Brand Ambassador of the Month- December

Brand Ambassador of the Month- December
December Brand Ambassador of the Month!
We are so excited to learn a little more about our featured Brand Ambassador @playingcreatingeducating! Melody is a mother of two boys that focuses on play based learning, sensory, crafts, DIYs, and Holiday Inspiration. Read more to see what she creates!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself! What is the inspiration behind your Instagram page?

I am a former PreK teacher specializing in Inclusive education and ESL tutor turned SAHM.  My boys are absolutely the inspiration behind my Instagram page.  I started this page initially selling homemade play dough.  I was making it for my boys to play and learn with and I thought families would enjoy it too.  I shared play dough activities that I would do with my boys.  From there, I started sharing more play based learning activities and crafts that we did together, not just play dough.

 Q: We have loved seeing your page grow, and all the fun and amazing projects and activities you share, and we learn so much as you incorporate play based learning into DIY projects!  What inspired you to want to be a Brand Ambassador?

I have always loved art and being creative.  My boys also love creating art and love to draw, color and paint.  So, I knew that becoming a Brand Ambassador for Kwik Stix would be a great fit for us to create and explore with different art materials. 

Q: What is your favorite product of ours that you have tried so far?  Can you tell us more about why you love this product, and if you have any tips or tricks when using it or favorite techniques? Is there anything in particular that has helped you blend creativity, play, and learning together with your boys and any advice you can provide to others?

I think our favorite product is the Kwik Stix paint sticks.  They are absolutely the most used products in our house followed by the Wonder Stix.  My boys and I love that the paint sticks are easy to hold and apply.  They come in a variety of colors and show up nicely on different materials.  We have used them on paper, card stock, watercolor paper, cardboard and wood.  
When I’m creating activities for my boys, I want to have their interests, ability and/or need in mind.  And that’s going to be different for each of them. Then I look to incorporate a theme which could be seasonal or a holiday or a special interest such as the farm in the activity.  This helps with creating engaging play based learning activities and crafts.

Q: We love that you incorporate amazing videos of your crafts and activities on your page! What is one of your favorite projects you have created using our products? There have been so many great posts you have made, and we want to know which stands out to you! 

That’s difficult to choose!  I will say two of my favorites are the Wreath of Love, where we made a wreath of hearts painted with our paint sticks.  Written on each heart was a way we could show love and kindness to others and to each other.  It was a meaningful way to talk about what it means to show love and kindness and created a visual for them to see.  
The second favorite activity was making seasonal bookmarks.  It’s very open ended and my boys used a variety of materials including paint sticks, Wonder Stix, Magic Stix markers, stickers and yarn to create them.  The possibilities are endless when creating bookmarks.

Q: What’s next for you? Do you have any exciting crafts or activities planned for the holidays ahead?!

Yes absolutely!  With the holidays coming up, we plan on making holiday bookmarks for gifts and some for keeping.  I also have a math gingerbread house craft and Little Blue Truck’s Christmas craft/activity planned.  Be sure to follow my page for these activities and more!

Check out some activities and crafts by @playingcreatingeducating

 

Apple Play Dough Color Match

 

Halloween Bookmarks

 

Halloween Gnomes

 

Red, White, and Blue Star Wands

 

Build A Scarecrow

Back to School Affirmations

Easter Bookmarks

Rainbows

 

St. Patrick's Day Gnomes

 

Valentines Day Wreath

 

Reindeer and Kwik Stix

 

Gingerbread House