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The holidays are here, and it’s the best opportunity to spend an enjoyable time with family. And if you think it’s time that Santa got a decent shave, well, so does Myriam Sandler of Mothercould. That’s why she created several play activities to engage kids, including a fun way for us to give old Mr. Santa that shave that’s long overdue.
Myriam is the founder and creator behind Mothercould, an online platform and community that shares easy kids’ activities, recipes, parenting hacks, and more.
Her unique play hacks have garnered millions of views on social media and focus on creating accessible activities that moms can use to bond with their children, promote independent play, and explore the many benefits of sensory experiences. The inspiration came in part from her time working with the Salvation Army where she led the women and children’s program and there wasn’t a sufficient budget to buy toys for families transitioning out of homelessness.
“We used things like paper rolls that were leftover and things that were readily available in the homeless shelter to be able to entertain these kids and to have them engaged and connecting with their parents,” she says.
That experience carried over to when she became a mother herself and noticed a trend on kids’ activity blogs.
“I realized there’s all these kids activity blogs where you find an activity that looks amazing and then you look at the material list and realize ‘I don’t have a single item on this list.’ so you need to go and buy everything, use it for this one activity, and then never use it again,” says Myriam.
“So when I started Mothercould, I thought, ‘I am going to use things that I already have at home. We’re going to repurpose and recycle items into play tools.”
Mothercould’s activities use everyday items like paper towels, empty wipe containers, cardboard, and packing tape. For Myriam, the goal is to help families bond while offering kids and parents easy sensory activities that they can do at home.
“A lot of this you can do with the kids being a part of the preparation process,” she enthuses. “You build that connection with the kids early in the holiday seasons and give them some ownership and responsibility in holiday decorations and spirit.”
Drawing from her experience as a parent herself, Myriam Sandler hopes she can help turn the tides and bring fun back into homes. Some of her favorite hacks include Holiday Wipeable cardboards that make drawing, coloring, and then erasing fun and engaging, and her famous Gingerbread Play Dough to keep the holiday tradition alive for families.
Then there’s the popular Mothercould play activity, Shave Santa’s Beard, that’s inspired by the holiday season and the Jingle Bells Sensory Bag.When it comes to creating holiday activities, inspiration can be found all around you. With Myriam Sandler and Mothercould, you can find inspiration in everyday objects and adapt it to suit your festive needs.
