Rose of Sharon Jewelry

Play is a critical part of building a wealthy and healthy life. $ is tight in most communities but you could win a $10k grant to improve a local park!

As a creative person and advocate for increasing creativity, emotional health and wellness, I believe that play is critical to everyone from infants to seniors. Local parks are vital to maintaining physical play in a world where we “exercise” in front of a TV!

KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to saving play, has partnered with the National Environmental Education Foundation to promote National Public Lands Day (NPLD) and Play Days 2010, both being held on September 25.  By starting a project at playday.kaboom.org, communities can win grants of up to $10,000 to further improve a local park.

This is a great way for a few citizens to make a difference in the lives of families.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single outdoor volunteer event, this year drawing an estimated 170,000 volunteers at over 2,300 sites across the country on September 25.  KaBOOM! Play Day 2010 is a national celebration to save play in the lives of children. It includes games, activities and "spruce up events" at playgrounds coast-to-coast between September 18-26, 2010.

Groups that participate in both programs are eligible for improvement grants of up to$10,000, courtesy of Mott’s and NFL PLAY 60.

This partnership helps with NPLD's outreach, especially among families with young children and in urban and suburban areas where many pocket parks, or small neighborhood green spaces, are situated.  With more than 2,300 NPLD sites, September 25 will truly be a national event for the whole family.  Last year, more than 1,200 communities across the country held KaBOOM! Play Days, raising both funding and volunteer support for their local parks and playground.

So get out and play today! You’ll be so much wealthier!

I’ve got 64 ways to be creative today. A colorful box of Crayola® Crayons! Coloring isn’t only for kids – it’s also a great way to unwind.  Today I want you to color – inside or outside the lines!

The treasured 64-count box with the built-in sharpener is a beloved memory. Introduced in 1958, I was so happy to be “big enough” for my own box when I was in 2nd grade.

The Power of Memory on Play

I’m sure many of you have these same childhood memories so this playtime has extra special meaning.

Even if you have crayons in the house for kids or grandkids, I highly recommend going out and getting your very own box. You might even want to splurge on the new 120 count box. Perhaps those extra colors will inspire you! Besides Mom isn’t there to say, “But the teacher’s list says. . .”

Today’s Crayola brand crayons (Don’t waste your money on anything but the authentic Crayola.) have some color changes – no longer will you find Maize or Raw Umber, for example. If you were born after 1972, your color box would have included 8 new fluorescent ones like Hot Magenta. Crayola even has a color history chart.

What to Color

The crayons are the easy part of this process. Now what do you want to color?

Inside the Lines?

Are you an “inside the lines” person? Then you should buy a few coloring books to get you started. You’ll be surprised at how costly they are so to get started perhaps you’d rather download some color pages. To find a printable coloring page on any subject, simply use your search engine. There are literally thousands of possible choices.

• Crayola coloring pages
• Coloring pages for adults and artists
• Flower coloring pages
• Coloring fun for adults – lots of links here

Outside the Lines?

If you want to stretch your imagination and “color outside the lines” – simply start with some copy/printer paper. You can move up to better suited paper with a trip to any craft store. Select a matte fiber-based paper for best results.

Professional colorers (or colorists?) choose quality paper to transform prints into hand colored works of art. Why not explore the art of hand coloring?

Your Coloring Session

If you’re coloring for pure joy, color any where you want (with kids or without.) Coloring for relaxation and exploration is best achieved in a quiet area with appropriate natural light (daylight bulbs work, too). The proper lighting will show the “true” color without any lighting influence.

The key is to relax your shoulders and wrists. Crayons don’t   require the death-grip many of us use at work or while paying bills.

Coloring for Inspiration

1. Try different methods – like color around the outside lines then fill in the blanks or lightly color one direction then blend in from another angle.
2. Go outside your comfort zone – pick colors that aren’t your first choice. Combine colors which feel like they clash.
3. Try shading with a darker or lighter version.
4. Include white as a color to break things up visually.
5. Select colors from a favorite painting and use those to start your creation.
6. Have someone randomly select 4 colors then create something using them.

The most important rule is:

• Throw away all the rules.

I hope you’ll explore coloring soon. During some turbulent times in my life, I found serenity when I just sat silently and colored.

For some color related fun take the “What Color Crayon Are You?” Quiz.