A Simple Notebook to Spark Creativity

Submitted by: Mary Margaret Reagan-Montiel

A simple notebook can be the answer to many parenting dilemmas.

• Carry a pad of paper and pen with you at all times.

• Brainstorm what your child might be interested in drawing/writing about.

• Use those teachable moments to highlight something that is happening in school, in nature, in your family, or in your neighborhood.

My 6-year-old wanted to draw the developmental stages of a tree represented by days of the week.

On Monday, the tree was just a sprouting seed; on Tuesday, it grew more; by Wednesday, the tree was growing branches; on Thursday, it was even taller, and by Friday, the tree was fully grown with branches and leaves.

This notebook has tic-tac-toe pages, fill-in-the-letters-to-make-a-word pages, and silly faces pages to keep my six-year-old busy for hours.

We always start the beginning of the book with the date. Then it becomes a keepsake once all the pages are filled up!

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