New Play Challenge: Mindful Me
September 19, 2021
Mindfulness is so important at any age, so in celebration of World Mental Health Day on 10th October, the OWA team would like to promote positivity and self-awareness for our next Play Cycle. We are passionate about children's mental health and love finding ways to help nurture children's wellbeing through open-ended, imaginative play, art and creativity, connection with the natural world, physical activity, time spent with parents and loved ones - playing and creating together, and creating the space for kids to be kids! With the tough times we are all currently experiencing, it's vital that we acknowledge the mental health of each individual - even our little ones!
We can't wait to see your entries for our #PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR Play Challenge across Instagram and The Wooden Ark Family Facebook group, with weekly prompts and a prizes to be won! Find out how to enter, and check out the challenge prompts below. Then, get ready to play, learn, explore and create with Oskar's Wooden Ark!
A mindful Mader moment; Photo credit: @ourcountrytale
What can I WIN?
This challenge cycle, we are giving away a mystery Mader Spinning Top each week. These spinning tops cannot be bought, only won - so they are unique and in limited quantity! In addition, we are excited to announce that ALL entries across all 4 weeks will be entered into a random draw to win the GRAND prize of a Mader Spinning Top Learner Set in Blue AND a Mader Wooden Plate 15cm in Ash. Enter as many times as you like. Every entry is another chance to WIN!
#PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR Challenge Prompt 1:
Let's Get Active
Week beginning Monday 20th September
Moving the body is one of the simplest ways to calm one's mind and practice self-care. So this week, we encourage you all to get active! Whether you decide to do that indoors or outdoors by practicing some Wobbel Yoga, climbing a tree, or creating an obstacle course - there are endless way you can get creative and have fun with exercise!
Photo credit: @learnandbloom, featuring Grimm's, MOOV Baby, Waytoplay & Wobbel Board.
#PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR Challenge Prompt 2:
Create and Unwind
Week beginning Monday 27th September
Arts and Crafts are ideal for practicing mindfulness and promoting calmness. Let's get creative this week - draw, paint, glue, make or build YOUR way and be proud of the results. Whether you use loose parts and toys or crayons and paints - there is not right or wrong way to get artistic!
Photo credit: @pagesofchildhood using Grapat loose parts.
#PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR Challenge Prompt 3:
Feelings and Emotions
Week beginning Monday 4th October
We all have them and feel them, but sometimes they can be difficult to express and talk about. In celebration of World Mental Health day this week (10th October) let's talk more about our emotions and the healthy ways we can express them. Your little one might choose to create a daily chart to track their feelings, build a sculpture or use colours to represent different emotions.
Photo credit: @woodentoyplay featuring Grimm's.
#PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR Challenge Prompt 4:
Connect with Nature
Week beginning Monday 11th October
The weather is warmer so it's the perfect time to spend some time out in nature and enjoy playing with our toys in the sunshine! Spending time outside is healthy for the mind, so let's connect with mother nature some more this week and see where it takes us! Will your little one make a fairy boat for the pond, build a bird house, create a nature mandala or explore somewhere new?
Photo credit: Linda; featuring Ambrosius doll.
How to enter the #PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR Play Challenge:
To take part in our #PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR Play Challenge, head over to Instagram or The Wooden Ark Family Facebook group and share an image or video in response to the Play Challenge prompt for that week. Interpret the prompt any way you wish, using any Oskar’s Wooden Ark toys or craft materials! Make sure to tag us, @oskarswoodenark, and use the hashtag #PLAYTIMEWITHOSKAR, so that we can find your entry.
Note: Instagram entries must be from a public Instagram account.
Enter as many times as you like over the course of the challenge cycle.
Winners will be announced at the end of each 4-week cycle, with a special 'Winners' video'.
Be creative, have fun, and enjoy connecting with our wonderful Oskar's Wooden Ark community!
By submitting an entry, you consent to us publishing your name and your post on both Facebook and Instagram, should you be selected as one of our winners. Anybody is welcome to take part, but prizes will be shipped to addresses within Australia only.
