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Welcome to swirl & spark.

Building strong teams (with daring dreams!) through team building games & stories.

Hi there, I’m Jackie!

I’m an author and educator, a wife and mom, and a creative optimist who never stops daydreaming, setting new goals, or chasing big dreams. I started swirl and spark back in 2013 as a site for kids who like to write but it eventually morphed into a site for people of all ages who like to write. Then in 2018, when I finally realized my own dream of becoming a published middle grade author, this site became my author space too. Along the way I’ve loved blogging about writing, cheering for other writers, and helping them make their stories sparkle. And I still do.

But my love of motivating others isn’t limited to writers. I have a passion for cheering on kids and their teams as well. So inside these pages, you’ll find a place that encourages teamwork and swirling imagination with sparks of inspiration. Whether that’s with my middle grade series, free original digital downloads, problem solving tasks, or team building games, my hope is that your kids become the best versions of themselves. How will they do that? By learning to problem solve and work together. No matter what their endeavor.

So why me? Why should I be your guide? Well, I’m that person who loves creative team-building games & ice-breakers and I have an office full of them. Before I was a children’s author, I was an educator, an Odyssey of the Mind coach, a corporate sales trainer, and a cheerleader. I’ve always liked activities that make you think and use your imagination. And I’ve always loved cheering for a team. I love the energy and enthusiasm of inspiring one. So with this focus, swirl and spark is here to inspire yours!

Whether you’re a coach of an Odyssey of the Mind or Imagination Destination team, a sports team, a parent, or an educator, I hope you’ll find something here that will motivate your team. Maybe it’ll be one of the Crimson Five books, the series that’s all about a team of innovative kids with big dreams. Maybe it’ll be by facilitating the Team Builder activities and Spontaneous Tasks. Or maybe it will be by downloading the classroom prints and using them to create an inspirational space for your students.

Whatever it is, I wish you and your team all the best this year. Parenting, coaching, and educating kids is one of the biggest challenges around. And if you’re here as a writer, you’re still in the right place too. You’re a huge part of the swirl and spark team and we still need to motivate and support each other!

Thank you, as always, for stopping by. It means so much considering the big dreams you have to chase!