THE NEW DOMESTICITY
the
NEW DOMESTICITY
w
s
1
of Busy Books By Julianna Lawson
“When I was busy they would take out . . . a ‘busy book,’ in which they could employ themselves in writing lists of birds, flowers, makes of cars, or any other things which interested them.” Dora Saint, known by many as Miss Read, gives a thought-provoking glimpse into the English country classroom in her book, “Village School,” based on her experiences as a teacher in the 1930s and 1940s. Busy books. What a delightful way to engage a child with pencil and paper! Artist Katie Daisy of Bend, Oregon, understands the importance of these seemingly old-
fashioned tools: “We have so many screens in front of us . . . that I worry we’re weakening our ability to be creative and take pause. I believe that when you’re actually holding a book, journal, or planner in your hands and using a pen to paper, magic happens and a creative spark is lit.” In this increasingly digital world, let’s help fan that magical, creative spark, using our kids’ interests and pursuits to prompt delight. This month I bring you the ABCs of Busy Books: 26 ways to use notebooks to inspire pencil-and-paper creativity in your child. : Art Non-lined notebooks and sketchbooks are perfect for a child’s artwork. Keep ageappropriate writing tools on hand, from crayons to Prismacolors. : Book List My daughters enjoy keeping book lists in their journals: books to read and books already read. Some readers enjoy rating and reviewing books, too. : Commonplace The commonplace notebook is simply a book in which one keeps a wide variety of information, from quotes and notes to poems and prose.
Books, illustrations and photo by Katie Daisy. See more of her work at www.katiedaisy.com.
: Dump truck When my son was little, he loved machinery. We created a busy book in which each letter of the alphabet had a corresponding construction vehicle, handwritten description, and coloring page. : Epistle A fancy word for letter, why not write little messages back and forth with your child? : Flowers Observe local wildflowers and invite your child to sketch, classify and press favorites. : Gratitude Keep a gratitude journal in which your family records things for which you are thankful. : Handwriting A notebook is a practical way to help a child practice printing, cursive, and even elaborate hand lettering, such as calligraphy. : Ink Enhance the appeal of notebooking by setting aside a special stash of pens, pencils, and markers to be used only for that purpose. : Journal One of the oldest uses in the book, so to speak, journaling is an excellent way to continued on next page
8
Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • April 2019