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The I Get Around Giving Project is providing books and learning tools to kids who need them. Every dollar you spend buys an item worth over $10--so you help 10 times more kids than if you bought an item yourself to donate. The link below gives more info. Rover and the kids would love your help! http://createsend.com/t/y-960E1B705C08DBD9
0 Comments on I Get Around Giving Project as of 12/11/2011 9:02:00 AM
Kids benefit from opportunities to explore and experience a variety of places, relationships, and activities. This article from Childcare Exchange makes it clear that the benefits continue throughout our lives. So go for it! (In the last few months, my "new things" have included taking an acting class, plans to teach a creative class to high school students, and going dog sledding.) What are some new things you've been up to?
People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.—Dale Carnegie
"Try something new. One way to take your memory to a higher level is to expose it to as many new experiences as possible. Recent studies conducted in Germany by University of Magdeburg researchers... demonstrated that novelty stimulates activity not only in the memory centers of the hippocampus/medial temporal lobe, but also in the dopamine rich midbrain areas responsible for motivation and reward processing. Because dopamine can enhance learning, anything you consider unique gives you proactive neurocircuitry more ammunition. By trying something new at least once a week... you provide yourself with more cross-reference material to draw on in the future."
0 Comments on Break out of your routine! as of 1/1/1900
We recently provided books to Healing Haiti, an organization that currently supports 53 orphans, living in two small orphanages who have lost their families to extreme poverty, hurricanes and AIDS. For kids with such great needs, this small donation seems trivial, but I mention it because I Get Around concept has always included getting books around to kids and families who may not have them for various reasons. The bookmark shown here is now included in some books sold at retail, even though donating books has always been—and always will be—part of the plan.
1 Comments on i get around to Haiti, last added: 3/30/2011
7 year old Eli used his Rover stickers to tell a story (I love his creative sticker use). Note the last two frames—cat is in tree, so what to do? Use a karate kick to knock the tree down and free the cat, of course! (Click on image to view larger.)
Eli's dad typed the text up for us too:
Wake up rover.
Rover is ready to go.
Rover is hungry. He stretches.
He eats breakfast.
The cat is sleeping.
Til rover shows up. (mew!!)
The cat ran up the tree.
Rover knows karate. (crack!)
1 Comments on A Rover Story, by Eli, last added: 3/21/2011
She sure can! It's all about developing a love for self-expression at this age. It's not about "knowing" how to spell (or even writing with letters), or knowing "what" is being created or drawn. It's about pretending, exploring, and experimenting, which helps develop communication skills, hand-eye coordination, confidence, and self-awareness. But most importantly, it's FUN!
0 Comments on Can a 4 year-old journal? as of 1/1/1900
St David's, a Minnetonka center for preschool, therapy, child and family services, is celebrating 50 years on Saturday AND the opening of the first toddler playground in Minnesota combining inclusive and natural play elements. They also have a school forest. I love it. The festival events will include Minnesota Zoo animals, hayrides, nature crafts, and I'll be there helping kids journal about how and where they like to get around. Know any kids YOU can bring?
Rover, River, and I invite you to get around to Stockholm WI this weekend!Dog Days of Stockholm is for people who love dogs, books, and art (any or all of the above). It's a cool little town to explore, plus there will be events all day long (including writing workshops, music, and dog-related fun). You'll find me at the children's tent helping kids journal about how and where they like to get around. Come see us!
0 Comments on Dog Days of Stockholm! as of 1/1/1900
From Elizabeth Fields, Director (and inspirer) of Early Childhood Education at Way to Grow:
I want to share one of my new favorite WTG moments with you. Last night we had a picnic for Preschool Pals at Loring Park. 24 out 25 families that signed up showed up! Everyone brought a dish to share and we all ate and played and had our faces painted together. After dinner the families met author, Deb Miner. Deb gave every family a copy of her book and we all sat in the grass together and read the book with her. You should have heard those kids and families all reading together!! After the reading Deb met each family and signed their books with a personal message. It was a very powerful picnic! Many, many parents came to me to thank us for this opportunity for their children as well as our preschool program in general. Many of the parents chipped in to help with clean up too :-)
It was one of those powerful Way to Grow moments in life when you see many different cultures and people from all walks of life come together for a common cause. And there really is no better cause than providing children with opportunity and education.
0 Comments on Way to Grow picnic report as of 1/1/1900
I'm excited to do a book reading and signing in Loring Park this Thursday at Way to Grow's summer picnic for kids and families. Way to Grow empowers parents to be their children’s first and foremost teachers. Working with the Twin Cities’ most isolated families, their goal is to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to succeed in school and life. This sweet video tells a bit of their story.
I love seeing 10 month-old Mason reading with his mom, Dawn in this video! The comment I most often hear from parents is that i get around is the book their child chooses most from the books they have :-) Rover and I are honored!
1 Comments on reading with Mason, last added: 5/10/2010
Amy, Eric, and Axel took the light rail to Minnehaha Falls park recently. Yay! An adventure that includes both alternative transportation and getting outdoors :-) Amy says "Axel such a train boy it was hard to talk him into getting off the train!" How and where do YOU get around with kiddos? Email your photos any time to info [at] i-get-around.com!
0 Comments on How do you get around? Axel takes the light rail! as of 1/1/1900
Woo hoo!! We had a great time when you visited us during your spring Road Show!! Here's to creativity, visiting new places (real & imaginary) and delighted, inspired kids!
Check out this article that was posted today at Examiner.com
Q: Describe i-get-around and where the idea came from.
A: i-get-around is collection of books and fun "activity encouragement" products for kids who get around in everyday life, on special trips, and in their imaginations. Curiosity, discovery, and learning are encouraged by Rover, a loveable, adventurous (and kinda silly) hound who likes to get around and learn along the way. Rover inspires little ones (age 0-8) to be creative and connected with the world around them—including being active in the outdoors and nature (i-get-around is a natural fit for helping to get kids outside and to be more physically active). Rover bikes, skis, skates, dances, walks, talks, runs, jumps, swims...read more
1 Comments on Interview on Examiner.com, last added: 2/17/2010
Excellent article! It's interesting to learn a little bit about the behind-the-scenes activity involved in developing a children's book/product. It clearly is an adventure worthy of Rover himself!
We had so much fun visiting Laura Risdall's kindergarten class at Burroughs Elementary, that we're going on tour! On Fridays, March 12th through June 4th, we'll be visiting preschools and kindergarten classes for a book reading, physical activity, and an art project. Spread the word and get signed up--spots will fill quickly! Check out this 2 and a half minute preview:
0 Comments on i get around SPRING TOUR! as of 2/8/2010 9:00:00 PM
i get around has an intern! I am so happy to have Lisa's help and involvement. We're busy making plans to get around and have fun--how about you? Stay tuned for updates!
I am always thrilled when I hear what kids think of i get around. So I have to share the reviews I received from Laura Risdall's kindergarten class at Burroughs School in Minneapolis! I cherish the letter I received. Here's what Ms Risdall wrote:
"After we read the book, I asked for their opinion. I told them they could tell me they liked it or didn't like it that much, but they had to tell why. Here are some of their responses, in their own words! It was all positive feedback!
I like it because...
It has a funny cover!
It has cool pages.
It is an interesting book.
I like that it rhymes!
I like the things that are in the dog's imagination.
It has a dog in it, and I have a dog at home!
I like the part that said, "Hey watch out for the tree!"
I like the part at the end where he goes to sleep!
I like the little critters in the drawings.
He goes a lot of places!
I like that you had to turn the book upside down!"
Thank you, Laura Risdall and students! I am honored to receive your feedback, and I look forward to meeting you in January. (I've been invited to visit the class!)
1 Comments on Reviewers that matter: Kindergarteners!, last added: 12/9/2009
Looking for unique kid's gifts that are engaging? Want kids to share your love of travel, outdoor adventures, physical activity, and connection with nature? Have you met Rover? This fun-loving (and kinda silly) hound encourages kids age 0-8 to be curious, creative, and connected as they get around in everyday life, on special trips, and in their imagination. Save 25% PLUS get free shipping. If you're on my email list, you've received notice of this. If you haven't—and want to— click here to subscribe.
This is an article I wrote for the local publication My Healthy Beginning. I'm posting it below, but you can also read it online (and enter to win a free i get around journal+scrapbook) here.
Play for Keeps by Deb Miner
Are there memories from childhood that stand out in your mind? What are they? Experiences—especially the unplanned and unstructured kind—are what I remember. Things I read, places I went, what happened, who was there, how I felt.
We all know how important early learning is for kids and there are certainly plenty of “educational toys” out there to help. But I’m especially interested in the kind of learning that happens spontaneously through open-ended play.
I love the natural curiosity and creativity kids have and it’s so fun to encourage little ones to discover and develop these abilities. It's so valuable for kids to become aware of their world through senses and feelings and also to begin to recognize their own actions and choices. Exploring self-expression and sharing experiences is key too. Much of this comes naturally when we’re young, but without encouragement and reinforcement, it can get lost in all the efforts to learn in more specific ways.
As a child, I spent a lot of time drawing, noticing, and imagining. My brother and I explored the woods and creatures in our backyard, boated on the Mississippi, and rode in the backseat on lots of roadtrips. We didn’t lack for toys (and I have the movies of Christmas mornings to prove it)! But my favorite toys often weren’t toys—they were things we discovered that had lots of possibilities.
Boxes became a restaurant stove, or a sled. Weird, slippery fabric remnants became curtains for a stage. Paper, crayons, and pens became cards, stories, signs, sculptures. I also loved books for the visuals AND the words AND the ideas! I still have a lot of the picture books my parents read to my brother and me. When I was older and reading on my own, I remember how great it was to go to the library and discover books myself. One of my favorites was My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. I loved the descriptions of Sam’s experiences and the creative ways that he lived in the woods.
Our experiences—and responses to them—help define who we are and how we interact with our world, our community. Who and what we connect with. Why, where, and how we make connections and develop awareness. This is the kind of learning that comes from opportunities to explore. From “not knowing.” (And sometimes, parents: “not showing.”) Safety is important, of course, but sometimes being too safe, too controlled, too correct can be dangerous as well. Opportunities to be curious, to explore, to discover are both fun and important.
Getting outdoors is more important than ever, too. According to the Children and Nature Network, nature can enhance a child’s emotional and social development. If young children have regular opportunities for unstructured play, then they are likely to have a greater chance of getting along with others and being happier, healthier, and smarter, report researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Teens also can benefit: A survey of participants in wilderness programs found that their interactions with nature resulted in enhanced self-esteem, independence, and initiative.
Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, there are opportunities to explore, connect, and discover. Use your senses to look, listen, smell, taste, touch. Take time to notice your emotions. And experience all that's around you and your child.
0 Comments on Play for keeps as of 11/4/2009 2:01:00 AM
Jodi Hiland, who runs Happy Trails (the cool local hiking program for families). Congratulations, Jodi! Jodi named 9 of the 10 activities in Caroline's journal. (No one guessed all 10!) Here are the answers: swimming, skiing, riding her bike, roller skating, hide and go seek, museum, --------, soccer, coffee-something (go to the coffee shop for special drinks), swimming. So what's the missing activity? Gymnastics! Caroline (and her sisters) are fabulous gymnasts, and her illustration was of the balance beam.
0 Comments on And a journal+scrapbook goes to... as of 1/1/1990
Look at these cool pages from 6 year old Caroline's i get around journal+scrapbook! First person to identify all 10 of her activities in a comment wins a free journal :-)
I’ve listened to various reactions about President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and I appreciate his response of being undeserving. But personally, I LIKE that it’s not about accomplishment. In our culture, accomplishments trump just about everything. But there’s a level that intention is very valuable on, because it’s a huge shift in attitude from the way conflict has been handled throughout history. It’s a move from a win-lose mentality to a win-win mentality that is rarely seen on this global level. This is the kind of peace that I’m interested in. Isn’t it time we see ourselves as more than “Americans”, and see ourselves as world citizens? And instead of being the kind of family that punishes dissent, learn to be a family where we seek to understand each other? We can still disagree, but what if we approach conflict with a desire to understand, rather than conquer? It’s certainly not easy, and there are no guarantees. It’s more vulnerable and more scary to do things this way. And as with any risk that has potential to succeed, there’s also potential to fail. I would much rather take the chance, than continue the legacy of “what’s always been done”. It takes commitment and courage to have this kind of intention, because resistance to change is part of the process too. Worthwhile, significant change usually happens incrementally, with a few steps forward, and a few steps back. But to have the intention to move in a new direction is so worthwhile, and so needed–I don’t have a problem with rewarding it. It would be even better if we ALL chose this intention, and the Nobel Peace Prize could go to everyone on earth.
Earlier this summer, I was asked to create posters to help educate kids about food and eating in three categories, for a variety of age groups. I thought you might enjoy seeing them.
Category 1: Eat Locally/Sustainably
Category 2: The Importance of Breakfast
Category 3: Cultural/Global Food Variety
0 Comments on Healthy, sustainable eating for kids as of 1/1/1990
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By: Deb,
on 12/11/2011
awesome!