DidiPopMoms: Ideas for Creative Moms

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Birthday Party Activity for a 7 Year Old: Fun and Educational Treasure Hunt

My favorite and most memorable birthday party when I was a kid was the one where my Dad created a treasure hunt for us. I was turning 9 and it really made an impression on me. He made rhyming clues, one leading to another, and all us kids had to figure them out and sleuth around to discover which one led where. I have no recollection of the prize, I just remember how fun it was for us to figure out and decipher the hidden messages.


So I created one for my daughter's 7 year old party last night. There were 9 kids at the party and I think if you have a fairly small group, this hunt is a lot of fun. (I also believe parties should always be as small as possible. I'll get into that in a another post). The clues were invented quickly and easily while I was in line at the post office, notating them on my iphone.

The clues, written in simple language (kids are just learning to read at this age) on little pieces of yellow construction paper, rolled into scrolls and then taped on to hiding places, led to a treasure map. The map I drew with a regular pen on white office paper. I drew a rough layout of the house and then used a darker marker to make dots leading outside to the back yard. I shredded the sides by ripping a little here and there and then tied it with a ribbon, The treasure was a pretty box I borrowed from my mom, filled with golden chocolate coins (gelt), mint chocolates and sugar-free bubble gum that I found at Smart 'N Final (a kind of super-store... Costco restaurant supply type place in California). I hid the pretty treasure box under a plastic pin outside, stuck a big X on it and the hunt was ready!

Before we began, I laid down the rules:
1. No running
2. When they find a new clue, they are to put there heads together, talk about where it might be and walk to the place they thought they might find it. (problem solving)
3. They are to take turns reading the clues. (literacy)
4. When they find the treasure, they are to slowly come to the living room, dump it out (birthday girl gets to carry it), look at it, then slowly divvy it up. Now kids these days are trained to go nuts and hoard and grab candy (think piñata frenzy). And with our party it took about 7 reminders that there was no need to hog and fret about the goods. The key to this is buy a lot of treasure. I bought 160 coins (come in bulk for $10) and about 100 chocolate mints and one 12 piece pack of gum. The more there is, the more they relax about trying to get some.

Then I hand out empty goodie bags, so when they find the booty, they can divide up the spoils evenly. (counting...sorting).

This hunt was the highlight of the party and I thought I would teach you how to do it for your 7 and up year old. This is the kind of thing you could do every year, making the clues more and more difficult to solve.

Here's what you will need.

6 or more clues (write your own or use mine)
6 pieces colored construction paper
tape
paper for map
ribbon for map
pretty box for treasure
something to hide treasure under (blanket, box... or you could even bury it...but i believe simple is best for mom)
LOTS of treasure
empty bags (zip-lock or what-ever you like)


I started by sitting all the kids down, going over the rules and then giving the first clue to Delilah.

Clue #1:

You'll find the map where it gets hot
between the toaster and the pot

(all kids figure out kitchen...walk there, find toaster and on a pot near the toaster there is the second yellow clue.)

Clue #2:
Now go into Delilah's room
and look up high beside the moon
(all kids go to Delilah's room and look up to a moon that was already stuck up there, and see a yellow scroll taped to the ceiling. I jump up and get it and we read the next clue)

Clue #3:
Go out the front door and by the dome
look to find a little phone

(we walk outside where by our play structure dome, I had taped a clue onto a little plastic toy phone that the girls had and stuck it under the dome. You can easily find things you have to use to make rhymes!)

Clue #4:
You are smart but there is more
taped onto the bathroom door

(they all walk to bathroom, go inside and up taped on the back of the door, they find it!)

Clue #5:
Close your eyes and make a wish
Now go and feed our little fish
(they walk to the aquarium, and taped on the fish food container, the last clue)

Clue #6:
One last clue will take you there
On the red couch there is a bear

(I found a teddy bear in their animal basket and had hidden the map behind the bear)

The kids were out of their minds with excitement, anticipation and cleverness at this point.

Delilah opened the map and looked at it. I had the layout of the house sketched roughly, and she needed to figure how to go out the kitchen door to the backyard and turn left. She got out the kitchen door and turned right, so I gently redirected, as all the kids walked down the driveway looking for the X. And then one girls said "The X!". Delilah got to lift the pink plastic bin and find hidden below, the magical box.

We brought it inside and sat in a circle, dumped it out (this is where daddy and I spoke in pirate voices and complained that our treasure had been found and stolen).

The kids divvied up the goods squarely and put their shares in their bags. They were allowed 3 pieces (it was before dinner, and again I am a big believer in not saying..."just one".. that creates deprivation and then bingeing...more on that coming in a new post!). So 3 it was and the kids were thrilled.

And that was that. A good time is guaranteed with this treasure hunt and kids learn so much. Most of all it's empowering, thoughtful and super fun.

AAAAAARRRRRRRR!

 Did you see that Yellow Beetle Bug?

I wrote a song when Delilah was 2 and it was all because as we drove across town in my blue minivan, she kept whispering "yellow car" (tho it sounded more like "yeyo cah yeyo cah". I would think, "oh that's cute, she likes saying that" but then in about 30 seconds, a yellow car would approach, or I'd see one parked way down the road. She was seeing them before I was! And I had no idea that there were SO many yellow cars on the road.

 

Not only did we continue to search for the yellow cars on the way to baby group or the beach, but we started pretending that you get a wish when you see one. Pretty soon, the song was written on the road and when it came to recording the CD of course we had to put it on "Everyday Adventures". 

 

And it's so funny when ever kids come over, like when Eric Herman's girls came over to do some recording...they knocked on the door and asked "Do you have a yellow car?". And the answer is "no". I have a blue minivan, great for spotting yellow cars.

 

 

Here is a little excerpt from Sharla's kidfun blog.

 

Beep Beep!

3 Nov  by Sharla http://kidfunandmore.com/?p=349

  I’ve been meeting so many interesting people throughout the country who are sharing their ideas with us. How about the Yellow Car Counting Game? It’s a simple little driving game (perfect for KIDFUN). It came from Deborah Poppink, a Los Angeles-based mom, creative parenting advocate, and musician who records and performs as DidiPop.

Here’s how to play … every time you see a yellow car, you get a wish. She said, “I never realized how many yellow cars are on the road!” They started playing when her daughter Delilah was two years old and she began saying the word “yellow” and recognizing the color. She would whisper “yellow car”. I remember when Ryan started saying yellow – it sounded more like “lellow”. I loved it!

So the rules their family created were: Call it out every time you see a yellow car. You get one wish when you see a regular yellow car, two wishes for yellow Beetle Bugs and motorcycles and 1/2 wish for taxi cabs. What a good way to introduce fractions! And, you know, it’s fun to talk about wishes. Be clear they aren’t promises just lovely thoughts to dream about.

Learn more about Deborah by visiting www.didipop.com and www.YouTube.com/didipopmusic.

She has a new recording called DidiPop Goes to Hawaii, being released in December.

Room to Breathe: Outsourcing my lovely puppy.

How could I resist?

New Puppy. Oh how I fell in love at first sight with this little girl who is now called Treya. We met at the dog rescue in front of our local farmers' market and I couldn't live without her. I have not had a new puppy as an adult. Our last dog was a rescue, but she was 6 and was house trained and not FULL of energy CONSTANTLY.

Well, this little girl (who is now sitting on my lap as I type this... actually resting her fluffy head on my right fore-arm which keeps it warm and makes a little challenging to type!) is another BABY. Monday night, the second day she lived with us, I could not think straight. Delilah needed help with homework, Hannah needed me with her crayons, David wasn't home yet, the dinner was cooking and Treya was peeing on the sofa. I stood in the kitchen and cried into the broccoli. My girls gathered around me and said, "it's OK mommy".

Me typing with Treya on arms - Photo by 4 year old Hannah

But I knew I had pushed myself too far. I do have the habit of extending myself and I hear it is a trait of A type personalities and moms. When you have an A-type and a Mom combo (that's me), it can get very intense. The mantra from "The Little Engine That Could" comes to mind "I think I can I think I can". But my mantra must change to  "I think I better rest, I think I better rest".

I realized the puppy was too much for me. I called my mom, like I always do when I need fine spiritual guidance, and she agreed that it was too much on my plate. She had been looking for another dog to go with her older doggie Winston



and we decided that my mom would take Treya (named for Matreya, the future Buddha). My mom just had a big birthday and this is the perfect way for her to infused her life with new, young energy!

Winston and Treya

So, the story ends happily ever-after. The dog is in the family (it takes a village) and will be loved by all,  just trained and raised in a home without Winnie-The-Poohs and tiny sandals for her to teeth on. And the moral of the story is, sometimes I have to make tough choices. Love is not enough...it's a mater of being sensitive to myself, my time and my energy and my priorities. I don't want to neglect my girls when they need me in order to care for the dog. Not now anyway when she is ALL my responsibility. I'll wait til the girls can clean up pee and take her for a walk. I'll give my self some room to breathe. It feels wonderful to breathe. Try it now.

Work, life, parenthood and dreams bubble up in a blog

Hello out there. Here, I finally launch my blog. I used to write in my journal every morning. I have many, many, many black sketch books filled with ideas, poems, sketches, dreams and rants. Since my children were born, I haven't had a place (or the time) to get my thoughts out on to paper. Now that paper is scarce and I have gone green, a blog seems the perfect place for me to share. 

Also, becoming a mother has been the biggest love, challenge, adventure of my life. I have been lost and found so many times. Luckily I have a wonderful support system and ways of getting over and through the hurdles of raising children and balancing that with being true to myself as as an artist. It is part of my make-up to work through obstacles, find tools to help me get over humps and then to teach others how I did it. I hope this will be a place where I can have fun letting my mind be free to bubble up and where others (moms perhaps) will learn something and find truth in what I might be saying. I hope so!

LYRICS! The Cool Alphabet Song (animated, babies & cu...

Lyrics to "Potatoes and Cabbage" by DidiPop

I love, just LOVE, knowing that children all over the world are learning from DidiPop. I am driven to teach (and always have been) and since I can't swing a teaching trip to Brazil this week, this will have to do.

I got this email from a tracher in Brazil this morning:

On Mar 11, 2011, at 10:29 AM, Júlia wrote:
Hello,
My name is Julia and I am an English teacher in Brazil. I got to know your work during a search for material to use in my St. Patrick’s day class, and simply adored your music! I’m going to show it to my 5 year old cousin and use it in my classes as well.
I was wondering if you could send me the lyrics for “Potatoes and Cabbage” so that the students can sing along to it!
Thank you very much, and congratulations!
Julia 

Thanks Julia! Here they are:

Potatoes and Cabbage (lyrics) ©Poppinksongs 2011

St. Patrick's Day is so much fun
Coloring shamrocks in the sun
So do a dance and bang a drum
And eat potatoes and cabbage

St Paddy's got a history
He was kind and good you see
He followed all his magic dreams
And ate potatoes and cabbage

He was kidnapped at 16
By Irish raiders cruel and mean but
He got away and studied and prayed
And ate potatoes and cabbage

He brought the Irish people faith
He built a church, became a saint
Some people say he scared the snakes
And ate potatoes and cabbage

We celebrate March 17
So don't get pinched and wear some green
Welcome in the sunny spring and
Eat potatoes and cabbage

Let's be Irish, sing a song and
Look for clovers on the lawn
A leprechaun may come a long he'll be
Eating potatoes and cabbage
Eating potatoes and cabbage
Eating potatoes and cabbage



Happy Paddy's Day to you!

St. Paddy's Day Pancakes!

 

Dia dhuit ar maidin! (Good morning!)

Shamrock Pancakes   How fun, funny and easy it is to make your March mornings festive with these shamrock pancakes! Simply dye your favorite pancake batter green and pour out 3 or 4 (if you want to be lucky) circles (leaves) and a stem. For the truly talented pourers out there, try a top hat or even a leprechaun!   For a 2 minute history of St. Patricks Day, watch the new video Potatoes and Cabbage.

Randy Kaplan at McCabe's, February 20, 2011

Just got back from McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica with my girls. We saw the entertaining and energetic Randy Kaplan. He is really fantastic. Why you might ask? Well...

Randy Kaplan and his great story songs

Randy is a talented musician, which I appreciate and I think parents do too. I imagine that some parents might not be excited about waking up early on a Sunday morning to get to a "kids show" fearing that the music may be amateur (and/or mediocre) and the lyrics might be mundane (or just plain boring).


Randy Kaplan is neither amateur nor mundane. In fact, he is a real pro, on stage as a player and performer and as a witty and appropriate lyricist for kids AND parents.

He can effortlessly switch back and forth from talking about "Middle English" and Chaucer, to what fun it would be to take a bath in grape juice ("not the white kind, but the purple kind, where you can hold it up to the light, enjoy the color and check out the vintage"). His mind is as fast as a jack rabbit and his lips are even quicker.

DidiPop (Deborah Poppink) and Randy Kaplan at McCabe's

On the way home, when I asked my girls, "What was your favorite Randy song from the show?", Delilah said, "The Dinosaur Song". Hannah said, "The Mosquito Song". And I said, "What about the grape juice song?" and they said, "Yes!" and then Hannah added, "Every song!". They eventually both decided that they liked all of them, but Delilah chimed in "The Dinosaur Song is still the best".

Randy is about to go on tour (study his tour schedule here), so check him out when he comes to a town near you. One day I'd like to catch his adult show (which I am guessing is totally entertaining), but for now I highly recommend the kids show .

Kindie Music Rocks!

What is Poppinkology?

Connecting with myself is the best way I know how to be a good mother, friend, spouse and artist. Throughout the years, I've studied astrology, tarot, I ching, buddhism, christianity, wicca, paganism, judiasm, hippie-ism and numerology and I find it all so interesting. Bringing all this together, and highly influenced by Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way",  I began developing a spiritual/creative practice called Poppinkology. I will elaborate on that when we get back from the beach, whenever that may be...

Why DidiPop Music is Free

People are asking me why I am giving away music. Well, I don't EXACTLY know the reason, but here are the events that led me to gift DidiPop songs to families.

In late December I had a dream that there was a bird riding on my shoulder. I wrote the dream down and then picked a tarot card. The card I picked was "Understanding" (from the Osho Zen deck). It has an image of a beautiful yellow bird, sitting in an open cage, watching free birds soar around the sky and not recognizing that the cage was open and that she could be free if she liked.

A few days later, January first (my birthday) rolled around. It's always been a thoughtful day for me where I ask the universe "what do I need to know?". That afternoon, I discovered a tiny hummingbird in our bathroom. I opened the window and it just wouldn't fly away. He (I do think it was a he) was exhausted from bumping into mirrors and walls and finally, I held out my finger (parallel to the floor) and made little chirping sounds with my tongue and lips. The little emerald bird looked at me and then flew to my finger and landed so delicately.

I trembled slightly with the magic of it and slowly moved my hand toward to open window to free him. But as I neared the opening, he flew back into the bathroom, toward the shower. He was was tired, so I collected some hummingbird nectar from our outdoor feeder, and poured drops in my palm. Again, he landed on my finger and I held up my palm to him (filled with red drops of nectar) and he drank and drank. With the "nectar-power" he really was awake now! He continued to come to me, but as i'd approach the window, he'd fly back toward the shower.

The last time, I talked to him at length about how he really ought to be outside with his family. I finally had my hand out the window. And what did he do? He stayed with me, looking at me and seeming quite content on my finger. I told him it was time and gently jerked my hand upwards as he flew into the night.

The next morning, I woke up with a dream to set all the DidiPop songs free as well.
Some friends call me NUTS (bird-brained?), but gifting the music has a lot to do with recognizing how we are fragile, how life is short and how I'd like to feel that children and families of the world could feel all the the love and care I feel for my children and consequently pour into the music that I make.
Sometimes following your heart is the greatest adventure of all...

A Musician/Mom takes a trip to the Grammys

Having always dreamed of attending the Grammys (as a performing nominee!), I finally made it last night. It was an exciting weekend here in L.A., beginning with the kids music Grammy nominee concert at The Mint, where Justin Roberts and Judy Pancoast were among the performers. Pete Seeger and Julie Andrews did not make it (and I am lucky to have seen Pete recently at Jazzfest in New Orleans, but I digress).

Sunday morning I put on a DidiPop show for kids at our local farmers' market, ran home, took off my pink-sequined skirt, threw on my new over-the-knee leather boots (thanks Zappos), a double coat of mascara and dashed out the door to the Grammy party hosted by my music publisher, Bug Music.

Kara DioGuardi looked dramatic in her black dress as she gave Bug's "Hitmaker" award to Ari Levine (he's cranking out the hits with Bruno Mars and I was fortunate enough to work with Ari on my X-files song, "Ooh La La"). Los Lobos was honored and martinis and doughnut holes were flowing. Weird combination right?

"We've got go. Now." said my husband, quite seriously, who's the president of Bug and negotiated me through my first Grammys. If you are not in your seat before the going-on-air countdown, they won't let you in. So there  we were, scuttling across the street, my leather jacket pockets filled with Cliff Bars and a water bottle stashed in the back of my pants (at the belt line) and under my new Kenneth Cole strappy top. I'd been warned by seasoned Grammy-goers, to sneak in food and water as the show lasts forever and ushers don't let you out of your seats much. And by the way, we WERE allowed to get up, but I was happy I didn't have to spend $45 on a couple bottles of water and a Kit-Kat bar.

I squeezed into my seat between my husband and a music publisher from Toronto (just met him last night, nice guy!) and the show started. The 5 powerhouse women sang the Aretha Frankin medley, Christina looking kind of plump and luscious (and falling as she took in the applause). Lady Gaga apparently got out of an egg, but from our seats, it looked more like a Cinderella coach. My favorite part was when she played the organ. What a hard working artist she is. And, during her song I turned to the music publishers on either side of me (my husband and my new friend from Toronto) and said two words "Express Yourself".

My favorite part of Bruno Mars' "set" was when he played drums. As an artist, I love to see true artists like Gaga and Bruno. Ones who WORK: practicing, rehearsing, writing and studying because that's truly what it takes. (Sometimes I think people get caught up in the clothes, make-up and current body weight, without really acknowledging how much work goes in). Mick Jagger was mesmerizing and filled Staples Center with almost a church-like magnificence. What an energy that man has.

But in the middle part of the show, the whole glitzy Grammys became more like a family and kids music show. When Jada Pinket Smith and hubby Will, stood up and proudly applauded their little boy rapper, it felt as though I was at our kindergarten auditorium and they were just another couple of proud parents, and really, isn't that  what they are? I also saw Cyndi Lauper just below me, seemingly annoyed at her teenage son for doing something. Mothering never stops, even at the Grammys.

When Cee-lo and Gwyneth Paltrow came on with the Muppets, the night, in my perception, became more like a night of kids music for adults. And maybe that what POP music really is. Rihanna in her yellowish Princess dress, Katy Perry in the pink little Bo peep outfit, pretty on a swing showing her own wedding photos on her magnificent wing-like train, and Cee-lo in his multicolored chicken get up....how uplifting and free-spirited it all was.

(My theory on Gwyneth: she is one of the most gifted actresses of our time. Maybe she's been auditioning all these roles in her movies, just to try out what she REALLY wants to be in life. She marries Chris Martin (from Coldplay) and watches him do his thing for a while. Then she says, "Wow! I wanna be a ROCK STAR!" and of course she can. She was electrifying.

Then Barbra Streisand came on. I am a huge fan and was excited to see what she would do. She looked more like a woman than a superstar, settled and calm. She choose one of the hardest songs I've ever sung (Evergreen) and that was interesting, because she just can't get the notes like she used to. And she knows it, but still she went for it which was brave and real. I appreciate her courage, her talent and her hard work.

We all thought Justin Bieber would win as he is such a teen phenomenon, yet he lost to Esperanza Spalding, the talented jazz bassist/vocalist/producer/composer from Portland. I just listened to her CD tonight and it's pretty remarkable. The other unexpected win went to Arcade Fire. They are dynamic group of multi-instrumentalists that includes two drummers, two women musicians, a husband and wife team that play cool instruments like glockenspiels and French horns. I believe that Arcade Fire's CD was the only "concept album" of the five nominated for Best Album. And that, along with their incredible musicianship, could be why they took it. These days artists tend to record a bunch of singles and then compile them onto a CD, where in the old days, artists would think it out and create 40 minutes of story/vibe/concept.

All in all, the day (performing for kids and families with my new band), the day (at the party, reconnecting with musicians I haven't hung with since I've been breeding), and the night (the legendary Grammys, complete with real legends) was one of the best days of my life. I know that's quite a statement, but sharing all this music with my daughters (4 & 6) at my show, and my wonderful husband all day long (our 7 year anniversary is tomorrow), made me look up to the sky (after parking my minivan in our driveway) and thank god out loud. Just then a song came into my head, a wonderful song from the Sound of Music with the lyric: "Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good". What a lucky mom/wife/musician I am. And how important music is for all us, to inspire us and bring us (children, adults and families) together to feel and thrive in its magic. And just like raising kids, making music takes a lot of work, dedication and love.