Or, as a wilder alternative, they can play in pairs, where one player invents the missing words without reading the text and the other player writes them down. Either way, the goal is to create the most humorous, interesting, or bizarre responses possible.

If you are feeling ready, here is an Easter-themed ad lib to get you started:

Here is how it might come out:

If you're looking for a fun way to keep the kids entertained this Easter, with an added educational benefit, check out my new activity collection in my shop.

xx

​Cory

​Critical thinking skills are essential for success in school and in life. As parents, it is vital to give our children feedback when using these skills, which will help motivate them to continue using critical thinking and help guide their reflection in the future. In this blog post, we will discuss how to give your kids feedback when they are using their critical thinking skills.

When you give your child feedback, it is essential to focus on the process, not the outcome. For example, if your child comes up with a wrong answer, don't just tell them that they are wrong. Instead, ask them how they arrived at that answer and help them understand why it was incorrect, helping them learn from their mistakes and improve their critical thinking skills.

Modeling good critical thinking through your feedback is another way to help your children develop these skills. Show them how to ask questions, analyze evidence, and make logical arguments. This will give them an excellent example to follow and help them learn how to think critically on their own.

Finally, feedback can motivate children to use their critical thinking skills. When they see that you are interested in their thinking and value their critical thinking skills, they will be more likely to use them in the future. So make sure to give your child plenty of feedback when using their critical thinking skills!

Sign up for my newsletter if you are interested in keeping up with these blog posts and receiving an additional article every week directly to your mailbox!

xx

​Cory

Critical thinking skills are essential for success in life. They allow us to analyze information and make informed decisions. Suppose you want to help your kids develop these skills. In that case, one of the best things you can do is provide them with opportunities for exploration, which could involve taking them on field trips, letting them play in different environments, and exposing them to new ideas. Exploration allows kids to try out different ways of thinking and learn more about the world around them.

Children are innate explorers. They're curious about the world around them and are always learning. Unfortunately, you are often the only thing standing in their way as a parent. But you could always explore with them. Take them places and expose them to different things, such as museums, nature centers, or even just walking in the park. Show them that you are curious by opening up about the things that catch your attention. Who knows? You might even learn something yourself!

You can also let your kids play. It doesn't matter if it's with toys, puzzles, or games - they're all opportunities for them to try out different ways of thinking and problem-solving. The important thing is that you provide them with the time to explore.

One of my favorite environments for exploration is nature because it engages all the senses, exposes children to unique shapes and textures, and carries plenty of mystery. It's also a great place to run and let off some energy!

Expose them to new ideas through music, art, and books. They must have a chance to experience different cultures and perspectives. It will help them understand that there is more than one way to see the world. It will develop skills and interests that you or they never knew they had. It is an essential part of the path to self-discovery.
​
Providing opportunities for exploration is just one way to help kids develop strong critical thinking skills. For more tips on developing these skills in children, check back this week in my Magical Moments Blog. Thanks for reading!

xx

​Cory

Reading is one of the most important skills a child can learn. Not only does it help them develop a strong vocabulary and improve their grammar, but it also helps them think analytically. Parents need to embrace ambiguity to encourage active reading and analytical thinking in children. There is always more than one way to solve a problem, and books are a great way to teach this lesson. In this blog post, we will discuss how to encourage active reading and analytical thinking in children by discussing and reflecting on books!

As parents, we want our children to be able to read and understand what they are reading. We also want them to be able to think critically about the text and come up with their interpretations. But, unfortunately, or fortunately, the world isn't black and white, and neither is literature. Whether we are talking about picture books or novels, there will always be many different ways to look at a situation.

A simple exercise is to have your child explain how a character feels from a picture alone, text, or both. You can also ask them to put themselves in the shoes of different characters and explain how they would feel if they were in their situation. This type of thinking requires children to analyze the thoughts and attitudes of others, something that will come in handy in their everyday lives!

Be aware that there is not a single answer. People are full of contradictions! We can be happy and sad, scared and brave, all simultaneously. The important thing is that your child is thinking about the characters and their feelings.

Another helpful skill is learning to see both sides of every issue. Please help your child understand that there are always multiple interpretations of events, and everyone has their own opinion. Teach them to be open-minded and understanding, two essential qualities in today's world. A great book to bring up this kind of discussion, at least one that I remember from childhood, is The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf as told by Jon Scieszka. It is the story of the three little pigs from the wolf's viewpoint, and it appears the three little pigs misunderstood the wolf's intentions entirely.

​The next time you are reading a book with your child, take the time to discuss the different points of view represented in the story, perhaps even the villain's viewpoint, if there is one.

When we encourage our children to be active readers and analytical thinkers, we give them the tools they need to succeed in school and life. So next time you are reading a book with your child, take some time to discuss it with them and ask them to reflect on the characters' thoughts and attitudes. Embrace ambiguity and encourage your child to think outside the box! Thanks for reading.

Sign up for my newsletter if you are interested in keeping up with these blog posts and receiving an additional article every week directly to your mailbox!

xx

​Cory

Another possibly overlooked benefit is the stillness that they provide. Every child needs a little quiet time now and then. Search and find games can provide that. By sitting still and concentrating on finding objects, your child can take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Books offer a similar environment, but not every child enjoys reading or can sit still in front of a book. Nonetheless, that time is essential to reduce stress levels and promote relaxation.
​
Finally, search and find games are fun! They are a great way to keep busy on a rainy day or while sitting in the car. They can be enjoyed by people of all ages and do not require any special equipment. All you need is a good eye and a bit of patience.

If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for my newsletter! You will receive a 3-page collection of coloring pages in your mailbox.

xx

​Cory

This St. Patrick's Day Collection is perfect for all of your little ones! I made an elaborate maze with lots of things to discover along the way, simple rules, and little jokes. There is an enjoyable search and find in my original art style. Finally, there is a geometric coloring page. If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend, this is a kid-friendly collection, easy to start, inexpensive, and fun!
​
I have been doing a lot of different kinds of projects lately, but recently decided that I should be more selective about what I make and what I share on social media outlets like Facebook or Instagram. As a result, I am putting a more significant focus on strengthening my products. Below are three activities that you will find in my St. Patrick's Day Collection.

Rated: Easy

This image is really filled with all the cliche symbols of St. Patrick's and luck charms. Beginning with a pot of gold and ending with a rabbit's foot (rabbit still attached, of course.) One of my favorite hidden charms is the four-leaf clover among a field of three-leaf clovers. As always, there are gags hidden about the image. In fact, the object of my search and finds is more about exploring the picture and everything in it than simply completing the item list.

Other things to look out for are a few charms with particular cultural significance. They may be obscure and hard to spot, so there's one for clever adults.
​
There are many things to find, enjoy, and color on this page.

Rated: Moderate
​
This maze is a little tricky in terms of the rules. However, your child does not need to follow the rules. Your child can simply go from start to finish, which is challenging enough. There is a locked door along the path, and you must first find the key to pass through it. For those who want an additional challenge, the gimmick I use here is that you cannot cross your own path.

Rated: Moderate

This coloring page is something more like a typical geometric pattern and image. I first drew the geometric pattern using symbols from the holiday. Then I drew a stylized unicorn in the center. The result is festive and fun for coloring in any medium.

1. Purchase the collection through my Etsy shop.
2. The download will be available immediately. However, the download is also open later if you sign in to Etsy.com. Go to Your Account, then click Purchases and reviews. Next to the order, select Downloads. Etsy will take you to a page for all the files attached to your order. There are 5 files, 3 activity pages, and 2 solutions pages. Do not print the solution for your child!
3. Download the files and print what you want to use or open them in a drawing app from your digital device. If needed, I can send you other file types, so please reach out.
4. The recommended printing size is 8-1/2 x 11. You can print on any thickness of paper. However, use good quality paper for the best results. Wet mediums require thicker paper over 120lb. Align paper properly for printing.
5. Tell your child the rules. They will choose whether or not they want to follow them. Allow your child to explore the page freely. Children who can read independently do well with the rules of the maze, but younger children may find more enjoyment from simply exploring the pages with color.
6. Let your child color the pages with whatever medium they prefer. Crayons, markers, and pencils do nicely.

xx

​Cory

This printable maze game is a challenging adventure through space with a catch.

​Visit my shop to purchase!

I got this idea of using folds to create a more complex maze from a DV Gochi card game, Decksape: Escape from Eldorado, but the process of designing this particular maze was similar to designing any other.

I wanted to use the folds thematically, and together with my interest and space travel, I immediately decided on an inter-spatial wormhole.

See more details on how to fold this maze and watch me complete it here. Instructions on how to fold the maze are also included on the front side of the printable.

Before I begin a maze design, I formulate a story. In this case, I wanted to illustrate a scenario where you must travel to another life-bearing planet because an apocalyptic comet soars towards Earth. There are many unknown dangers along the way. The risks range from getting lost in a nebula, giant space squid, octopuses that consume planets, and asteroids. In addition, there are aliens along the way, satellites, rockets, and stranded astronauts.

1. Purchase this maze through my Etsy shop.
2. The download will be available immediately. However, the download is also open later if you sign in to Etsy.com. Go to Your Account, then click Purchases and reviews. Next to the order, select Downloads. Etsy will take you to a page for all the files attached to your order.
3. Download the files and print what you want to use or open them in a drawing app from your digital device. I have included PDF and JPEG files to accommodate most file-type requirements. You will also find the maze solution on your download page. It will have a red line following the correct path along the maze. Do not print the solution for your child!
4. The recommended printing size is 8-1/2 x 11. You can print on any thickness of paper. However, use good quality paper for the best results. Wet mediums require thicker paper over 120lb. Align paper properly for printing.
5. You must print this maze on the front and back of a single page. Orient both sides in the same direction.
6. You can find instructions for folding the paper on the maze.
7. Tell your child the directions to the maze. They will choose whether or not they want to follow them. Allow your child to explore the page freely. Children 8 and up do well with this maze, and all ages up to adult will find it challenging. Younger children may not understand the puzzle, but they will still have fun exploring the paths and gags along the way.
8. Let your child color the page with whatever medium they prefer. Crayons, markers, and pencils do nicely.
9. Let your child circle or color items in the “Can You Spot” section. Can they find them all?

The goal of this maze is to travel from start to finish, but the path is unclear. Therefore, you will need to fold the maze according to the instructions to accomplish that.

Visit my shop to purchase!

xx

​Cory

This printable Valentine’s Day Placemat is an excellent gift for children that gets them in the mood for sharing and caring.
​
Children will look for and find hidden pictures, laugh, and enjoy adorable illustrations. Then they will fill in the blank spaces of a secret word puzzle to discover a message. Once they decode the missing letters, they will follow a tricky maze through a tiny neighborhood to deliver a letter to their Valentine. (The secret word puzzle reveals the finish line!)

Rated: Easy

I had the opportunity to illustrate a cover for a book of folktales centered on kindness. In that book, there were many stories about animals who awarded kindness to humans in return for service.
​
I wanted to show that relationship in a fanciful, tender, and in some cases, comical fashion. For example, a child is carried off by a balloon while a bear reaches for them. Another bear gives a child a leg up to pluck a valentine from a Juniper tree. A boy snuggles with a deer in another scene, and a bird sings love songs.

There are also scenes and gags depicting love between animals, and in one case, between ghosts. For example, a porcupine confuses a bush with another porcupine, and a narwhale presents a card to a squirrel.
​
There are many things to find, enjoy, and color on this page.

Rated: Moderate

This maze is tricky because there is no apparent finish line. Instead, you must find the finish line by decoding directions with missing letters.

It is an entertaining puzzle with a faux isometric appearance and lots of fun little things to see.

It took me a few days to figure out how to put this puzzle together, and I wrestled with it multiple times until I came to this conclusion. I hope that you enjoy it.

1. Purchase the placemat through my Etsy shop.
2. The download will be available immediately. However, the download is also open later if you sign in to Etsy.com. Go to Your Account, then click Purchases and reviews. Next to the order, select Downloads. Etsy will take you to a page for all the files attached to your order.
3. Download the files and print what you want to use or open them in a drawing app from your digital device. I have included PDF and JPEG files to accommodate most file-type requirements. You will also find the solution on your download page. Do not print the solution for your child!
4. The recommended printing size is 8-1/2 x 11. You can print on any thickness of paper. However, use good quality paper for the best results. Wet mediums require thicker paper over 120lb. Align paper properly for printing.
5. Tell your child the rules. They will choose whether or not they want to follow them. Allow your child to explore the page freely. Children who can read independently do well with the rules of the maze, but younger children may find more enjoyment from simply exploring the pages with color.
6. Let your child color the pages with whatever medium they prefer. Crayons, markers, and pencils do nicely.

xx Cory

This printable maze game is a great activity for children in the New Year.
​
The best part is there are three activities in one. A maze to help develop problem-solving skills, lots of interesting little scenes, animals, people to discover along the way, and coloring fun to boot.

In this maze, I want to introduce “The Liddles.”

When I first sat down to create a maze game, I struggled with the level of detail that I included in the illustrations. I wanted something like “Where’s Waldo,” with gags hidden in the pages, but there was very little room for antics between the maze.

To get the gags across, I had to simplify the art to an extreme degree and sacrifice character. The result is these tiny things made of a circle, a square, and two stick legs. I call them “Liddles.”

Everything else is very similar to my typical art style at a miniaturized level.

Another creative decision I made here was to create a flat maze with the illusion of isometric projection. Again, it uniquely contributed to my style, but it also sped up the creation process.

1. Purchase this maze through my Etsy shop.
2. The download will be available immediately. However, the download is also open later if you sign in to Etsy.com. Go to Your Account, then click Purchases and reviews. Next to the order, select Downloads. Etsy will take you to a page for all the files attached to your order.
3. Download the files and print what you want to use or open them in a drawing app from your digital device. I have included PDF and JPEG files to accommodate most file-type requirements. You will also find the maze solution on your download page. It will have a red line following the correct path along the maze. Do not print the solution for your child!
4. The recommended printing size is 8-1/2 x 11. You can print on any thickness of paper. However, use good quality paper for the best results. Wet mediums require thicker paper over 120lb. Align paper properly for printing.
5. Tell your child the rules. They will choose whether or not they want to follow them. Allow your child to explore the page freely. Children who can read independently do well with the rules of the maze, but younger children may find more enjoyment from simply following the maze from start to finish.
6. Let your child color the page with whatever medium they prefer. Crayons, markers, and pencils do nicely.
7. Let your child circle or color items in the “Can You Spot” section. Can they find them all?

​
The goal of this maze is to bring the missing matchstick to the Liddles operating fireworks at the finish line. Your child meets the goal by passing through the matchstick and then reaching the finish line. There is more than one solution to finish the maze, but there is only one without crossing lines or backtracking.

xx Cory

I have said something similar about lyrical non-fiction in an equally sarcastic tone. I suggest that "lyrical poetry" is explicitly related to poetry's musical devices such as sound, rhythm, and meter.

 Poetry has a much broader definition, one in fact, that many people hesitate to define at all.

What is poetry? The most memorable definition comes from An Introduction to Poetry by X.J. Kennedy, standard High School English reading material. Dead Poet's Society echoed the definition.

X.J. Kennedy suggests that poetry is something to discover for oneself, find pleasure in and experience. (Kennedy, 1986)

Sound and Sense by Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson doubles down on this definition.
​

If you want to learn about eagles, you turn to an encyclopedia. If you want to experience eagles, you turn to poetry. (Arp et al., 2005)

Why do people say that "Instagram Poetry" is not poetry? I can sum up the reasons this way:

1. Lack of poetic devices
2. General criticism of the Open Form
3. And a response that I saw most frequently, "it does not speak to me."

The issue is accessibility.

Poetry with clear messages will naturally be accessible to a larger audience. However, to suggest that poetry can only be experienced by those educated to read and understand poetic devices IS elitist.

It is wrong to suggest that something can only be poetry if it is complex in form and meaning.

Everyone can enjoy poetry. And accessibility to the experiences of reading should be celebrated in the community.

I think it is shameful and embarrassing to see people criticize "Instagram Poetry" as if to say that it is not poetry at all.

But I understand it anyway. It is proper to criticize how art is consumed nowadays and on social media. Still, don't balk at the artist for using a platform to draw attention where they might have struggled otherwise to bring attention to themselves or their art. Don't balk at the art form for its accessibility.

I hope that the community takes more time to collectively think about poetry and tone down their ego just enough to respect other people in their community other than themselves and the poetic giants of the past.

xx Cory

Kennedy, X. J. (1986). What is Poetry? In An introduction to poetry. essay, Little, Brown.
​
Arp, T. R., Johnson, G., & Perrine, L. (2005). What is Poetry? In Perrine's sound and sense: An introduction to poetry. essay, Thomson/Wadsworth.