way to save the environment, by just wiping off the markers, when the children practiced their pre-writing skills, and other worksheets. Some of the children, though still try taking them home, they love doing them so much. What do you do with all the unwanted papers, that seem so important to the child. Just take a photo of their work, and add it into their album to remember, how great they did!

Laminating is a time saver, especially if you teach in a home, school, a church setting, a road trip, or even creating your own planner! Best place to buy these sheet is amazon of course! This Scott Laminator, held up its job! I would give it 10/10! I buy, the big bulk Scott package of sheets, usually 200, as it a better savings, and after reading lots of the reviews, the pages do not peel over time, like the cheaper competition. Good Luck in your lesson planning, or reviewing your child’s skill.

Robot Day

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I liked to have a new theme, or a theme that builds upon it the following class. Since, each new day changed, its always a favourite day! I might do gears first, and then Robot Day, as you need gears to run a robot! Robot day has been hilarious journey to hear how these preschool lessons have impacted their families lives. Robot day is a great lesson that can be applied at home! Especially, when I pull out my irobot roomba vacuum cleaner, that shows a real robot in action!

The children would freak out! They would jump up high, as it rolled near their feet, they would jump up on benches. Then I would hear of their stories, of how some children thought it would be a great idea for their moms to get this vacuum, and one child even wanted one for his birthday, to clean his own room! This has been a great investment for my floors, and for the thrills it gave the children!

Make Clean up a Game!

One of the favourite class rooms songs, is “Robot Number One”, sung by the musical group from Australia, called Hi5, one can find it on itunes. A part of the lyrics go, “Robot Number one, Hit the switch and turn me on, We’re gonna have some fun” . Pretending to turn on and off, the children as Robots, turns into a freeze clean up game.

I also love these! As it gives the children a chance to strengthen their arm muscles, to open and close the gripper, these ones listed below, can make it fun for adults, too!

Alphabet Game

Another fun activity are the Alpha-bots. The capital letters, transform into little robots, with hidden faces, arms, and hands, its a clever transformer. It also makes creating your name out of them fun or creating words that can rhyme!

A Robot Book

A fond memory of my childhood is reading with my parents, and receiving Hallmark Pop Up Books. I have a nativity one, and 3 fairy tales in one, where the binding is practically non existent.

For Robot Day, my favourite discovery of a pop up book is titled, If you’re a Robot and you know it” , with a fun active book to play along when you read. The arms, stretch way up high, and I love the lazer eye beams!

Would you like to rent out a Playtography in a Box, of the Robot theme? Where you can borrow, the pop up book, alphabots, and kid hand grabbers, and more! If so, please help me with this survey, https://forms.gle/B88MzgqNaoWCQMyM7

Thank you, Miss Chrissy

Under the Big Top!

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Let’s focus on those that make a great performance, and what has come to Calgary!

Get Ready to See Under the Big Top! Calgary Stampede park Lot #6, Aug 16, 2019 to Sept 22, 2019 the Cirque Du Soleil, Luzia has arrived!

In a Preschool school or home setting, one can recreate under the big top of the circus!

She’s holding the parachute in play

For Play
Use a Parachute, as a roof top decor, or as I prefer to play a few games, while throwing up the parachute into the air, and hiding under it like a mushroom. We are pretending to be in the big top tent.

As part of the big top tent, and where the children can hid in, until its their turn to perform, a tent or a pop up theatre tent of any decor works as a great solution!

The Clowns get ready to entertain!

For Play:

Costumes Pick up some clown noses, each child gets their own, we don’t want to be spreading any extra germs. One could just use some kids friendly face paint, to paint their nose red, and send home their red nose to play with at home.

Come see the amazing Flying Canonball Performer!
Walk the Tight Rope
Jumping through the fire hoop!
  • The Juggler
The remarkable Weight Lifter!

Have you gone or are you going to Cirque du Soleil, Luzia? Let’s hear your reviews!

https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/canada/calgary/luzia/buy-tickets

If you can’t….

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In 2014, I was at a local craft fair doing photography sessions. On one of my breaks, I walked by a booth, and saw a 12 year old girl, selling these unique bracelets. This bracelets have a unique a story behind them with a great lesson built right in.

These are “Zip- It’s” Bracelets. Children that wear them are committed to a two-fold idea. Firstly, that if they can’t say something nice to someone, they will keep it zipped! However, if they see someone being bullied, they should speak up and report it and NOT zip-it.

Chantelle and her mom Gina, were there to raise funds for their grass root charity, called “F.I.B.B”, which stood for Families Impacted by Bullying. Chantelle’s older sister, Jade was affected by a group of girls while in high school in England, where she was physically bullied, to the point where she received brain damage, and life long consequences. Jade’s story and her Mom’s is featured in this book, “Ray of Hope” as well as others in Canada. It is a heart felt book that is raw, and can give us a better perspective of all sides.

This concept really resonated with me, where a simple bracelet could serve as a great reminder.

At a later date, I sat with Gina and created “Be Your Own Hero”. A photography session, where children, adults and families, dressed up in caps, masks, pettiskirts, arm bands, and crazy super hero socks, that I provided, to create their own hero, and to stand up as a positive force, in a negative environment.

Here is a fact – Bullying happens to someone in Canada every 7 minutes on the playground, and just think of how often it could happen in a work place, and in other environments, as it comes in a variety of forms.

I had a good friend, that had a heart transplant. At times, she would use an electric motorized cart when shopping in a store, some people would be snide and make rude comments that she was too healthy and shouldn’t be using it. Just like this guy, running to high school classes, wipes out his energy, as he has a congenital heart defect, no one can tell of his battles he has physically inside.

Henry B Eyring said, “When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.” and if we take Roger Dawson advice, “Treat everyone you meet as though they are the most important person you’ll meet today”, just think of the difference we can make one on one, and on the sidelines! We can make a difference in every person we meet!

Let’s start a movement, an everyday awareness, with these zip it bracelets, you can buy them here!

Miss Chrissy

Setting your child up for success at the table.

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Snack time at home or at preschool, how to set your child up for success!

If you have being playing, its time to tidy and then wash your hands. Here is a fun hand washing song, sung to Row Row Row Your Boat.

Wash, wash
Wash your hands
Wash them nice and clean.
Scrub them here (with hand motion scrubbing together)
Scrub them there (with hand motion scrubbing tops of hands)
And scrub them in between (with hand motion scrubbing between fingers).

Wash, wash, wash, your hands
Play our handy game
Rub and scrub, scrub and rub
Germs go down the drain HEY!
Wash, wash, wash, your hands
Play our handy game
Rub and scrub, scrub and rub
Germs go down the drain HEY!

Have a easy pull drawer, eye level where a young child, can pull out. Filled with child size plates, cups, utensils. In a preschool setting, I usually only put what is needed for the class, and then have them practice counting how many they need, as attendance does fluctuate. Ikea is my favourite for kids dishes, and I purposely, don’t always make them match, because I want them to know, its okay if they don’t! Sorry, all you OCDer’s!

Get a kids size spray bottle, and fill it with your choice of a cleaning product. Tell them, you will help assist them to wipe the table clean. I’m sensitive to smells, this is one I can handle that is environmentally friendly, too! If they can’t squeeze the bottle, they can wipe the table!

I aim to try 3 out of 4 food groups. If you are in a preschool setting, where you might rotate snack among parents this is a great choice, as then the children are exposed to a variety of choices, that the might not consider to try! It might also take a bit of time, for them to build up the courage to try something new. I like to say, “Our tastebuds are growing up every day, and you might like it today! ” They can place the food back on their plate, if they don’t like it. It’s funny how children are, they want to surrender the foreign food, that they dislike and give it back to you! I loved how my preschool parents, made a effort in being creative, with different topics that were being taught.

Try this adorable song to sing, to your students prior to snack time, I’m sure before long, they will be singing along!

To the tune of “If you’re happy and you know it’

“Put your hands in the air, in the air. (x2)
Put your hands in the air but we don’t want to leave them there so put your hands in your lap, in your lap.
Put your hand in your lap, in your lap (x2)
Put your hands in your lap and lets get ready for our snack, put your hands in your lap, in your lap”

Sit while you eat, I can’t stress this enough! So important, so a child does not choke. This is a great time, to capture their attention, and read stories during this time.

Although, if bananas are served…play along, and encourage them to communicate through their modern day bananaphones!

Snack time, is a great time to practice manners, and table expectations.

Let them try out new skills like pouring water into a cup. No crying over spilling, and if you stick to water, it isn’t sticky. They will experiment right to the rim and over, just be prepared to have plenty of towels and encourage them to help clean up, too!

Let them play with their food! I have seen wonderful plate creations, and how they come up with creative concepts. Talk about shapes, or what even what letters you can make out of what you have, what pictures or animals can you make?

I an a walrus!

When one is all finish, how do you clean up? Do you compost, and have to separate packaging? Show them a few times, and before long, they will be doing it all by themselves!

Miss Chrissy

World’s Largest Marriott – Residence Inn – Calgary, Alberta. Celebrates Grand Opening!

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Today, I was able to view the new Residence Inn By Marriott located in Downtown/Belt line District located at 610 10 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1M3 (587) 885-2288

Designed by Frank Architecture.ca Textured walls, with metal staircases, and huge windows that one can see the Calgary Tower, and also the mountains from the 33rd floor.

As a family with four children, we have stayed in a lot of residence inn’s throughout the United States; as it provides a kitchen and enough space to sleep without having to book two rooms.

The King Size suite, one could definitely put up their feet and make it home especially if travelling for long business trips.

King Suite’s Kitchen

The Family suite, has 2 queen beds, with the pull out couch. It feels more roomy for the family to hang out, and gather around for a meal.

Family Suite, 2 Queens with Pull out Couch, with kitchen

The eating area is spacious, and it has waffle makers. If you have waffle makers, you know you have landed on a great breakfast area! There is a large dining area, for happy hour and where one could catch a meal, even if they weren’t staying in the hotel, with a bar service near by. The outside courtyard has lots of space to visit with bbq and fireplaces.

Outside Patio, with bbqs and firepits

To work off those waffles, just off of the lobby on the main floor, there is a fitness area with a loft. You will find treadmills, exercise balls, flex machines, elliptical machines, with a view of the Calgary Tower. The hotel does not have a pool, but there are plenty of fun wave pools in the City of Calgary, to check out.

Fitness Center, you can do a virtual run to the Calgary Tower.

This is a beautiful hotel, who honors the founder of the Calgary Stampede Guy Weadick, throughout the murals, photographs, and even the western boot stitching on the headboards of the beds. You will definitely feel that you have stepped into a modern western heritage hotel! Yahoo, hope you can visit soon!