Click here to see the full 2012 conference schedule.

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2012 Funshops

A Picture’s Worth a 1000 Words, 100 Equations or 10 Shapes

Make geometric shapes from reprinted templates. Construct by weaving, braiding, & paper crafting, They are decorated with intriguing geometrical designs, or blank for you to decorate or explore. Some are also puzzles or games. Hosted by Hollingsworth Fweepleshorts.

TheaterSportz

For all ages and abilities…
Come for fun and laughter…
Theater games galore!
Hosted by Anna Soderberg.

Drawing Dragons

Want to draw dragons but cannot find a teacher? Today is your lucky day! With Drawing Dragons, everything will be alright! Hosted by Phoenix Fire Hogaboom.

Masquerade Parade

We love a parade!!! And we’re inviting you to join us as we toodle around the conference in our favorite costumes. Wear whatever costume you fancy – and fancy is good! Homemade, store-bought, masks and headgear – all welcome. Just make sure you can see where you’re walking and bring a parent (or a child) to guide you if necessary!

We will weave around the conference space, so all LIFE is Good spectators can get a glimpse.  So that everyone who wants to join in can, the parade will happen during the lunch break. Meet in the Heritage lobby on Saturday at 12:45 p.m. (you can grab something to eat and don your finery after the presentations break for lunch).
Led by Jessica Bulger and Senna Bentley.

Seed Swap

Gardening enthusiasts and wannabe gardeners unite! May is not too late to get seeds in the ground. I’ll have my stash of seeds for this year to share, as well as a bunch of peat pots, and recycled containers to make little seed starting kits. I’ll also have envelopes for those who want to take their seeds home to plant. Bring seeds to share if you’ve got them, otherwise just show up and choose from the extras. Hosted by Judy O’Neill.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Meet up with other people from the conference that like to play, talk about or trade Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Bring your cards! Hosted by Leif Werner and Katie Wascisin.

Sewing A Button

Plain and simple: sewing a button with secure and good-looking results. All supplies provided. If time and attendance permit, I am happy to answer your sewing questions, point you to references that work for me, and even assist you with your mending! (Note I said I would *assist* you with YOUR mending… ha!). Come and talk craftivism with an ardent stitcher! Hosted by Kelly Hogaboom.

Hair Wraps!

Hair Wrapping is a fun simple way to dress up your tresses!   They can stay in for a few days, or even a few weeks!  We will be using embroidery floss, and you can add beads too.  If you have any special colors of floss or beads you would like to bring to share – please do! (Beads should have a fairly big hole.) Hosted by Autumn Isocki and Skye Wylie.

Monster High School’s Out Group

Come one, come all, Guys & Ghouls! School is SO out…so…NOT happening.  Bring your Monster High dolls, colored pencils, markers, old (or new!) t-shirts,  camera, film movies with your video cameras, whatever…mingle and play and create in your choice of medium. We will provide fabric paints, paper and more! Hosted by the Ellingham-Wolf Family.

Gilmore Girls for Everyone

Gilmore Girls is a TV show that ran for 7 seasons, featuring the relationship between a mother and a daughter and set in the fictional town of Stars Hollow. We are two families who share a love of this show and want to share it with everyone else. We will have a short presentation, some games, some treats and maybe a door prize. Come fall in love with Rory and Lorelei Gilmore! Hosted by Shelby & Lily Coleman and Renee & XuMei Cabatic.

Riotous Reading Funshop

Did you know that books like to play? Come to the Riotous Reading Funshop and discover how you can hear your books invite you in to read aloud for adventure, mystery, anticipation, and just plain fun. Your guide, the Barefoot Books NANA, will start out by sharing what she hears when she converses with her books before she reads them aloud. Then the real fun starts when you get to practice listening to your book and reading it to those in your circle. All ages are welcome, readers and proto-readers alike. Hosted by Vicki Stearns, aka the Barefoot Books NANA.

My Little Pony (FIM) Brony Mixer

This will basically be a time to hang out and talk about MLP and our favorite characters, episodes, etc. Hosted by Silas Jackson.

Burping!

Can you burp the alphabet? Or your favorite song? Come show off your burping talents! All skill levels welcome. We will provide some soda but feel free to bring more if you can. Hosted by Andrew Huck.

Mom & Dad Makeovers at the LIFE is Good Salon

Bring your Dad or Mom to the LIFE is Good Salon for a makeover!  Let their faces be your palette. This is your opportunity to transform their look with makeup and a new hairstyle. What would your dad look like with blue eyeshadow and rosy cheeks? How about your mom in an up-do with shiny red lips? How they will look is up to YOU! We’ll bring gobs of cosmetics and hair accessories so you can discover your inner stylist! Come have FUN! Hosted by Bob & Becky Betts.

Carnival, the ACE Way

Let’s have a school type carnival without the school.  We’ll have a lollipop walk, beanbag toss, bowling, wheel of fortune and more. Hosted by ACE. Ace is an unschooler friendly group that meets weekly in Camas, WA.

Kidz Trivia Game

A Trivia game with 6 categories about various games and things such as Minecraft, Pokemon the book series Warriors (Cats) and much more!  Win fabulous prizes! Depending on how many people show up there will be teams or one-on-one competition.  All participants will get something, so nobody loses. Hosted by Katie Reid.

Flag Lady Funshop

Didn’t get a chance to make your 2012 family flag before the conference? Have no fear, we invite you to attend the Flag Lady Funshop to make your flag. We will have fabric and some basic supplies, just bring your wild imagination and any supplies you would like to share! Hosted by Diana Jenner.

The Passion Trading Post

No, this is not an adults only funshop!  We are talking about sharing those things that are passions in your life. Have you ever wanted to host a funshop but didn’t want to make the commitment to a large group? Or maybe you have a skill or knowledge that doesn’t easily fit into the funshop format. Well this is your chance to let our community know what you have to offer! Come gather with all ages, whether you have something to offer, or something you would love to learn. We will have time to network and chat with those who have a passion you are interested in, and we will also have forms to fill out where you can list your passions and contact info. Bring a pen and notebook for collecting info!

For those who can’t make the funshop, we will have the forms available at the registration table. They will be collected on a regular basis and compiled into a list to be posted on the Yahoogroup and Facebook page. Our hope is that the connections started here will continue growing throughout the weekend and even after the conference! Hosted by Lisa Prague and Lyla Wolfenstein.

Travel Hacking: See the World for a Fraction of the Cost

Want to travel more and spend less? Learn how to book trips for little-to-no money! Take a $5 flight to Hawaii or a free first-class train ride – it’s all available IF you know where to look! Find out how to play the game and win outrageous deals – again and again! Discover insider tips and strategy, plus time for Q&A! Hosted by Nathan Agin.

Nonstop Awesomeness: How to Look, Feel + BE Healthy As You Travel

When you travel, are you struggling with developing and keeping healthy practices in your life? Whether you’d like to start exercising, meditating, journaling, playing, connecting, or eating right, this fun and free-flowing funshop will help you create powerful daily practices as you get clear on what’s important to you and discover how easy it is to live this way! Hosted by Nathan Agin.

Daily Morning Yoga

Let’s do yoga together! 30 to 40 minutes of gentle, restorative yoga will prepare us for the day’s festivities. Let’s keep it more on the gentle, beginners side so that all skill levels will feel comfortable joining us. If we don’t have an instructor come forward to guide us, we can watch a YouTube video or a DVD. Hosted by Lisa Weber.

Mini-Minecon

Dear Steve,
You have been cordially invited to Mini-Minecon.
Lots of love,
XXXXXXX
The Cabatics & Friends

Minecon was an incredible party celebrating all things Minecraft. I want to host a mini version of it with my favorite people! A party to celebrate our creative love of Minecraft.

Do you host a server or a You Tube show about Minecraft? Do you make mods, texture packs, amazing architectural wonders or build radical Redstone creations?  Bring your laptops to show us.  Do you make Creeper cupcakes? Epic Ender Pearl earrings? Perle bead Pick Axes? Fiber craft Flint and Steel? Bring it all!

Bring items to show, share or sell.

We’ll have Minecraft for the XBOX set up to try and we’ll build with cardboard Minecraft blocks. Come dressed in your favorite Minecraft costume. We’ll have some red creeper capes thanks to Melissa Kruger. And we’ll dance, dance, DANCE! Hosted by Renee Cabatic.

All Ages Soccer Game

Come play soccer in the park! This funshop will be an all ages soccer game in the park next to the hotel. We’ll start off with a short warm-up, stretch, and then get the game going. Beginners welcome. Sneakers or running shoes recommended. Hosted by Nina Andres-Berrelleza,

Join the Circus for a Day!

Come learn new fun skills, or practice ones you know, like contact juggling with acrylic practice balls, devil sticks, juggling, spinning poi and learning to use a ribbon wand. Bring your own circus toys if you want. You can show us something new, and play with other performers. If you would like to learn poi bring a pair of long knee high socks (any style but ones you like) and two tennis balls. Hosted by Kopper Myers and Faith Void Taintor.

Nerf Gun Battle in the Park

Bring your Nerf guns and let’s have a battle in the park! We can split up into teams or play every person for themselves. Whatever flows best for everyone. Make sure to bring extra bullets and be prepared to lose a few! Hosted by The Knight Family.

Twitter Users Meetup

An informal gathering to meet fellow Twitter users. Meet those awesome online friends in real life. Meet new tweeple to add to your twitter family. Not a Twitter user yet or not quite understanding how to use Twitter to the fullest? Come get pointers from the “pros.” Bring your laptops or smart phone and let’s play. Hosted by Faith Void Taintor.

Cards for a Cause

Join me in creating some greeting cards that will be donated to a couple of different local charities. Some will go to the Ronald McDonald House which supplies housing for families with relatives staying long term in hospital. The rest will go to SHARE, our local homeless shelter. We will make birthday wishes, thinking of you and thank you cards. I will have some projects preplanned for those who don’t feel crafty. I will also have plenty of materials to create your own. Little ones can play and keep their creations. Older ones who can create tidy projects can add their creations to the donation pile. Bring your energy and generosity to help me create a little bit of paper cheer for someone in need. Hosted by Misty Murphy.

Cooperative Games and Stories

Come practice being in a place of love and abundance where you belong. Fun games, songs and stories for kind people of all ages where everyone is included. Hosted by Kristen McKee.

Don’t Be Shy!

Chocolate or vanilla? Can you roll your tongue? To Pokemon or not to Pokemon? Would you be a Plant or a Zombie? Come join this simple game of meeting new people with common interests. Questions will be called out and you will move into a group with the same answer. Look around, say hello and introduce yourself. During the remainder of the conference, the next time you see a familiar face in the hallway, don’t be shy, stop and say hello! I developed this funshop for my daughter who wanted to meet people but is too shy to just introduce herself to others. While this funshop is focused at the tween and teen level, anyone is welcome to join in. Hosted by Misty Murphy.

Acting Out with Amy!

Come join us for an hour of acting warm-ups, group connection activities, and improv games! Hosted by Amy Steinberg.

Unschooling Hula Hoop Party

Come join us for some hooping fun! We’ll spin some tunes and help answer questions about hooping basics and intermediate tricks. Bring your own hoop and any extras you might be willing to share. All ages welcome! Hosted by Shannon Loucks, Brianna Fricke, Renee Cabatic and Heather Burditt.

Power Rangers Meet-Up

This funshop will be for Power Ranger fans. We will discuss Power Rangers so feel free to bring any related toys or costumes. You can also make up a Power Ranger name for yourself! Hosted by Alexander & Melissa Cole.

Language Play for Unschoolers

Unschoolers everywhere recognize the incredible power of play as a context for learning. I’ll give you a game you can put to use right away, learning the languages of your elders, your neighbors, an old lady on the bus. You’ll also walk out of the funshop with a bit of conversation in some yet-to-be-selected language. And if you ever accidentally parachute in to the wilderness of the Amazon and want to talk to the locals, you’ll know where to begin. Hosted by Jay Bazuzi.

Awesome 80′s Dance Party

Breakout your leg warmers and headbands, put on that old Adam and the Ants concert tee, and get ready to experience the glory of the 1980′s all over again (or for the first time!). We’ll get our blood pumping by learning a few choreographed workout/dance routines (think Olivia Newton John and Toni Basil!) and then we’ll just see where it goes from there. Bring your moves, your enthusiasm and dress comfortably (totally radical 80′s attire is optional). Hosted by Colleen Paeff.

Paper Folding Fun

Make several paper folding projects, Origami, Kirigami, and especially pages from the book Paper Toy Monsters. We will have fun with lots of paper art. Feel free to bring your own projects to demo! Hosted by Lisa & Emily Biskup and Sophia LeDonna.

Stitch & Cheerfully Converse

Life is Good, so let’s gather to knit & chat for a bit.  Bring your current project to work on.  If you would like to learn how to knit, come on by — there will be needles & yarn for you to use as well as some pointers for useful info so you can keep going after the funshop. If nothing else, drop in and pet all the pretty yarn.  ̶H̶̶o̶o̶k̶e̶r̶s̶ Crocheters welcome too! Hosted by Renee Cooper.

Ukulele Fun

Come join us and bring your ukulele or noodle around on a friend’s. Share some chords and pointers and maybe a song or two. Let’s see what we can do with a bunch of ukuleles in one room, but for the most part, let’s just have fun. Hosted by Margaux & Jenny Cyphers.

Legos Legos Legos

Come and build with piles of Legos!  We’ll bring a big box of them from a variety of sets, and see what fabulous creations we can make. Feel free also to bring anything you’ve built that you’d like to show off.  :) We’ll have a raffle for some fun Lego items at the end of the funshop. Hosted by Ryan Cooper.

Ollivander’s Wand Shop

Welcome to your very own Ollivander’s.  Only here, you make the wands yourself. Though we are influenced by Harry Potter, we also hope to see fairies, princesses, other non-Harry Potter wizards, witches and magic lovers in general! Hosted by Dara Freed and Amy Bay.

Wings, Wings, Wings!

Come get your wings on!  Whether you would like to be a fairy, butterfly or some other winged creature, come join us as we whip up some wings! Younger kids will need the help of an adult. Hosted by Dara Freed and Amy Bay.

Beyond Google: Super Hero Search Strategies

Learn techniques used by the pros for finding the information you need online. Go beyond Google to the “deep internet;” learn to use Boolean operators; discover the difference between the various search engines; and impress your friends with your librarian-like abilities to find exactly what you’re looking for on the Internet. Handouts will be provided. Bring a laptop if you have one! Hosted by Colleen Paeff.

Balloon Twisting Jam

Join the crazy fun of making and your own balloon creations.  Animal, sword, hat, ???   You decide! A few adults will be available to help tie knots and locate balloons and pumps. Balloons and a few simple ideas provided. Hosted by Renita Keatley and Mary King.

Minecraft

Come join us to play my favorite game! Beginners are welcome, if you need any help with the game, just ask us. Hosted by Oden Schmit and the Schmit Family.

Bunco Meet & Greet

Bunco is one of the easiest dice games there is, leaving you plenty of time to talk and laugh. With the continuing partner changes, it’s also one of the best ways to meet new people. With some help from parents even the youngest of children can play. So come, play, meet people, laugh and have fun. Donations of extra sets of dice would be greatly appreciated! Hosted by Kim Railey.

Traveling around the World without Leaving the House: Letter Writing for Children and Adults

All Things Pokemon

We will play with Pokemon cards and DS Pokemon games, and  trade Pokemon cards at this funshop.  Bring your deck(s), your extras to trade, and/or your DS device and Pokemon game and join the fun. This funshop is for all ages, but if your child is fairly young and/or completely unfamiliar with the game, we’d appreciate it if a parent could join in to help them learn. Having your own deck of cards is not required, but would be helpful in order to fully participate. Hosted by Lyla & Oscar Wolfenstein.

ATCs-Artist Trading Cards

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) are simply pieces of art that are made out of cards measuring 2.5” by 3.5”. You can buy special paper already cut to this size, or better yet, simply use sturdy paper you already have at home. Old file folders, card stock, greeting cards – any paper that is not flimsy – can be cut to the right dimensions and used as an ATC. Think about baseball trading cards and look for paper about that weight. Or, be creative and use materials other than paper. Just keep to the 2.5” x 3.5” size. Once you have your 2.5 x 3.5” card, what you do with it is up to you. Draw on it, paint, collage, sew, embellish, write words. In an ATCs funshop, all of the participants share materials, themes, techniques and ideas with others in the funshop to make unique ATCs. And we always schedule time for trading/swapping finished cards too. Hosted by Erika Davis-Pitre.

ATCs Supplies needed from Home for this Funshop:

• Cardstock-Cut to the 2.5″x 3.5″ size and leftover scraps.
  
• Colored paper of various weights and sizes.
  
• Old gift wrap, Magazines and Catalogs for collage cards.
  
• Fabric scraps, Buttons and other sewing notions for embellishment.
  
• Watercolor paints, Crayons, Colored Markers, Gel Pens, Colored Pencils etc.
  
• Scissors, Paper Punches, Glue, Tape, etc.
  
• And any other Arts and Crafts supplies that you would like to share (Most Scrapbooking Supplies work well for making ATCs).

*Even if you don’t participate in the ATC funshop, we would really appreciate donations of art supplies from everyone!*

Playing with Stories

I love stories of all sorts. I’ll bring along some story cubes, some crazy ideas and a wild imagination. You show up with your own brilliance and we are sure to have blast spinning tales. Hosted by Shannon Loucks.

Magic: The Gathering

Bring your favorite deck and see how it fares against several opponents, or bring your skills and play with a house deck, or just come and check out the cards and learn how to play. All are welcome to experience this fantasy based collectible card game.Hosted by Jake and Scott Hessel.

Munchkin Rocks!

You don’t just walk in to this funshop, you KICK DOWN THE DOOR! This is Munchkin! We’re gonna stomp some monsters and stab our enemies (and some friends) on our journey to riches and glory. Come play some Munchkin Fu, Super Munchkin, Zombie Munchkin, or whatever combo we want. Bring your favorite! Hosted by Scott, Jake, and Noah Hessel.

Let’s play games!

Are you a gamer? Board gamer that is! Do you like to play challenging games, different games, unusual games? Come to our fun shop where we will play games like Dominion, Chrononauts, Aquarius, Zendo, Gloom, or whatever piques our interest. Bring your favorite or maybe we will just Fluxx around. Hosted by the Hessel Family.

Vocal Music of Eight Centuries

Group singing is a feeling like no other. Those who have done so know that. Those who have not should come and do it with us! Listening without singing is okay too. You can sit right in the middle of everybody and feel it from all sides. This funshop doesn’t require music reading but it wouldn’t hurt (those who can read could be helpful to others in their sections).  Rounds, part songs, medieval, Renaissance, 18th, 19th, and 20th century.  All historical music. Hosted by Sandra Dodd, who learned to read music before she could read English, and has been singing with gusto since childhood, at church, school, All-State, folk clubs, camp fires, shape-note, madrigals, showers and car trips.

Find a Family Match-up

Have you heard of speed dating?  Well, we’re going to take that concept and apply it to families here at LiG.  Much like the dating service, we’ll rotate to quickly meet other families. During our funshop, we will have a series of short “dates,” lasting from 3 to 8 minutes. At the end of each interval, we will signal families to move on to the next “date.” Hosted by Carolyn Winkler.

More Funshops will be added soon!