Author: Mary Ann Johnson

Spark Station Letters: Keeping Kids in Your Heart (and You in Theirs)

When my daughter Marie’s children were young, I wanted to stay connected between visits. We only saw each other a couple of times a year, and I wanted more than that. While working on a presentation about the Spark Station, the idea came to me: why not write Spark Station Letters?

The idea was simple. I would write letters to my grandchildren sharing something that interested me — a word, a historical figure, a current event, a family story. Something that might spark a conversation in their home and keep us woven into each other’s lives.

It worked beautifully. Marie told me the kids were all ears when she read the letters aloud. They’d re-read them on car trips. She saved each one in a separate book for each child. She also mentioned that I was frequently sharing values and teaching life lessons — which I hadn’t even realized I was doing.

A Spark Station Letter doesn’t require much. Pick a topic that genuinely interests you, tie it to the child’s life when you can, share what it means to you personally, and write to the child’s age and interests. A letter to a five-year-old might be half a page. A letter to a teenager can go longer. Research if you need to — I usually limited myself to fifteen or thirty minutes of preparation. The letters don’t have to be long. They have to be real.

Here’s a sampling of letters I sent over the years. They show the range of topics, the values woven in, and how personal a letter can feel — even across the miles.

What Is an Onomatopoeia?

To Lizzy, age 5 – My twenty-year-old, Kate, had introduced me to the word during a conversation in the kitchen. We had fun coming up with examples, and I thought Lizzy would love it too.

Dear Lizzy,
Do you like words? Well, I do. I like knowing what words mean and how to spell them. You are just learning to write and spell, and I am excited for you because reading and writing are so fun.

I learned a new word recently. Your Aunt Kate told me about it. It was onomatopoeia. Whew, that is a big word! It is pronounced on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh. An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like what it describes. The buzz of a bee — isn’t that the sound they actually make! The hiss of a snake. The tinkle of a bell. Or the sound of a chickadee — that is actually what they say, chickadee. Funny, huh! You and your sisters can come up with some more.

Words are fun, and I hope that you will let me know all the onomatopoeias you can find. Keep reading. Keep writing. And for goodness ‘ sake, write to me!
Love, Grandma

Two months after I sent that letter, twenty-year-old Kate went to visit Marie. When she arrived, five-year-old Lizzy announced, “I know what onomatopoeia means!” and gave examples. The seven-year-old proudly added, “But I know how to spell it!” That’s what a Spark Station Letter can do.

Proverbs and Genealogy

To Ashley, age 10 – I was taking a family history class and had just found eighteen relatives at the Salt Lake City genealogy library. I wanted to share that excitement — and teach something along the way.

Dear Ashley,
I’ve been taking a fun class called Family History. It’s all about finding your old grandmas and grandpas, uncles and aunts, and people like that. After two classes, I went to the big genealogy library in Salt Lake City and found eighteen relatives. When I got home, grandpa and I found another one.

I was thinking about my grandma today. She would be your great, great-grandma. Her name was Rozelia Wolfley Cazier. She used to say, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Do you know what that means? When I was your age, I couldn’t figure it out. Now I know that if something is torn and you fix it right away, it takes fewer stitches than if you wait until the hole gets bigger.

This is called a proverb. There is a whole book in the Bible called Proverbs, and there are many sayings like this one in it. A proverb is an old, familiar saying handed down over many years. When you hear a proverb, it is a bit like hearing advice from an ancestor.

Here is a proverbs game for you. See if you can figure out what these mean, then send me what you think:
1. The grass is always greener on the other side.
2. Haste makes waste.
3. If the shoe fits, wear it.
4. A fool and his money are soon parted.

I hope you share these with your family and work together to figure them out. Ask your mom if there are any proverbs your family always says. I always say, “Better late than never.” My grandpa always said, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face” — he’d say it when I was mad at someone and wanted to get back at them. It means don’t take an action in anger that will hurt you more than the person you’re mad at.

I love you to the moon and back.
Love, Grandma

The US Census

To Aubrey, age 10 – One year, I helped gather the census in Utah. It was a topic worth sharing.

Dear Aubrey,
I am working a few hours a day for the US Census to help pay for Aunt Kate’s wedding.
The census has been taken every ten years since 1790. The word for “every ten years” is decennial. The Constitution requires a population count so Congress can decide how many representatives each state gets. Some states have more than others because more people live there. That helps people have an equal say in government. Utah could have had another representative in Congress if it had just 800 more people counted ten years ago. The census matters!

Now, the census office is open all the time and costs a lot of money, which bugs some people. And some people don’t want to answer all the questions because they don’t trust the government. All the houses I went to were willing to give me the information, except one. Even though he didn’t trust the government and wouldn’t answer my questions, he was very nice about it.

The census information is also used in genealogy. You can look at old census records and find your relatives that way. The information I am collecting this year won’t be made public for 72 years, so I will never be able to use it for genealogy, and you will have to live to be 82 to use it!

I love you and hope school is going well.
Love, Grandma

Slavery and Freedom

To Lizzy, age 8 – Kate had to read a book for school about a slave girl in America. I read it too and wrote to Lizzy about it — connecting it to a local caucus night I had just attended for the first time.

Hi Lizzy,
Kate had to read a book for school about a slave girl in America, and I read it too. It was a very sad book. It is a terrible thing when families are broken up and people have their agency taken away. Sometimes I forget what a gift it is to be able to choose where to live, what work to do, where to travel, and whether to get married and have a family. Slaves couldn’t do any of those things. If people didn’t like you and wanted to treat you badly, they could, and you couldn’t do anything about it. One of the worst things was that you couldn’t protect your children. If the master wanted to sell your babies away, he could, and many times they did.

The girl I read about hid in a crawl space for over seven years just to be free. There was no heat in the winter, no air conditioning in the summer, and she could never stand up. Wow. She really wanted to be free.

That is why it is so important to vote. Last Tuesday was Caucus night. I had never attended a caucus before, but I went this year. People said they saw more people there than they had in many years — they were worried about their freedoms. When you are old enough, be sure to register and never miss an election. So many people have been willing to fight and die for that freedom.
Love, Grandma

Cherokee Indians

To Ashley, age 11 – There is an old story in our family about a great, great, great-grandfather who married a Cherokee princess. No record of it exists — just a family legend. But it gave me a wonderful reason to write.

Dear Ashley,
I’ve been doing genealogy, and there is an old story in our family about someone who married an Indian princess from the Cherokee Nation. There is no record of it, just a family legend — but I think it would be wonderful if it were true.

The Cherokee were farmers and hunters who lived in the mountains of the southeast United States. They were called one of the “Five Civilized Tribes” because they had adopted so many of the settlers’ ways. They had developed a written language, a government, and a newspaper. They helped fight in the War of 1812 and had the Bible translated into their language.

None of that mattered to the government, which said they had to give up their lands and move to Arkansas. Many fought against it. Then there was a gold rush in Georgia — the first gold rush in the United States — and the settlers were determined to have those lands. President Martin Van Buren ordered the militia to drive the people out. The exodus of over 800 miles is called “The Trail of Tears” because it was so terrible. Over 4,000 people died.

Doesn’t that remind you of the Mormon Pioneers, expelled from Nauvoo in the middle of winter and made to march so far in the snow? They too had to give up all their lands. But they held on.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the legend were true, and we carried some Cherokee blood?
Love, Grandma

(P.S. to my readers — Several years ago, I did DNA testing. No Native American bloodlines. The story was truly a legend. Sad.)

Nelson Mandela

To Kane, age 13- Kane had recently discovered how wonderful reading was, and I wanted to share something big with him.

Dear Kane,
Last night, grandpa and I went to see a movie called “Invictus.” I hope you will see it. I think when we come face to face with greatness, we become greater ourselves.

When I was fourteen, there was much trouble in South Africa, and Mandela was sent to prison. I heard about it but didn’t think much of it. Since then, I have heard about him over and over. He spent 27 years in prison and was released in 1990 — before you were even born.

Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist. Apartheid was a system of legal racial segregation in South Africa that gave minority white rule and curtailed the rights of the majority Black population. Education, medical care, and public services were all segregated. There was a great deal of unrest and violence. It was frightening even to read about as a girl.

After 27 years in prison, you might think Mandela would want revenge. He didn’t. Like George Washington, he wanted his country to have peace — to become strong and united. He put away his own grief and loss and worked toward that. He used rugby to bring about an extraordinary change. I don’t want to spoil the movie; it was so good.

Victor Frankl was a Jewish doctor who survived a concentration camp and wrote a book called “Man’s Search for Meaning.” One of the most powerful ideas I have ever embraced came from that book: no one can take away how you choose to respond. They can take everything else — your food, your home, your dignity, your freedom — but they cannot take that. That is what Mandela did. They had taken everything from him. But when all was said and done, he chose how to act.

Email and tell me what you are reading.
Love, Grandma

A Commonplace Book

To Kane, age 14 – Kane had been reading voraciously, and I wanted to share my own love of learning — and teach him a tool for remembering what he read.

Dear Kane,
Do you know who George Wythe was? He signed the Declaration of Independence and was America’s first law professor. But his greatest legacy was mentoring: two presidents, two Supreme Court justices, over twenty senators, governors, and judges. One of his students was Thomas Jefferson.

How did he do it? He asked Jefferson what he wanted to learn, helped him build a course of study, and then had him read, write, and discuss. Jefferson taught himself — with a mentor and the great books — and became one of the most educated men in American history. When President Kennedy hosted a group of Nobel Prize winners, he said, “This is the most extraordinary collection of talent and human knowledge ever gathered at the White House — with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” I love that quote.

Jefferson kept what he called a Commonplace Book — a journal of what he studied and learned each day. I was thinking about the wonderful books you’ve been reading and thought you might like to keep one, too. Write a bit about what you read, and your thoughts about it. This practice helps you really learn and remember.

I have two mentors myself — one helps me think more deeply, the other helps me stay on track with major projects. They both assign me books to read. I’m reading about six books at once right now. When I complained to one of them that I wasn’t getting enough out of my reading, she said flatly, “It’s because you aren’t doing any work to remember. You just read.” She was right. Now I keep a Commonplace Book of my own — and I am learning and remembering so much more.

Let me know how you like the books I sent you. I’d especially like your thoughts on The Giver.
Love, Grandma

These letters span several years and different ages, simple topics and complex ones, silly words and serious history. What they share is this: they kept me in front of my grandchildren and them in front of me. They passed on values I didn’t even realize I was teaching. They sparked conversations in homes I couldn’t be present in.

You don’t have to be a grandparent to write a Spark Station Letter. Any adult who loves a child — an aunt, an uncle, a family friend, a mentor — can use them. All it takes is something that interests you and a child you want to stay connected to.

Get connected. Share your Sparks.

P.S. for my readers – So you know, most of these letters have been shortened. Several were quite a bit longer, but I need to make the article readable. : )

Spark Station Letters: Keeping Kids in Your Heart (and You in Theirs)


When my daughter Marie’s children were young, I wanted to stay connected between visits. We only saw each other a couple of times a year, and I wanted more than that. While working on a presentation about the Spark Station, the idea came to me: why not write Spark Station Letters?

The idea was simple. I would write letters to my grandchildren sharing something that interested me — a word, a historical figure, a current event, a family story. Something that might spark a conversation in their home and keep us woven into each other’s lives.

It worked beautifully. Marie told me the kids were all ears when she read the letters aloud. They’d re-read them on car trips. She saved each one in a separate book for each child. She also mentioned that I was frequently sharing values and teaching life lessons — which I hadn’t even realized I was doing.

Today, I will share some sample letters I wrote to children I loved and show you how you can do the same. 

Check out this episode!

I Thought I Had Committed (I Hadn’t)

In January, my daughter Jodie gathered a group of friends to work on having a better outcome in 2026. We listened to an interesting YouTube video by Daniel Pink. The premise was that structure beats willpower. We each determined what we regretted from 2025 and how we could do better in 2026 to avoid repeating our mistakes.

My regret was not getting my writing in until the last minute. I regretted that because it fed this old story — there is no time in my life for me — and it led to feelings of resentment toward those I care for. I placed my lack of consistency on them and their needs.

We also worked on choosing a priority goal. Of course, mine was to write every day, as consistently as possible, even if only for a few minutes, or to continue even if interrupted several times. I wanted to take responsibility for my choices and stop blaming and complaining.

Here’s something I shared early on in one of our conversation threads: “I have a hard time doing my own things even when I try. I do my personal morning routine, but it’s interrupted, and I usually don’t get any writing done. For the last four days, I rarely sat down, and tonight I didn’t even get to eat my dinner until 8 pm. No TV, no internet, no reading, no loafing, just serving and doing what’s necessary. I oversee what I choose to do, but I’m obviously doing something less effectively than needed.”

Jodie, our discussion leader, asked me if I had articulated my most important goals for the year. My reply was, “Not well.” After careful thought, this is what I decided was my most important goal for 2026 — to write every day, so I wasn’t pushed up against a deadline, feeling resentful, and hanging onto that old, untrue story.

As we wound down the class, Jodie — my daughter and the discussion leader — decided we would be good accountability partners. Interestingly, Jodie had the same goal: to write consistently. We checked in with each other daily for two weeks. On some days our writing got 10 minutes, and on other days an hour.

At the end of the two weeks, I realized that it had become easier to write daily. I was able to write every day except Sunday, which I take off, and I was more prepared as my publishing deadline loomed. What had happened? Nothing in my life changed — not the schedule, the interruptions, the people, nothing. If anything, it had gotten more intense with Don’s fifth surgery on February 23rd. I had to think about this for some time because nothing had changed except that I was writing daily. My resentment had faded. I had stopped blaming my family and circumstances. What had changed?

For Me, it Wasn’t Structure Over Willpower but Commitment Over Intention

When I finally sorted it out, I had to laugh. It was something I know in my core and am very good at: making a commitment. I understand the importance of systems, or as Pink termed it, structure. I mentored mothers on workable and successful systems for over a decade.

I also understand the difference between intention and commitment. I had let life, complications, and caregiving overtake me. I hoped I could fit my writing in. I wanted to fit it in. I knew it mattered, not just to my readers, but to me. I seriously thought I was trying. But here is the crux: I had not continued in the commitment I had held before I became a full-time caregiver. I had consistently written, despite vacations, illness, schooling, etc., for years. But that earlier commitment had morphed into an intention, a desire, a hope. I felt serious. I cared deeply. But I was no longer committed to the task! It’s embarrassing to admit.

Such a Simple Difference — Commitment vs. Intention

From decades of experience, I know when I’ve committed and when I haven’t. It rings in my heart. For example, I’ve discovered after some research, prayer, and thoughtful pondering that some of my physical problems are caused by sugar. During a prayer, I told God I intended to stop eating sugar. You all know I cook almost everything from scratch and use only Monk Fruit and no wheat flour. I’ve done this for over five years to help Don with his health issues. However, three years ago, I began having a harder time staying on the sugar-free wagon. After my hip surgery last September, it became even harder. I was weary and ate food that others provided. I still did a ton of cooking, but the few months that others cooked for our family put me back on the sugar wagon. I’m sure God smiled when I told him I was giving it up. He knew I hadn’t committed. He knows me.

Over 30 years ago, I had to give up all pork and chocolate. They cause serious mood swings. I’ve researched the components of both, and they share some things that cause the swings. When I realized these foods were not good for me, and after a great deal of prayer, I made a commitment about pork. It took several more months and some experimentation when it came to chocolate. 🙂 However, for over 30 years, I have not budged on these two things, not once! This is where I need to go with sugar.

It’s where I need to go again with my writing, despite the major changes in my lifestyle. The class was in January. Jodie and I began holding each other accountable in February. In the next few months, I didn’t miss one day, not one. Why? Because it changed from an intention — a need, a want, a hope — to a commitment to myself.

Because of my way of being, when I commit, it’s usually a done deal. I rarely need outside accountability. It doesn’t work this way for everyone. We all have different personalities, and some of us are better able to commit than others. But I’ve seen even those who find it hard to make a commitment to themselves — and then hold true — do it, if it matters enough and if they understand themselves.

A helpful book to read about your way of being is Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies. She categorizes people into four groups: Upholders, Rebels, Obligers, and Questioners.

The book explains how understanding your tendency helps you make better decisions, form habits, and improve your life by working with your nature, not against it. It reveals why some people easily meet deadlines while others struggle with self-imposed goals.

Upholders meet both outer expectations (e.g., work deadlines) and inner expectations (e.g., New Year’s resolutions) easily. They value discipline and structure.

Questioners question all expectations and will only follow them if they make sense. They resist outer expectations unless they can justify them internally.

Obligers meet outer expectations readily but struggle with inner ones. They need outside accountability to follow through on their own goals.

Rebels resist all expectations, both outer and inner. They value freedom and individuality and need to feel they are making their own choices.

I’m an Upholder, and my shared experience this year with these other women showed me I hadn’t committed. Jodie, as an Obliger, needs external accountability. Since we are no longer holding each other accountable, she has struggled a bit and has had to find ways to manage her tendency. When we understand our way of responding, we navigate better. Don, my husband, is a Questioner and needs to understand why. Knowing this about him helps me help him.

It isn’t useful to beat yourself up when you find it hard to commit and stick with it. Instead, understand yourself so you can find ways to make it work. You don’t need to read the whole book — just take the easy quiz. Then accept yourself where you are and learn to work with it.

Back to the sugar. I realized that even though I can usually hold myself accountable, in this difficult season, I needed some outside accountability. I had an appointment with my naturopath last week, and we talked about sugar, and I committed. This week, she reached out to see how I was doing. I was glad I could say, “Making progress.”

The Results of My Writing Commitment

I manage that old story better — there is no room in my life for me. There is if I make it happen. The story still surfaces, and maybe always will, but I can rewrite it quickly. I no longer panic over repeated interruptions (well, not as often). I know that my consistent effort will pay off. I am experiencing it.

I’ve stopped blaming circumstances and caregiving for my lack of getting it done. If I miss a day, I know I chose to miss. Again, this takes daily practice, but I am managing better.

I feel less anxious and resentful. I’m still a work in progress, but I am so much calmer, kinder, more tender, and on top of my deadlines than I was.

Am I perfect? I’ve missed some days, but if I make it 90% of the time, that’s a HUGE win — and I’ve been doing that. It can still be only 10 minutes. I’m still repeatedly interrupted when I sit at the computer, but realizing why I was struggling, taking responsibility, and giving up blame has been life-changing. Now, the blame is where it belongs: on my shoulders. That can be irritating, but taking responsibility feels better than being a victim.

What is Your Commitment?

My friend, Mary Black, and I visited a month ago. I shared my experience with her. I told her it was embarrassing that I was struggling with something I understand and have taught. Here was her response: “Oh, I am feeling that right in my soul. That’s exactly what I needed to hear today, Mary Ann, so thank you, thank you.” This is something we all deal with. As you look at the places in your life that aren’t working, could a lack of commitment be the issue?

If you’re struggling, think carefully. Have you committed to whatever it is — being calmer, touching your kids more, keeping a family system going, accomplishing a goal, learning a language, creating firmer family relationships, being a better housekeeper, getting rid of stuff, overcoming a weakness, and so on?

There is a difference between intention and commitment.

I Thought I Had Committed (I Hadn’t)


In January, my daughter Jodie gathered a group of friends to work on having a better outcome in 2026. We listened to an interesting YouTube video by Daniel Pink. The premise was that structure beats willpower. We each determined what we regretted from 2025 and how we could do better in 2026 to avoid repeating our mistakes.

My regret was not getting my writing in until the last minute. I regretted that because it fed this old story — there is no time in my life for me — and it led to feelings of resentment toward those I care for. I placed my lack of consistency on them and their needs.

Here’s something I shared early on in one of our conversation threads: “I have a hard time doing my own things even when I try. I do my personal morning routine, but it’s interrupted, and I usually don’t get any writing done. For the last four days, I rarely sat down, and tonight I didn’t even get to eat my dinner until 8 pm. No TV, no internet, no reading, no loafing, just serving and doing what’s necessary. I oversee what I choose to do, but I’m obviously doing something less effectively than needed.”

Today I will share what was causing my dilemma, what I needed to change, and how life-changing it has been. 

Check out this episode!

The Pink Refrigerator – A Book About a Spark Station, Of Sorts!

I received this email in the early days of teaching parents how to use The Spark Station.

“You may have seen this. It’s a picture book called The Pink Refrigerator by Tim Egan. This illustrates the secret of the Spark Station in an inspiring way. A junk dealer who likes to do–not much–finds a pink refrigerator that holds something new for him every day, and he gets excited about life and learning, closes shop, and sets off to explore the world. I thought you might enjoy this if you hadn’t seen it. Happy reading, Cathy D.”

I was intrigued, so I went to the library and found the book. Cathy’s description was spot on. The Pink Refrigerator is the Spark Station. It’s a beautiful story about how we can inspire children to explore things that might not have occurred to them before. You don’t know what greatness is hiding inside a child until they can explore options.

When I was a girl, one of my favorite summer activities was to cover large rocks with thick mud. These were my ‘cakes,’ and I took great pains to decorate them with flowers, leaves, and grass. I spent considerable time doing this activity, and I was inordinately proud of the results. To the casual onlooker, it may have seemed as if I was wasting time. P. S. This would make a fun family activity!

When I was in 9th grade, I saw a project the seniors were doing in Home Economics, Panorama Sugar Eggs. I was taking Home Economics and wanted to make one, but it was reserved for seniors. I knew that I wouldn’t be in the same school when I was a senior. We moved a lot! So, I bravely asked the Home Economics teacher if I could have the directions. I must have seemed sincere or desperate because she gave them to me. : )

I had none of the required tools. I had no help, no experience. But I knew without doubt that I could do this project because I had made so many fabulous “cakes” in the past. Don’t ask me how I could think that frosting and sugar were anything like rocks and mud, but frankly, I did. I had learned that I could make stuff! I did make a panorama egg. It wasn’t very good, but I thought it was fantastic. I saw it years later, stored in my mom’s cedar chest. I cannot tell you how many children I have taught to do this project over the years. In fact, for the next 50+ years, I made beautiful “stuff” and taught my grands and other children to do the same.

It doesn’t matter what you put into the Spark Station, whether it’s in your home or traveling. The very act of opening it, anticipating something new, is all it takes to generate excitement and enthusiasm.

If you haven’t read the Pink Refrigerator, take a trip to the library. You’ll be glad you did, and I believe you’ll be inspired!

After reading the story, share it with a child you love. Have them write their own note about something they would like to know more about or learn how to do. It’s fun to see how excited children get about the activity! One group of children I worked with, who heard the story and did the activity, had ideas like these:
• learn to jump better
• play the flute
• skydive
• learn how to care for animals
• run a profitable business
• go to Brazil
• be a librarian

Just imagine where you could go with these ideas.

Spark Station here we come!!!

The Pink Refrigerator-A Book About a Spark Station, Of Sorts!


I received this email in the early days of teaching parents how to use The Spark Station.

“You may have seen this. It’s a picture book called The Pink Refrigerator by Tim Egan. This illustrates the secret of the Spark Station in an inspiring way. A junk dealer who likes to do–not much–finds a pink refrigerator that holds something new for him every day, and he gets excited about life and learning, closes shop, and sets off to explore the world. I thought you might enjoy this if you hadn’t seen it. Happy reading, Cathy D.”

I was intrigued, so I went to the library and found the book. Cathy’s description was spot on. The Pink Refrigerator is the Spark Station. It’s a beautiful story about how we can inspire children to explore things that might not have occurred to them before.

Today, I am sharing a personal experience of how experiencing new things can help children find the greatness inside themselves.  

Check out this episode!

THE TRAVELING SPARK STATION – HOLIDAYS, MEMORIES, AND A BASKET FULL OF WONDER Part 4

Holidays have a magic that no other topic quite matches. Children feel them coming weeks in advance. They carry memories, traditions, food, and family stories all bundled together. They are, in many ways, the punctuation marks of a child’s year, the moments against which everything else is measured. I can remember family holidays when I was a child, and my children still talk about theirs. That’s what makes them perfect Traveling Spark Station territory.

In this final installment, Part 4, of the series on The Traveling Spark Station, we’re going to look at six holidays that have found their way into my Traveling Spark Station over the years. Some are eagerly anticipated. Some are barely on a child’s radar. Those turn out to be some of the most fun, because there’s nothing quite like introducing a child to a celebration they didn’t know existed. Every holiday has a story. Every holiday has something worth knowing. And every single one of them is better when you explore it together.

HOLIDAYS

1. Halloween
Halloween was one of my favorites as a child and as a mom. I had a truly impressive witch laugh and used it well. Teaching my grandchildren about Halloween’s origins, rooted in a Celtic festival and a Roman holiday both celebrated on October 31st, was fascinating for me. The ghoulish books were a hit for them. Making treats was wonderful for us all. We did crafts connected to both the ancient Celtic traditions and our modern celebration. We talked about Mexico’s Day of the Dead, as well; a shiveringly good time was had by all. Whatever you do in that last week of October, make it fun, fill it with learning, and do it together.

2. Fall Harvest Treats
One Traveling Spark Station activity was devoted entirely to fall treats, the kind that belong to this season and no other. The children helped make every treat. We made a magnificent mess, and we cleaned it up together.

We pulled saltwater taffy, which was the highlight; there is nothing quite like the look on a child’s face when taffy starts to harden. We made cinnamon apples, a fall fair staple from my childhood. And we made caramel corn, which, in the old days, we would bag up and give out as Trick or Treat gifts. Books about autumn and Halloween rounded out the day. Eating and reading together — you really can’t beat it.

3. Veterans Day
When I was a girl, Veterans Day meant parades down Main Street, speeches in the park, and visits to the cemetery where flags were placed on every grave. It was a solemn occasion and meaningful because my family had many veterans.

I wanted my grandchildren to understand this holiday and know some of our family veterans. This holiday offers a natural platform for so many important conversations — past and present wars, bravery and courage, patriotism, peace, and the specific people in your own family who served. It’s a topic that can take you down rich and interesting roads for a long time. Start with a good book or two, a coloring page, a simple craft, and a family story. That is enough to begin.

4. Thanksgiving
Every year, our family talked about the Pilgrims and gathered for Thanksgiving dinner. But there’s so much more to this holiday, and the Traveling Spark Station helped us explore it.

We learned about the Wampanoag people, the tribe that met and befriended the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Their chief, Massasoit, was a peaceful man, though his sons would later have many conflicts with the colonists. We learned about the Mayflower. My grands liked boats, but they decided firmly they would not have wanted to make that crossing on a cargo ship with no sleeping berths. We talked about what childhood was like in Plymouth in the 1600s, which was eye-opening. Children could not sit or speak during meals, were expected to both love and fear their parents, and were often sent to live with other families after age eight. My grandchildren were fascinated and deeply relieved not to be Pilgrim children.

I talked with Jack and Maggie about all of this, but what they were really interested in was turkeys. So, while we made paper turkeys, I wove in a bit about what Thanksgiving is, who was at the first feast, and what they ate. Mostly, though, we talked about turkeys. We read a book about a Thanksgiving feast for a very small mouse and a counting book about Plymouth, and spent a quiet morning chatting, gluing, and tracing. We all enjoyed it very much.

5. Labor Day
Here’s a holiday most children — and many adults — know nothing about. Growing up, I knew Labor Day meant school was starting and that there would be a parade, a BBQ, and speeches by important people in the park. What it actually meant, I had no idea.

So, it found its way into the Traveling Spark Station. I gave the children a little background on the holiday’s origins and the labor movement. They asked questions. We talked about the importance of work and what each of them was already contributing at home. We played a word game, did a craft, and read some books. It never became anyone’s favorite holiday, but at least they knew what it was about — and the crafts were a hit.

6. Leap Year
My sister was born on February 28th, just two years after me, and she has always been quietly relieved about that one day’s difference. If she had been born on the 29th, she would be a Leap Year baby — and at sixty years old, she would have had only fifteen birthdays. My grandchildren found this information both fascinating and deeply alarming.

I shared a few pieces of Leap Year trivia with them. Their favorite: In 1988, TIME magazine declared Superman to have been born on February 29th, making him an official Leap Year baby. I had a Leap Year rhyme, some coloring pages, books to read, and plastic frogs hidden around the room for the children to find. Not anyone’s favorite holiday — but a fun and surprising one, which is exactly what Leap Year deserves.

Four parts. Dozens of topics. Hundreds of moments.

That is what the Traveling Spark Station is really about — moments; the afternoon Jack discovered that two triangles make a diamond and couldn’t stop putting them together. The night my daughter Kate snuck outside in the dark to sprinkle glitter on a fairy ring. The conversation with Jason about silver dollars that stretched across weeks. The quiet morning of chatting, gluing, and tracing that no one planned but everyone enjoyed.

None of these required a lot of money. None required a teaching degree. They required a basket, a few books, a simple idea, and a person willing to show up.

That person is you.

Whether you’re a grandparent traveling across the country to visit for a week, an aunt stopping by for an afternoon, a family friend helping with an event, or anyone else who loves a child and wants to do more than just be in the same room, the Traveling Spark Station is yours. Fill it with what sparks you or what you know will spark them. Take it to the children in your life. See what happens.

I promise you won’t regret a single trip.


The Traveling Spark Station Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

THE TRAVELING SPARK STATION – WIDE-EYED AND WONDERING Part 3

Here we are — Part 3. If you’ve been reading along with Part 1 and Part 2, you already know the rhythm. You pick a topic, you gather a few books, a simple activity or two, and maybe something to eat. You show up, and something small and good happens.

Part 3 is where the Traveling Spark Station gets wonderfully wide. We’re talking about the entire world — its creatures, its seasons, its countries, its history, and the people who shaped it. These topics help children understand that they’re part of something bigger than themselves: a family with a history, a country with a story, a planet full of remarkable things worth knowing about.

You don’t have to be an expert in any of these subjects. I certainly wasn’t. When we explored the solar system, I looked up facts alongside the children as they asked questions. When we studied the Lewis and Clark expedition, I studied a little each day the week before, just enough to be prepared. You don’t need to know everything. You just need to be curious and willing to find out.

One more thing before we dive in: the best Traveling Spark Station moments often aren’t the ones you planned. They’re the conversations that went longer than expected, the child who couldn’t put the book down, the craft that turned into something completely different, and ended up being better. Stay flexible. Follow the spark wherever it leads.

THE WORLD AROUND US

1. Ocean Life
When we explored the ocean, I was working with quite a group — a one-year-old, two three-year-olds, a five-year-old, and an eight-year-old. What surprised me most was that the eight-year-old was just as engaged as the littles, even though everything I had prepared was aimed at younger children. We read books, made a couple of crafts, and I answered what felt like a thousand questions about the ocean and its creatures. We had a fun time.

2. The Planets
I was given a solar system kit and, not knowing much about the solar system myself, I put it in the Traveling Spark Station and figured we’d learn together. It felt a little rough around the edges, but that’s perfectly fine. There’s nothing wrong with letting a child watch you look something up, puzzle something out, or admit that you don’t know. Treat not knowing as a door to adventure and walk through it together. We had some great books, and that night we went outside and stared at the sky for a long time. It was a very good evening.

3. Stars
No matter how wonderful your Spark Station contents are, some days don’t go as planned. I want you to know that and be at peace with it.

The week before our star’s activity, Jack had mentioned he wanted to make gingerbread. I forgot. The Traveling Spark Station arrived full of star things, and Jack wanted to know where the gingerbread was. His mom, Jodie, bailed me out and promised the family would make gingerbread together that evening. Thanks, Jodie.

Despite my lapse, we had a genuinely fun day. We made a star mobile and stars in a bottle. We taped black construction paper to the underside of a bunk bed, crawled inside our fort, and stared at glow-paint constellations above us. The grands loved it and had lots of questions. We had Hershey Kisses for a treat, shiny stars, and read a book together. And the next time I saw Jack, I remembered the gingerbread.

4. Lions
Animals are some of the best Traveling Spark Station topics because children are already curious. When we talked about lions, the questions came fast and didn’t stop. We pored over books together, everything from simple picture books to large coffee table volumes, talking about what the children noticed in the photographs.

We learned that lions don’t live in jungles. They live on the savannah, where the grass is tall enough to hide in, and there’s plenty of room to chase dinner. A lion’s family is called a pride. Lions have only two enemies: other lions and man. Male and female lions look completely different from each other. We found Africa on the map and learned that the entire United States fits inside the African continent three times over. The children were astonished.

We made a lion head craft to hang on the wall and put together lion sandwiches for lunch. The whole activity lasted about an hour, and we had a ball.

5. Dogs
Are dogs related to wolves? Do they talk with their tails? Can they really smell better than we can? These were the questions we set out to answer — partly because Maggie, Mary, and Jack loved their two dogs, Odie and Coby, and partly because what we learned helped them be better dog owners.

We read a couple of books, made dog ears to wear, and built cookie dogs out of Oreo Cookies. They had enormous fun making them and even more fun eating them. We tested Odie and Coby’s famous noses with a little game, and the dogs performed rather poorly, which made everyone laugh. We ended by making a rolling dog toy together. A very fun day, and the kids genuinely came away knowing more about the animals they loved.

6. Dragonflies and Katydids
Sometimes the Traveling Spark Station topic chooses itself. One morning, I found a perfectly preserved dragonfly on my balcony — one of my favorite insects. A few days later, walking to the car, I spotted a magnificent dead Katydid on the sidewalk. That settled it.

Mary and Jack were fascinated. They even worked up the courage to hold the insects, though Maggie would have absolutely nothing to do with any bug in her hand and was completely firm about it. She was, however, utterly mesmerized by the books, poring over every picture long after the other two had wandered off. We made paper dragonflies from graduated circles of construction paper, wiggle eyes, and pipe cleaners, and flew them around the room before hanging them up; a simple, spontaneous, wonderful day.

7. Ladybugs
I was never a strong science student, but I loved zoology — entomology in particular. Did you know there are over 5,000 kinds of ladybugs? My grands didn’t either. They were hooked from that first fact.

Jack, Maggie, and Mary devoured the library books. They were fascinated to learn that ladybugs don’t always look the same, and absolutely delighted that baby ladybugs were, in their words, really ugly. Jack made a ladybug caterpillar instead of the ladybug crown everyone else made, classic Jack. Maggie, who was developing a wonderful sense of humor, adored the book Are You a Ladybug? We painted rocks to look like ladybugs and put them in the garden. A happy, bug-filled afternoon.

8. Gardening
On this Traveling Spark Station day, we went straight to the garden. The children helped pick strawberries and peas. We looked at the tools in the garden box and talked about what each one was for. I had a terrific book about large-scale farming: the machines, the processes, the scale of it. We compared that world to our small box garden. After reading, we made a tractor from the letter T.

We tasted four kinds of apples: red, yellow-red, green, and yellow, and discovered they all tasted different. We made a handprint apple tree, read a book about growing pumpkins, and I showed them the actual pumpkins forming on the vine, which thrilled them because the real thing matched the pictures exactly. We ended by setting up three jars of seeds to sprout: mung beans, alfalfa, and lentils, so they could watch something grow on their own, no garden required.

9. Winter
We began with a beautiful book called Stranger in the Woods, a pictorial story about woodland animals encountering a snowman, a stranger in their forest. Then we made our own snowman from felt and pipe cleaners, talked about what we each liked and didn’t like about winter, and looked through books about how animals survive the cold months. It was a quiet, cozy, creative Traveling Spark Station day — which felt exactly right for a winter topic.

10. Summer
A trip to the library turned up a whole stand of summer books, and I checked out eight. The children loved reading through them. We talked about what summer looks, feels, and smells like, what we wear, where we go, and why people sweat and dogs pant.

The Traveling Spark Station also arrived with everything needed for bubbles: a homemade recipe, store-bought solution, giant wands, tiny wands, a battery-operated bubble blower, and straws for blowing bubbles in a pan of soapy water. We had a summer picnic of water, dates, raisins, and graham crackers. Simple and perfect.

11. The Seasons
I will confess that I do not like winter, not even a little. What I do love about Utah, the state I live in, is its four very distinct seasons. Fall is my favorite, a sublime season that fits me perfectly.

We used the Traveling Spark Station to explore all four seasons together. We made gingerbread muffins to celebrate fall, read books about each season, and talked about how a full trip through all four seasons means another whole year has passed, and another round of birthdays. The children wanted to know whose birthday fell in which season. We took a walk, raked leaves, and made sun catchers to hang in the window. There are wonderful ideas online for exploring the seasons with older children, too. It’s a topic with no age limit.

COUNTRIES AND TRADITIONS

1. Karate and Collections
One of my favorite Traveling Spark Station moments happened without the basket at all. I was visiting a friend and began talking with her nine-year-old son, Jason. He showed me his eight karate belts. I had raised three boys and had a grandson who had taken karate, so we had plenty to share. Then I mentioned some Korean money my father had brought home after the Korean War. Jason’s eyes lit up; his dad had a coin collection. He disappeared and returned with a jar full of coins and bills from countries all over the world. We spent the next fifteen minutes going through it together. We looked at a Chinese bill and talked about what different currencies around the world are called.

The following week, I brought Jason a gold-colored Washington dollar to start his own collection. A friend later gave me some Indonesian bills, which I passed along to Jason. A simple visit turned into a connection that stretched across several weeks, no basket required.

HISTORY AND FAMOUS PEOPLE

1. The History of Trains
My friend Melissa took her Spark Station traveling on a train. Her family rode several trains on vacation, and she brought library books about trains and railroad history. The children loved reading about the transcontinental railroad and other train history while riding the rails.

It’s a simple principle: look at what your family’s already planning and let it inspire the Spark Station. Are you going to an amusement park? Look up the history of amusement parks. Going camping? Learn about John Muir and make a nature journal. The adventure you are already taking becomes the doorway to learning and family connection.

2. Lewis and Clark
One of the keys to a successful Traveling Spark Station activity is a little preparation. Lewis and Clark taught me that a little each day goes a long way. The week before, I spent a few minutes each day getting ready: one day, I found a book on the expedition and printed some coloring pages. The next day, I located a map of their trail. Then I found information on the Hidatsa people and on Sacagawea. Then I gathered what we needed to make a parfleche and a small replica of a keelboat. Finally, I wrote up a neighborhood expedition list: find a white rock, a purple flower, a feather, and so on.

By the time the day arrived, we were ready, and we had a wonderful time. A little daily preparation is all it takes to turn a big topic into a rich family adventure.

3. Black History Month and Martin Luther King Day
January brings Martin Luther King Day, and February brings Black History Month. Both found their way into my Traveling Spark Station every year. We had books, coloring pages, and simple activities. We talked about dreams and how people turn them into reality, and about the dreams the children and their families had for themselves. The kids were always fascinated.

Over several years, we explored Rosa Parks, George Washington Carver, Sara Breedlove Walker, Joseph Winters, Dr. Mae Jemison, and Sidney Poitier — an actor I had been absolutely mad about as a young girl.  Whatever the age of the children you are working with, there is wonderful material available, from board books for the youngest to rich biographies for older readers.

4. Famous People
Over the years, many remarkable people found their way into the Traveling Spark Station. I love history and understanding what motivates people to do great things. I discovered that my grandchildren did too. We would read about a person, talk about when and where they lived, eat food from their era, color pictures, and discuss how their lives were similar to or different from ours.

Some of the people we explored: Peter Cooper, Pearl S. Buck, William Jennings Bryan, the painter Grandma Moses, novelist Sir Walter Scott, playwright Sir Noël Coward, President Teddy Roosevelt, Alexander Graham Bell, Leonardo da Vinci, and Stonewall Jackson. History is full of fascinating people. Pick one that sparks you and share it with the children in your life.

The world is a remarkable place, and children know it instinctively. They want to know why lions don’t live in jungles, how Lewis and Clark found their way across a continent, and what their own family’s veterans were like when they were young. All you have to do is show up with a few books, a simple activity, and a willingness to explore alongside them.

That is the Traveling Spark Station at its best, not a lesson, not a performance, just two or more people discovering something together.

In Part 4, we turn to holidays, and there are more worth celebrating than you might think. From Halloween’s Celtic roots to the surprising story of Labor Day, from the first Thanksgiving to the peculiar mathematics of Leap Year, holidays are some of the richest and most natural Spark Station territory.

The Real Problem With Kits Isn’t The Kit

When I worked with individual families, this question came up often – should I let my kids use kits or have them work from scratch? I had listened to speakers and read articles that said absolutely no kits. By then, I had stopped living in a black-and-white world. I had learned to take my family, their needs, as well as my own, into consideration when deciding what was good for connection and learning. I had gotten brave enough to say, “I’m the expert in my home.” I surely didn’t know everything and still don’t, but I observed, pondered, and used my good sense. With that in mind, read what I’m sharing today about using kits with kids, and then do what’s right in your home, with your kids or grands.

My Thoughts

I didn’t use many kits in my Spark Station, a dedicated creative space in my home, but I would occasionally take one traveling, like the solar system kit someone gave me. Here are some things to consider.

•Kits can be fun, and kids love them. They also come with a challenge for parents: we tend to want to follow the directions. Kits work best when parents let go of the outcome. A perfect bar of soap isn’t as important as mixing, experimenting, and deciding what to do next. Failure can be a great learning tool.

•If used too often, kits can stifle creativity because there isn’t as much room for experimentation. Paint by number is never going to be as effective in getting a child to think as a blank piece of paper and tubs of paint. The finished product may be more eye appealing, but that isn’t the point, is it! We want kids to express themselves, think, and problem-solve. However, if you’re taking a long car trip, paint-by-number beats tubs of paint every time.

•Occasionally, a kit isn’t worth what you pay because the contents are skimpy, and you can assemble one yourself more affordably. You have to decide if the kit is worth the cost and if it will allow your child to expand their knowledge and creativity.

•Here’s the most important consideration: can you release the cost of the kit? This kind of thinking will stifle your child’s creativity and ability to explore, “I paid $15 for that kit, and you aren’t going to ruin it.” If you can’t let go of the cost, don’t buy it. If you must hover to make sure it gets done right, then kits are not a good choice for you.

Oh, the Places a Kit Can Go

Don’t abandon kits altogether, as long as you can let go of the cost and let kids make mistakes. What if you decided to put a telescope in your Spark Station, but you have a child who loves putting things together? In that case, a telescope kit might be perfect. I found one online for around $25, a great way to give a child a taste of engineering while learning and having fun.

So much of what we consider play is actually science, math, and more. While doing research for my book, Becoming a Present Parent, I was amazed by the variety of inexpensive kits available, but even more surprised by the categories. When I searched Chemistry for Children, I found everything from professional equipment to kits for kindergartners, including how to brew your own root beer, make chewing gum, craft homemade cheese, mix a perfume, make soap, build a candy factory, and create cosmetics. I’ll bet you have a child or grandchild who would be over the moon to try one of those.

A kit can also help you respond to a Spark, meaning whatever your child is currently excited or curious about. What if your daughter is all about hair and makeup, like my granddaughter Mary? You could add a cosmetics or perfume kit to your Spark Station. The next thing you know, her brother, dad, or little sister is helping her read the directions, and they’re off. That interest could eventually lead to herbs, medicines, or potpourri, especially if you add a few books on those topics to your Spark Station.

One more idea: you can get great inspiration for your Spark Station simply by browsing kits, even if you never buy one. What would you need on hand to do a similar project yourself? Take a terrarium, for example. You could add containers, a bag of soil, and a few small plants to your Spark Station. During family time, there will be no shortage of ideas about what to do with it all. Add a book on terrariums, and you might find yourself in a wonderful conversation about biospheres and ecosystems, with the right books nearby for every age in your family.

That’s what we hope for, that a simple kit or collection of supplies sparks curiosity, creativity, and connection. It may or may not unfold that way, and that’s okay. Like everything else in your Spark Station and family life, it’s all an experiment.

Kits are worth thinking about.
Give them a try, stay curious, and see where the sparks fly.

THE TRAVELING SPARK STATION – NUMBERS, NEEDLES & FAIRY RINGS Part 2

Welcome back. If you read Part 1, you already know that the Traveling Spark Station isn’t about content — it’s about being present. It’s about showing a child that the person standing in front of them finds the world interesting and wants to explore it together.

In Part 2, we’re going to explore two areas that might surprise you: math and the arts. I say “surprise you” because math has a reputation for being dry and intimidating, and the arts sometimes get dismissed as less important than “real” subjects. The Traveling Spark Station disagrees with both of those ideas.

Math is everywhere — in the cookies you’re counting out, the nails you’re hammering, the fractions in a recipe, the shapes on a walk around the block. When you make math real and connect it to something a child already loves, it stops being a subject and starts being a tool. And the arts? Creativity, imagination, and making things with your hands are among the most powerful ways children (and adults) make sense of the world. From crocheting white blood cells to building fairy houses in Yellowstone, you’ll see exactly what I mean.

Pack your basket. Let’s keep going.

MATH

1. Learning Our Numbers
One Traveling Spark Station day was designed to help my littlest grands get more comfortable with numbers. Maggie already knew her numbers from 1 to 20. Jack could count to eight — really fast, which mattered a great deal to him — but he couldn’t yet point to items one at a time and count them individually. Mary couldn’t talk yet, but she could count in her own way.

We played number recognition games, tried some dot-to-dot pages (which produced a lot of laughs), worked on counting worksheets, and made a number caterpillar from circles of construction paper. And of course, there were books. There are always books.

2. Giving Math Meaning
People often ask how to get children interested in math. My answer is always the same: find something they already love that uses math and start there. Enjoyment of math has everything to do with inspiration.

I once came across an experience in Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s book ‘At Knit’s End’ that stopped me in my tracks. She had struggled with math in school, but when she discovered knitting, everything changed. She wrote that the very computations that had made her miserable in math class became completely worthwhile the moment they helped her knit. She wondered why no one had thought to teach math through knitting in the first place.

Math is in games, puzzles, building projects, cooking, shopping, and sewing. Pay attention to what your children are drawn to, and you will find math hiding inside. Help them find it there first, and they will discover that math can be fun.

3. Math Through Carpentry
Carpentry is one of the best math teachers I know. Counting nails, measuring boards, understanding angles and geometric shapes — a simple building project teaches more than it appears to. Two books I found and loved are Carpentry for Children and Housebuilding for Children, both by Lester Walker. They work beautifully for kids, teens, and adults alike. It was a joy to help my son make a stool as a gift, and later to do the same with my grands.

In my Traveling Spark Station, I kept simple carpentry projects for the littles — counting nails and hammering them into a tree trunk, counting each one again as it went in. Simple, hands-on, and genuinely fun.

4. The Periodic Table
I discovered a game called Elementeo, created by a fourth grader, that teaches the concepts behind the periodic table. Since I never took physics or chemistry, this was new territory for me. I found a fun video about the periodic table made for kids, and together my grands and I introduced ourselves to the fundamentals. None of us knew much going in, and we all came out knowing more. That’s one of the quiet joys of the Traveling Spark Station — you don’t have to be the expert. You just have to be willing to explore.

5. Geometry Through Shapes
I was interested to learn that my struggles with math might have had less to do with ability and more to do with a lack of early experience with shapes and spatial relationships. For young children, shapes really are the building blocks of mathematical understanding. As author Carolyn Brunetto puts it, many children grasp abstract math concepts far better through physical experience than through drills.

So, one day, the Spark Station arrived full of shapes. We looked at a wonderful book called Shape Capers by Cathryn Falwell, whose pictures were so inspiring that we simply copied them and made our own shape creations. We made a shape boat, created a chart of shapes to look for on a neighborhood walk, played a shape-naming game, and had shaped snacks — oval hard-boiled eggs, rectangular crackers, and circular oranges.

The highlight of the day came when I showed Jack that two half-circles make a whole circle, and that two triangles make a diamond. He did it over and over, genuinely amazed each time. That kind of wonder is exactly what the Traveling Spark Station is for.

6. Patterns and Mathematical Reasoning
A library visit one afternoon turned up so many wonderful math and pre-math books that I couldn’t leave without them. We used them as a jumping-off point to explore patterns and the concept of same and different.

I didn’t have pattern books specifically designed for very small children that day, so we made up our own activities — looking for patterns around the house, in the wallpaper and carpets, and making a caterpillar from colored construction paper circles. Everyone loves using glue. We then turned to same and different, using a book called ‘Same, Same’, which introduced items that looked different but shared something in common — stripes, size, or purpose. We played sorting games with puzzle pieces, toys, and household objects. The children had no idea they were doing math. They thought they were just having fun. They were right.

7. Math in Everyday Life
Fractions didn’t become real to me until I learned to cook. At school, they were enemies on a page. In the kitchen, making pies, they became friends I needed. That shift — from abstract to real — is everything.

Carpentry teaches algebra and geometry without ever calling them that. Sewing teaches measurement. Shopping teaches value and budgeting. When my Traveling Spark Station includes baking supplies, I talk through every measurement with my grands out loud: “We need one cup of flour — that’s a whole cup. Now we need half a cup of butter, so we only fill it halfway. We need one teaspoon of vanilla, but we’re making two batches, so we need two teaspoons.” A real “I am doing it” moment is the best story problem there is, and you can take that kind of learning anywhere.

8. Math for Preschoolers
The Traveling Spark Station visited preschoolers often, and math was always welcome there. Young children need a great deal of doing and saying before written numbers make any sense to them — and the good news is that preschool math requires no textbooks, no workbooks, and no special equipment.

Here is a conversation I had with three-year-old Jack one afternoon. I asked him to get six cookies. He counted out four and told me he had three. We laid them out together and counted — one, two, three, four. “You have four, Jack, but we need six. That means we need two more.” He got two more, we laid them alongside the first four, and counted all the way to six together. Then we did the same with marshmallows and M&Ms. He was learning to count with real objects in his hands, and he was perfectly happy the whole time.

We also sorted socks, put away groceries by category, made patterns with buttons and beads, and looked for patterns all through the house. The kids didn’t know they were learning math concepts. They thought they were just spending time together. And that, of course, is the whole point.

ARTS, CRAFTS & IMAGINATION

1. The Family Reunion Traveling Spark Station
Every other year, my Spark Station travels to our family reunion, and this has been going on for several decades. Reunions can be wonderful, exhausting, emotional, enlightening, and fun — often all in the same afternoon. We always set aside a specific room or cabin just for the Spark Station, available only a few hours each day, so parents aren’t tied down. It takes planning, but it’s worth it.

I choose crafts based on four things: low cost, simple materials, ease of creation across a wide age range, and minimal adult direction needed. Over the years, we’ve made name plates for bedroom doors, trinket boxes from popsicle sticks, painted birdhouses, nature journals, cardboard flower presses, God’s eyes, and run nature treasure hunts. The older kids make the same things as the littles and genuinely enjoy helping them. Even some adults have been known to pick up a craft. When one nephew was leaving and came to hug me, he said, “My girls told me they really love the craft lady.” That made my whole reunion.

2. Learning to Crochet
Be brave and try crochet or knitting in your Traveling Spark Station. Boys and girls both enjoy it, I promise. One family discovered this firsthand. Mom was teaching one of her twin girls to crochet when her two boys, ages 11 and 13, announced they wanted to learn too. She wasn’t sure it was appropriate for boys — until the 13-year-old got sick and his younger brother decided to cheer him up by crocheting his brother a white blood cell, complete with googly eyes and a tiny hatchet so the sick brother could hunt germs. Mom decided that hatchet-wielding white blood cells were manly enough. I have used the Traveling Spark Station to teach several of my own grands to crochet, and it has always gone well.

3. Fairies
The day before my Colorado grandchildren arrived for a visit, I found a perfect fairy ring hidden by a bush in our front yard. That settled the topic for the Traveling Spark Station. I showed them the ring and read them a poem my mother had read to my sisters and me as children — There Are Fairies at the Bottom of Our Garden. I told them a fairy ring marks the place where fairies danced in the night. We all knew fairies weren’t real, but we all wanted to pretend they were. My nineteen-year-old daughter, Kate, suggested we set out a little tea party for the fairies and see if they came back. The girls wanted to know how we’d be able to tell. “You’ll see the fairy dust,” Kate said. Late that night, I watched her sneak outside in the dark to sprinkle glitter across the table and around the ring, getting real joy out of every bit of it. The girls still talk about that evening.

Later that same summer, the Spark Station traveled to Yellowstone, where another set of grandchildren each built a fairy house in the forest, guided by the movie Kristen’s Fairy House, two wonderful memories from one simple topic.

4. Dragons
Dragons have fascinated me since childhood. I’ve read about their origins and studied the legends for as long as I can remember, so of course, they found their way into the Traveling Spark Station.

We spent a good stretch of time poring over dragon books together, looking at pictures of the magnificent dragons created for Chinatown parades, and talking about where the legends came from. I found wonderful dragon craft projects online, but they were more labor and material intensive than I wanted. So, I made up my own — a dragon with wings cut from a paper plate. Simple, inexpensive, and the kids loved it. When the projects online feel like too much, make your own. You know your children, and simpler is almost always better.

By now, you’ve seen the Traveling Spark Station in many different forms — a knitting project, a carpentry afternoon, a family reunion craft room, an imaginary fairy ring. Some of these ideas came from trips to the library. One came from a dead dragonfly on the balcony. Some came from just paying attention to what the children around me were already curious about.

That last point is important. The best Traveling Spark Station ideas don’t always come from you. They come from the child who said they wanted to make gingerbread, or the nine-year-old who pulled out his dad’s coin collection. Your job is to notice, to listen, and to be ready.

In Part 3, we open the door even wider. We’ll explore the natural world — oceans, insects, seasons, and the night sky. We’ll visit countries and people in history.

There’s so much world to share with the children you love. Let’s go explore it.