I’m currently working on a series of children’s books, and one of the more sensitive subjects I’m considering exploring is grief and the loss of a loved one. It’s something many children will experience at some point — the loss of a grandparent, parent, relative, friend or even a much-loved pet — yet it can be incredibly difficult for adults to know what to say. How do we explain to a young child that someone they love has died? What do we say when they ask: “Where have they gone?” “Will I see them again?” “Why can’t they come back?” Families may approach these questions very differently depending on their beliefs, religion, culture and personal experiences, and I want to be respectful of that rather than assume there is one “correct” answer. I’m particularly interested in the emotional side too. What helped the child feel safe? Were there particular words you found helpful — or things you later wished you had said differently? Did books, stories, memories, photographs, rituals or simply talking openly help them through it? If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences and wisdom. As a children’s creator, I don’t want to shy away from difficult subjects simply because they are difficult. If approached with sensitivity, I think stories can sometimes give children — and the adults caring for them — a gentle way to begin conversations that are otherwise very hard to have. ❤️

Mia dreams of becoming a superhero. One day, Pico gives her a mysterious Magic Hero Tool shaped like a phone—but it isn’t a real phone! With Wonder Bird by her side, Mia must complete a special mission and prove she is worthy of becoming a true hero. 🦸‍♀️ Will Mia discover what it really means to be a hero? 🎁 Download this kdp book FREE from September 9 to Sep 13 Book Link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHZDV67B

Following Mary’s recent post, “Who Likes to Color?”, I thought I’d take it one step further. 🎨 I’m curious — what kinds of things do you enjoy colouring? And if you have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews who love colouring, what do they enjoy most? Animals? 🐶 Flowers? 🌸 Nature? 🌿 Cute characters? ✨ Fantasy? 🧚 Interior scenes? 🏡 Food? 🍰 Fashion? 👗 Funny pictures? 😂 Educational pages? 📚 Gothic or spooky-cute designs? 🖤 Something completely different? I’d also love to know: 👉 Do you prefer simple and bold colouring pages, or more detailed and intricate ones? 👉 And what makes you pick up a colouring book in the first place — relaxation, fun, creativity, learning, stress relief, or something else? 👉 I’d love to hear what everyone enjoys. I suspect we may have some very different answers in here. 😆 #Colouring #CreativeCommunity

One of the first communities I joined after coming to the Skool platform was @Patrick Taylor’s Consistent Characters. In my role as learning designer, more and more of my clients were asking for custom characters that could be reused in training courses and that could be edited easily by internal teams. As a result, our community mascot, The Kid was born. I’m currently learning how to self-publish books, my partner Ken has had a series of books in his head for years building on our Curious Kitchen concept and so, our challenge this week is coloring book pages. I know, long story, can you get to the point Mary?! Bottom line do you and/or the kids in your life like to color? My gift to you today is my coloring page challenge entry.

Question for you - does the community leaderboard motivate you, annoy you, or you didn't even know there was such a thing? Skool, for better or worse, includes a leaderboard that shows member activity over 7 days, 30 days. and the lifetime of the community. I'm working on some new levels and rewards for the community and would love to hear your thoughts. Whether you love leaderboards or not, I'm excited to have so many active members and want to recognize our Connected Through Play Top 10 for the past 30 days. 🥇 @Andrew Brooks coming in at #1 this month AND holding strong at #5 all time. He was our kickoff summit speaker and brings positivity and insights to every interaction! 🥈 @Paulette Ng is #2 this month AND the all-time legend at #1, she's a UK creative powerhouse staying consistent as ever. 🥉 @Tosca Fasso #3 this month is new to the community and is already making a big impact with her thoughtful posts and clever retorts. 📍 #4 @Sandy Chong she is a light wherever she appears and is bringing sourdough mastery and humor to our crew. 📍 #5 @Paula Artis has been part of the community for a few months and consistently brings great ideas for merging tech with screen free time. She also presented a great workshop during the summit and I plan to bring her back for some hands-on time with the community. 📍 #6 @Jen Staniforth is #6 this month AND #2 all time she is a consistent powerhouse and brings her passion for babies and sleep to her posts. 📍 #7 @Chanie Twersky shares her Inner child wisdom in every post. 📍 #8 @Jenny Rader-Bakos is brand new to the community and shares her plant-based energy and community spirit. 📍 #9 @Auli Takala is another one of our core members, whether she's knitting a scarf, crocheting amigurumi, or sharing support, she's key to our community.