This one's a bit long but I think you'll enjoy learning about some of our newest members. Why not pull up a virtual chair, find a new member and say Hi in the comments. For those just exploring, the Summit Classrooms: Cooking, Experts, Crafts/Hobbies, and Tech close today but you can purchase an All Access pass for $16 to see all the cool stuff you missed during our summit earlier this month. For those looking for activities, if you click the Classroom, you'll find the Curious Kitchen, Build, Play, and Story labs. Take a peek and let us know what you try. More labs posting this week. And now, without further delay - let's welcome our newest community members. We're thrilled to have a wonderful wave of new members joining us—people who get it, who believe in the power of play and real connection with the kids in their lives. @Kylie Larsen is here because she's passionate about helping students build confidence and develop winning strategies, and now she's bringing that same energy to family life. She's working through some health challenges with her family and wants her kids: Ry, Evans, and Kinley to trade screens for meaningful time together. @Krissy B is diving in with four little ones under six and a goal to get more hands-on and active in their everyday lives, a beautiful shift toward intentional parenting. @Morning Smiles is here because she's raising a future doctor and wants to nurture her daughter's ambitions while creating lasting memories together. @Angel Gerry loves the idea of using play to build stronger bonds and create meaningful moments with the children she cares about, that's exactly what we're all about here. @Angela Hawkins works with small children and is organized, caffeinated, and ready to find new ways to connect through play. @Natalie Naslund, a first-time homeschooling mom of five, wants to teach her kids to cook and share the joy of the kitchen together.

I created this image, with the help of AI. It features our community mascot, the kid and his friend. This is where we have some fun. I’ll start the story, and everyone builds on it one sentence at a time. Let’s play!

Have you every stumbled across old family photos where there was nothing on the photo to tell you who was in the picture or what was happening? In the early 2000’s scrapbooking was all the rage and it made sense. Today, with digital albums and AI analysis, it seems like scrapbooking isn’t as popular. You may be asking yourself, what’s this about?! Well, it’s today’s activity of course. If you go to #The Mystery Photograph you can get even more ideas. Let’s start, right here on this topic. I’ll post a picture and you can try to decode it. A photograph captures one tiny moment, but it rarely tells the whole story. Look closely at an interesting image and use what you can actually see to uncover what may have happened before, during, and after the picture was taken. Gather Your Gear - An interesting family photo, magazine image, or unfamiliar photograph - Detective’s Journal - Pencil, crayons, or markers - Optional: magnifying glass Choose an image with enough detail to investigate but don’t explain its story yet. Steps 1. Take a silent look. Study the photograph for 30–60 seconds before anyone talks. 2. Notice the details. Look at people, objects, expressions, clothing, weather, background, shadows, and anything unusual. 3. Separate clues from guesses. Record what you can actually see before deciding what those details might mean. 4. Ask detective questions. Where might this be? Who might these people be? What could they be doing? What clues support those ideas? 5. Look beyond the frame. What might be happening just outside the photograph? 6. Build the story around the moment. What probably happened immediately before this photograph? What might happen next? 7. Compare theories. Which details did different detectives use? Did the same clue lead to different ideas? What do you notice in this picture?

I’d love to hear some thoughtful and honest opinions from parents and grandparents — both those with Christian values and those without. How do you feel about children or teenagers reading stories that include Gothic themes, witches, wizards, magic, spells or darker fantasy worlds, such as Harry Potter? For those with Christian values, do these themes conflict with your beliefs enough that you would avoid buying or recommending such books for your children or grandchildren? And for those without Christian beliefs, I’d be equally interested in your perspective. Would witches, magic or Gothic imagery bother you at all, or would your decision be based more on things such as the child’s age, how frightening the story is, the overall message, or simply whether it is a good story? I’m also curious about where people draw the line. Would you feel differently if the story contained witches and magic but ultimately focused on values such as: - friendship and loyalty - courage - standing up against corruption or injustice - making difficult moral choices - good versus evil - finding your own identity and purpose Do you see fantasy magic simply as imagination and storytelling, or does the presence of witches and spells immediately make a children’s or YA book less appealing to you? I’m genuinely interested in hearing both sides, rather than looking for one particular answer. So, parents and grandparents: would a Gothic or magical theme make you less likely to let your child or grandchild read a novel — and does your personal faith or belief system influence that decision? 🤔

’Twas the night before the summit, and through the community, Families were planning their week of curiosity. The calendar was checked. The favorites were marked. Four classrooms stood ready, though still quiet and dark. The flour was waiting. The yarn was nearby. The robot had stories it wanted to try. The guitar was tuned. The questions were brewing. The speakers were busy their notes they were reviewing. Parents were asking, “Which sessions are we doing?” Some planned to cook. Some planned to create. Some wanted the portraits before it got late. Some said, “We’ll watch the replay. We’re always behind.” And I, at my keyboard, with tea close at hand, Was checking each classroom and reviewing the plan. Tomorrow the doors open. The waiting is done. A week of connection, learning, and fun. You do not need perfection. You do not need it all. Choose what fits your family and answer curiosity’s call. Then close out the calendar and get some sleep tonight. Unplug & Play begins tomorrow. It’s sure to delight! Let’s make it memorable. See you there.