by Esther Jantzen, guest poster Often fairytale, book, or film characters have special powers A fairy godmother can turn pumpkins into coaches and mice into horses, and Superman can fly. Kids enjoy imagining they too might have a special power that could help them solve problems and help others. It gives them a chance to think about how they’d like the world to be. This activity can lead to talking about what kids really can do through their strengths and abilities, which are their real ‘special…

By Esther Jantzen, guest poster  In the days before television and radio, families often sat together in the evening and retold stories from books they had read or from adventures they had. Retelling stories develops one’s memory and the ability to speak in groups. It can build feelings of self-confidence. This activity encourages kids to pay attention to details and to the order of events in a story. It provides them a chance to show off their dramatic skills. And it’s fun to do this! Here…

 by Esther Jantzen, guest poster Children love to hear stories about what they did as babies or young children. It helps them know how they are unique. It helps them to see that their own lives are interesting and noteworthy. They learn that not all of the good stories come from books; many stories can come from their own experiences. This easy activity can be done any time, anywhere. Here are some ways to do it: 1) Recall something specific about your child – something he or she…