A small spherical toy often made from glass, clay, steel, plastic or agate... Yes... It's a Marble!

I love the creative, unconventional way kids play with loose parts!  

These are some of the cool creations the kiddos have made up using marbles!

  

Creativity. Blocks and other loose parts can be moved freely by children, to be combined and recombined in countless ways.—Angela Eckhoff
 Here is the link to my kiddo demonstrating his lego and marble game:) 

Self-esteem. Children discover that they have ideas and that they can bring their ideas to life by creating, transforming, demolishing, and re-creating something unique.—Holly Bohart

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again♥ This is such a great example of teaching the kids to be persistent... keep trying... your mistakes are your best teacher and you could look at it as "trial 1, trial 2, trial 3... success!"

 This link takes you to a video of my kids in action, building with the dominoes and marbles:)

 Problem solving. Sometimes it is intentional: “I want to build X. How do I do that?” Other times it is in-the-moment: “To go higher and add to one side, what can I use?”—Peter Pizzolongo

 Here is an example of the kiddos engaged today in that kind of problem solving... after some creative thinking, they made it work:D

This link takes you to a video of my kiddos and their marble track:D

 

How To Play the Classic Marble Game of Ringer
Most children understand the game of marbles the first time it is explained, but to make it easier, these drawings show the most common plays. 

FIG. 1: To start a game of Ringer the children lag from a line, drawn tangent to the ring, to a parallel line across the ring, which would be 10 feet away. The child whose shooter comes nearest the line has the first shot. Players must lag before each game. Practice lagging, as the first shot may mean the winning of the game before your opponent gets a shot. In lagging, a child may toss his or her shooter to the other line, or he or she may knuckle down and shoot it.

FIG. 2: This shows child No. 1 who won the lag, preparing to knuckle down. His knuckle has not quite reached the ground, which is necessary before shooting. He can take any position about the ring he chooses. (The process of picking the best possible position for starting is referred to as "taking rounders.") The 13 marbles in the ring are arranged as in tournament play. For casual games, a one foot ring is drawn inside of the ten foot ring and each player puts in some 5/8" marbles, so that there is about a dozen marbles in the smaller ring.

FIG. 3: Child No. 1 knocks a marble from the ring on his first shot and his shooter stays in the ring. He picks up the marble. As he has knocked one from the ring, he is entitled to another try. Players are not permitted to walk inside the ring unless their shooter comes to a stop inside the ring. Penalty is a fine of one marble.

FIG. 4: Here we see child No. 1 continuing play. He "knuckles down" inside the ring where his shooter stopped on the last shot. This gives him the advantage of being nearer to the big group of marbles in the center of the ring for his next shot. Expert marble shots try to hit a marble, knock it out of ring and make their shooter "stick" in the spot. "Sticking" or shooting seven consecutive marbles out of the ring and winning the game without giving an opponent a turn is usually good for two days of playground bragging rights.

FIG 5: On this play, No. 1 hit a marble, but did not knock it from the ring. At the same time his shooter, too, stays inside the ring. He can not pick up the marble, and whether he is allowed to pick up his shooter depends on the type of play - in tournament play, if your shooter is in the ring at the end of your turn, you must remove it. In casual games, if your shooter is in the ring at the end of your turn, it becomes a legitimate target and any player who hits it out collects a forfeit from you, or even your shooter! (Players should agree in advance whether to use this rule.)

FIG. 6: Child No. 2 may start by "knuckling down" anywhere at the ring edge. In this case he may shoot at the 11 marbles in the center or if he wishes, he may go to the other side and try for the marble that No.1 almost knocked from the ring. In a casual game he might also try to knock the other player's shooter from the ring.

FIG. 7: Child No. 2 chooses to try for No. 1 child's shooter and knocks it out of ring, winning all the marbles No. 1 has taken (and his shooter, if that rule is being followed) and putting No. 1 out of that game. Or he could shoot as shown in Fig. 8.

FIG. 8: Child No. 2 hits a marble but does not knock it out of the ring, yet his shooter goes thru the ring and stops outside where he may pick it up. The target marble remains where it stopped in the ring, and as No. 2 did not score, it is now the turn of No. 1 to shoot again.

FIG. 9: No. 1 "knuckles down" inside the ring where his shooter stopped (Fig. 5). he is going to shoot at the marble nearest his shooter. By hitting it at the proper angle and knocking it from the ring he can get his shooter near the center of the ring for his next shot. Play alternates until one player has knocked a majority of the marbles out of the ring.   Go to www.landofmarbles.com/how-to-play.html for this printable and so many other fun marble games:D

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy;)

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy;)

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail... so many lovely butterflies visiting our backyard habitat:)

 The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail 

(Papilio canadensis), so pretty... 

We'll have to go around on the weekend to check out all the new blooms and new butterflies!

Here is our life cycle of a butterfly that can be found in our nature center:)  It's perfect for continuing the conversation and the learning... curiosity and inquiry♥

 

 All the butterflies are attracted to the lilacs.

We have 4 different kinds of butterflies we have had the privilege of documenting this year.  We've also been fortunate to have humming birds who frequent our fragrant blooms each year♥

 

First day of June:)

Come into the woodland,
sit by the moving water,
translate the bird calls,
laugh at simplicity,
feel the air surrounding you,
touch the living rock.
Feed your soul

Author unknown

"Birding" in our own back yard♥

Deanna and the baby Mourning Dove♥

The bird calmly watching her, listening to her voice...

 as she watched the bird, listening to his chirps:)  

We are very blessed to dwell in the middle of a forested area... 

nature submersion♥ 

Sounds of the Mourning Dove

"Children are fascinated by nature discovery. When parents revisit natural

wonders through the eyes of children, we’re reminded that life, when all is said

and done, is still infinitely remarkable. Taking time to really get to know the birds

who share our habitat is a wonderful pastime for families. It’s good, clean fun, and

builds values of respect and compassion for nature and all living things."  

Karen Stephens

If you'd like to read the full article on birding with children by Karen Stephens, 

click the link below:)  Published in 2007:)

 Bird Watching Helps Children Become Nature-wise

Handprints on the Wall

♥Love these munchkins♥ 

♥Handprints on the wall♥

Dusty Violet Boutique♥

With our three boys, baby girl and 24/7 daycare, you'd think our plate was pretty full;)  It is and I love it:D

We also discovered a great way to turn my night time hobby of making pretty, lovely things for my Deanna Lillie into a side business. It's turned out to be a great way to help fund our Simcoe County Family Home Daycare with toys, new beds, equipment etc. that will always be needed, as their needs change. It also helps us to give back to the OSMH Pediatric Department for 2016. They were so great during Deanna's stay there and we are forever grateful for the blessing of our baby girl♥ 

  (2015 donations have been going to Sick Kids Hospital. We have decided our 2016 donations will go to OSMH, peads for our quarterly donations, starting in January).

The Children, my Husband and I are so thankful for your support of our small business. You make such a difference to them and what we are able to provide for them♥ We are hoping the Christmas sales will fund hockey nets, helmets and/or sleds for much needed outdoor, winter play this year. We now have 2 little girls that are going to love going down the kiddie hill, for the first time on sleds this year♥ Donations of extra winter gear, craft supplies, boxed tissues etc. are always welcome at our subsidy based family home daycare♥

Please share Dusty Violet Boutique with your family and friends:) I am writing down my list of Christmas orders you are placing with me. Thank you for letting me be the one to make all the pretty accessories for you and your little girl♥ Thank you so much for shopping local and making this difference in your community... bright blessing for a Merry Christmas and wondrous and joyful New Year♥

The Dusty Violet Boutique