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Outdoor Games For Kids Of All Ages

Outdoor Play for KidsYou’ve probably heard about the benefits of nature and outdoor play for children. According to the National Wildlife Federation, outdoor play boosts fitness and decreases the risk of childhood obesity; increases focus and academic achievement; and reduces stress and increases feelings of well-being.

As a provider of quality childcare, we understand and agree with all these findings. While less tangible and quantifiable, the “fun” value of being outdoors can also be beneficial to children, particularly when they can share that fun with a beloved adult.

Conservationist Rachel Carson wrote, “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” We think she’s onto something there. Below are a few simple outdoor activities for kids that we at Premier Academy think can help nurture a love of the natural world within your child.

Infants and Toddlers

Offer safe spaces for babies to crawl, walk, and explore, such as a variety of textured surfaces (e.g. grass, sand, or dirt). Point out and label birds, squirrels, insects and plants.

Toddlers are at a vantage point to observe things that we adults often miss. A simple walk around the neighborhood with the family can open a whole world to them if we simply slow down. We believe quality childcare starts with giving children the freedom to discover and explore! Make time to explore with toddlers, keeping in mind the journey, not the destination. How many plants and insects can you find? How many different textures or sensations can you discover?

Preschoolers

Offer your child a variety of natural and re-purposed materials, such as old metal pie tins, sticks, ribbon, wire, spoons, shells, or rocks. What can you make with these materials? How about wind chimes, a bird feeder, or an old-fashioned mud pie?

Speaking of old-fashioned fun, remember Winnie the Pooh and his game of “pooh sticks”? Gather several sticks of similar size and give each player a stick. On the count of three, drop the sticks from one side of a bridge. Run to the other side and watch for the sticks to float downstream. Which stick emerges first? Based on the natural world you see around you, improvise fun outdoor games for kids.

School-Agers

Get an up-close view of pond life. Cut the ends off a large cylindrical plastic container, such as a large food container or even a milk jug. Secure plastic wrap over one end with a rubber band or waterproof tape. Place the wrapped end of the container in a stream or pond. Look into the other end. The glare of the sun is diminished when looking through the container, so it’s easier to see plant and animal life in the water.

Grow something. School-age children are at an ideal age to learn about gardening. If you have the space, you can try easy-to-grow crops like lettuce, carrots, peas, and tomatoes in a full-size garden, a raised bed, or even pots. Try fast-growing flowers like pansies, nasturtiums, or sunflowers. How about a few herbs on the patio?

When asked why he felt optimistic that humans would find solutions to the environmental concerns plaguing our planet, physicist Freeman Dyson responded, “Because people will always love trees.” If children are removed from nature, though, will future generations develop this age-old wisdom? We believe at Premier Academy that experiencing nature with children through outdoor play has benefits today and for years to come as children become the stewards of our planet. So, get out there. Turn over a rock. Feel the breeze on your face. Get some dirt on your shoes.

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Family Time: Fun Things To Do With Kids

Family Fun Time: Things to Do With KidsAfter a busy week of responsibilities, caring for children, and working in and out of the home, we cherish opportunities to be with family members. Shared quality time strengthens your family bond and helps everyone feel valued and respected. It is not necessary to make elaborate plans or partake in costly undertakings to enjoy family time.

Often, the simplest home-based activities foster the strongest connection because children and parents focus on each other – not outside amusements. At Premier Academy child care we think about the meaningful connection that occurs when you explore art materials, play charades and board games, connect to nature, walk around the neighborhood, or prepare a meal together. Below are a few suggestions from the best West Omaha childcare for fun family activities that you might want to try at home.

Family Time: Fun Things to Do With Kids

  • Be tourists in your own city. Have you ever wondered about the history and legends of Omaha? Have you noticed the types of architecture in your area? Do you know if Native Americans lived there, battles were fought there, or the significance of statues in the local park? By becoming tourists in your town, you can make amazing discoveries. At Premier Academy childcare we take our preschool & pre-k children on field trips so that they can explore their city. Start by contacting the Chamber of Commerce, Natural Historical Society, or local librarians. Just like on a vacation, bring cameras to document your discoveries.
  • Make stories come alive. All of us know the importance of reading to children. At Premier Academy daycare, we believe that reading is a critical part in building a foundation for your child’s education. As you read, you often discuss the storyline and characters. Have you considered setting up scenarios to enjoy similar quests as the characters in the stories? Below are a few examples of how you can extend stories into family adventures and pretend play.
    • Scarlette Beane, written by Karen Wallace and illustrated by John Berkeley, is the tale of a young girl, born with a face “as red as a beet” and green fingertips. Scarlette grows a magical garden that has veggies so big that the entire community comes to harvest them and make soup. This enjoyable book can inspire your family fun. Plant seeds in gardens or pots, make up stories about magical seeds, get involved in a community project, or even make vegetable soup.
    • Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig, is a classic story about a young donkey who can’t believe his luck when he finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. Search for magic stones, then talk about, illustrate and write about your wishes.
  • Play with rocks. Rocks fascinate many children. It’s fun to collect rocks, make sculptures, toss rocks, or use small stones to create designs or form letters. Explain that, like people, no two rocks are exactly alike. As a fun challenge during family time, look for rocks that are similar, in size, shape, color, or texture. Create a science laboratory where you can weigh and measure rocks; older children might research the different types of rocks, such as sedimentary or metamorphic.
  • Nurture your family with nature. Visiting fish hatcheries, farms, forests, and wildlife preserves are exciting, but so are local parks, streams, lakes, woods, and community gardens. Try incorporating outdoor play into your family fun. At Premier Academy daycare, we believe in having at least an hour of outdoor play each day. Use magnifying glasses to search for tiny insects; cameras to photograph the sights you see; tape measures to measure the circumference of trees or the heights of plants; or just enjoy time together outside. ParentMap is one of many websites that suggests fun things to do with kids outdoors, providing simple, nature-based family activities that require little planning or preparation.

Whether your family enjoys playing board games, blowing and chasing bubbles, searching for insects, having a picnic in the park, working on art projects, gazing at the sky, cuddling up with books, or volunteering in the community, time spent together builds strong relationships and satisfying memories.

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How to Deal with Picky Eaters

How to Deal with Picky EatersOne of the most common struggles parents have is dealing with picky eaters. Does any of this sound familiar to you?

  • Your toddler takes a few bites of food and announces he’s “done”
  • You can stock your fridge and shelves full but your little one will only eat the same 5 things over and over.
  • Your child asks for one thing, you make it, then she asks for something else then decides she wants something completely different altogether.
  • Coaxing your children to just take “one more bite” is a constant battle in your home.

First things first – meal times are supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable so you want to avoid these battles every time you sit down at the table. Toddlers between the ages of 1 and 3 typically have smaller appetites, so if they only eat a little at a time, that’s ok. However, also realize that their appetites can change on a daily basis and even from meal to meal. If they like carrots, don’t be afraid to throw some in at breakfast. Do they prefer eggs? Who says you can’t have eggs for dinner?

Dinner time is typically going to be the meal that your child feels like eating the least. It’s the end of the day and they are tired and unless they have been doing a physical activity like swimming or playing outside or at daycare at Premier Academy, chances are they aren’t going to be as hungry as they are at other times of the day.

If you are dealing with older children who are picky eaters, you may be able to reason more with them and enforce the “one bite rule” – meaning they have to take at least one bite of every food on their plate and if they don’t like it, they don’t have to eat it again.

Here are just a few ideas for dealing with picky eaters:

  • Don’t nag or coax smaller children. Pick and choose your battles – plain and simply put, your child WILL eat when he is hungry.
  • Have realistic portions: Many parents set unrealistic goals for their children when it comes to mealtime. A good rule of thumb to follow: If your child is under the age of 5-6, use a tablespoon per year of age. If they ask for more when they’ve finished that then you can always give more.
  • Keep trying to introduce new foods – even if they haven’t liked them before. Tastes change and you never know when you find something new they like.
  • Avoid too much milk, juice and soda in place of food. Many kids will fill up on sugary drinks and have no room for food.

Remember, pick your battles and don’t make meal time miserable for everyone!

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Get Involved in Mentoring

Get Involved in MentoringMentoring is one of the oldest teaching methods in the world. Mentoring is really a personal coaching strategy where someone that has a specific skill or subject matter expertise works with another person to impart their knowledge in a very personal and connected way.

With January being National Mentoring Month, it is time for everyone to get busy in helping each other to learn something new or to master a skill they are having challenges with.

The Benefits of Mentoring

The great thing about mentoring is that it is a one-on-one learning method. When you first sat down with your kids and read them a story and they followed along with their fingers and said a word they recognized you were being a highly effective mentor.

Since mentoring is one-on-one the feedback is immediate and proactive. The learner doesn’t struggle through multiple mistakes; they are gently, positively and proactively supported so that they learn how to do the specific task or skill correctly the first time.

However, the benefits of mentoring go beyond just learning math, reading, the alphabet or how to print. It is about feeling the connection of learning and life, and also for the learning to gain self-confidence as they try to learn and master new skills.

If you stop and think about it mentoring is happening every day with your children. When you or their teachers teach them how to make cookies or how to use a new computer you are being a mentor. Kids that have this type of support are much more willing to try new things, to challenge themselves and to feel wonderful about the accomplishments that they achieve, even if they have a few difficulties along the way.

Get Involved

Talk to your child’s teachers about volunteering to come in and mentor a child. This is a wonderful way to not only help your own child see how you value school and education, but to also give to a child or small group of children that may not have an active parent in their life.

In addition, encourage your child to use mentoring services. Many schools have a “big buddy” system where children in higher grades come in and read or do basic math with a “little buddy” which is an excellent way to allow students to experience the benefits of mentoring in a very personal way.

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Kid Friendly New Year’s Goals

Kid Friendly New Year's GoalsOne annual tradition in families around the world is to set goals, or resolutions, on New Year’s Eve. If you and your family celebrate this tradition it is a great opportunity to start to talk to your children about how to set goal that are going to help them to achieve their personal objectives in life.

Goal setting is really a very complex endeavor and one that needs to be scaled down to an appropriate level for a child. Most children, even those that are just starting child care, can grasp the concept of having a goal and then developing a plan to achieve that goal when they focus in on one specific focus area.

Talking About Goals

A great option to help kids with goal setting is for parents, grandparents, teachers and other family members to talk about their own goals with children. This can be done in fun ways through drawing your goals or writing a story about your goals and why they are important to you.

It is critical to choose concrete, measurable goals so that children understand that these are not just wishes or dreams, they are attainable changes that they can control. Wishes and dreams are important too, but they are different than goals.

Making Family Goals Together

Moms, Dads, teachers, and other family members that interact with the children can all come together and make group goals. Group goals for families are a real bonding experience and can highlight how a family works to support each other throughout the year.

Often family New Year’s goals focus on helping each other, spending more time together, or perhaps everyone agreeing to help out at a local charity or community organization.

The key is for parents to model goal setting in their own lives and talk to children about how goals help to provide measurable milestones and accomplishments in life. Kids should be encouraged to set goals that are meaningful to them and not necessarily the same goals that the parents may have for the child.

A great exercise is to then have the family share their goals and everyone else gives one way that they will help their family member achieve his or her goal. This is a positive and relationship building exercise that is a great way to start off a new year in any household.

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Helping Children Make Friends

Helping Children Make FriendsWhether you have a shy child or outgoing one, it can be challenging for children to make new friends and navigate social situations on their own. Though it’s not a good idea to manage every aspect of your children’s friendships or even bribe their peers to play with them, parents can provide opportunities and gentle coaching towards helping children make friends.

  • Give children lots of opportunities to play with peers. Arrange playdates for preschoolers and school age children. If your preschooler is not in child care, enroll him or her in a preschool or a playgroup that meets regularly. Go to the park or other places where your child will have a chance to meet peers under your supervision. There is no substitute for the experience children gain from interacting with peers. Children who have had many opportunities to play with peers from an early age are clearly at an advantage when they enter formal group settings such as child care or elementary school.

Playground play teaches children about partnership, teamwork, and fair play. It is through play that a child’s primitive understanding about “rules” is reinforced because most games and social situations have rules. While our home environments may be more forgiving and tolerant about bending the game rules, it is quickly apparent to children that their peers aren’t always as tolerant and forgiving. Michele Borba, EdD, summarizes the importance of social skills, “Friends play an enormous part in the development of children’s self-esteem. If we want our children to become their personal best, it’s essential to improve their ability to get along well with others.”

  • Play with your child like a peer. Get on the floor and build with blocks or act out imaginary roles. For school age children, play an outdoor activity like basketball or soccer or grab a board game for fun inside. You will learn a lot about how your child plays when you play with him. Observational studies indicate that the parents of the most socially competent children laugh and smile often, avoid criticizing their child during play, are responsive to the child’s ideas, and aren’t too directive.
  • Talk to your child about their friends. Ask your child about what happened in preschool or school. “Whom did you play with today?” “Why do you like playing with that friend?” Have your child tell you about interactions that upset him. “How did you feel when he took your shovel at the park?” “Why do you think he did that?” “What could you do next time to play together?” Or if it was your child who took the shovel, ask the same questions, but talk about other ways to express his feelings and wants.
  • Make your conversations opportunities to solve problems together. Remember, these are conversations and not lectures. It makes sense that we want our children to learn from what we say, but sometimes we need to just listen to how they feel and then develop coping strategies together.
  • Try not to interfere in your child’s play situations. Unless your child or the other children are in danger of getting hurt or the situation has escalated beyond their ability to work out the issues, let your child work out her own social challenges. Children can benefit from learning to compromise on their own in a safe, supervised setting.

Helping Children Navigate Social Situations

Despite our best efforts to teach them, our children may still need help learning to take turns or accepting the ideas of others. As eager as we may be for them to succeed, here are some suggestion from Richard Lavoie, author of Teacher’s Guide: Last One Picked…First One Picked On, when coaching our children about social situations.

  • Encourage children to make friends with kids who are a year or two younger. Although the children are different ages, they may be at a similar developmental level. By befriending younger children, your child may enjoy a degree of status and acceptance that he does not experience among his peers.
  • Give children the opportunity to opt out when they do not want to participate in large groups play activities.
  • Avoid highly charged competitive situations for young children. Competitive sports or other activities are often a source of great anxiety and failure for children trying to make friends. Parents should focus on participation, enjoyment, contribution, and satisfaction in competitive activities.
  • Listen to children as they share about difficulties during a social situation and discuss optional strategies without judgement or punishment.

Resources for Children Who Need More Help Making Friends

Some children are born needing more help in forming friendships. Shyness, empathy, and the ability to read social cues are traits heavily influenced by our genes. Some children are very shy and need more arranged opportunities and gentle encouragement. Some children have less empathy and have trouble understanding the feeling or behavior of others. They may not recognize social cues or have insight into their own behavior that turns off other children and need our help.

Conversations about real life help. Here are some children’s books about making friends.

  • Making Friends: A Mister Rogers’ First Experience Book, written by Fred Rogers
  • How Kids Make Friends: Secrets for Making Lots of Friends, No Matter How Shy You Are, written by Lonnie Michelle
    We want our children’s lives to be happy, healthy and filled with good friends. Helping young children make friends and manage social interactions is a great way to prepare them for a life of navigating a social world.

For more information on childcare and parenting, check out Premier Academy’s Blog Page.

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It’s Better to Give Than to Receive

 

It's Better to Give Than to ReceiveIt can be a difficult task teaching children that it is better to give than to receive – after all who doesn’t like to receive a gift right? However, by teaching your children this valuable lesson is one of the most rewarding things you can give them.

Going about teaching your children about giving can be difficult, so here are a few ways to work with your children:

  • Start small, especially if you are working with very young children. An example would be making cookies for a sick friend. Let the child know that he or she is doing something nice for the friend, even though your child may want to make and keep the cookies. Avoid this by making enough for both of them.
  • Next, teach them that money isn’t necessary in order to give. They can draw a picture, do chores without being asked or even make breakfast in bed.
  • Let your child be involved in deciding who will benefit from the gift. Maybe you’ve given to the cancer research society for years, but your child heard about a need at the local pet shelter. By allowing them to help with the decision they feel important and learn the value of giving to those who are less fortunate.
  • Children learn by watching their most influential role model: YOU. If you volunteer at a local soup kitchen, when your child is old enough, let them go with you and start helping.

By teaching your children the value of giving rather than receiving, you’re instilling a sense of pride and self-esteem. These are character traits that will take them far as they grow.

For more information on childcare and parenting, check out Premier Academy’s Blog Page.

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Talking to Children About Healthy Eating Habits and Positive Body Image

Talking to Children About Healthy Eating Habits and Positive Body ImageFew topics are as sensitive to talk about with children as weight and body image. How do we as parents contribute to positive body images in our children and teach healthy eating practices without making anyone feel guilty or bad? That can be a tall order. We know we need to start young and set the stage for healthy lifetime habits early. Before we even talk about the topic, however, we can model positive practices.

Children Learn Healthy Eating Habits from Modeling

If we have healthy eating habits, chances are our children will too. Or if we are selective eaters and avoid fruits and veggies, they will likely follow our lead. We can model by building family nutrition and fitness into our family’s day on a regular basis. Can we share meals together – lunch or dinner – at least four days per week? Are there ways we can exercise together, for example, swimming, walking or bike rides to promote healthy exercise habits?

While modeling healthy eating habits, be careful about the messages you send to children about food and eating. Try to avoid the practice of requiring children to eat everything on their plate at meal time which may have been required of us as children. There are different opinions on this, but some health educators encourage children to try one bite of everything, never pushing or forcing. Others advocate for offering children a favorite food and a new food together so they will have at least one healthy food option that they like.

Steer clear of labeling different foods as “bad” or “unhealthy”.  If you label a food unhealthy, it is confusing to children when they then see a beloved caregiver or friend eating that food. You can say that healthy eating refers to the whole of what we eat, and not one individual food or foods which are “bad” for you. The Partnership for a Healthier America is embarking on a campaign to encourage everyone to eat more fruits and vegetables. Taking the approach of encouraging healthier snacks may be more productive than singling out “bad” foods.

KidsHealth.org offers “Go, Slow, and Whoa!” as another approach to healthy eating:

  • “Go” foods are the healthiest options for kids and can be eaten almost anytime
  • “Slow” foods are those you can eat sometimes but not every day
  • “Whoa” foods should make you think, “Wait, should my child eat that?” These are the least nutritious and should only be eaten occasionally.

Healthy Eating Habits for Young Children

  • Infants: With infants, we pay attention to their cues, and stop feeding them when they indicate they are finished by turning away or refusing the breast, bottle or spoon. Be careful what food choices you make for your baby. Solids are not recommended to be served until at least 4 months of age or often later. And even infants can develop preferences for sweets over other foods, particularly if their first solid foods are desserts or fruits.
  • Toddlers and Preschoolers: With toddler and preschool children, provide healthy snacks and beverages such as water. Eating slowly together as a family is a good practice. Never require children to eat when they are not hungry. And try not to use food as a reward or punishment. If you notice that your child is developing eating issues, they should be discussed with your pediatrician right away.

Talking to Preteens and Teens about Positive Body Image and Healthy Habits

From their earliest years, children are immersed in images and talk of the “ideal” body, typically slim, light skin tone and well-proportioned. And yet we all know genetics gives each of us a unique body type, few of which fall into the “ideal” category. And even those with “ideal” body types often feel pressure to maintain their “ideal” body.

With tweens and teens, subtle and not so subtle messages about weight and body type have an impact. These body images come from people, television, magazines, social media, etc. If your son or daughter opens up the subject, use it as an opportunity to communicate that very few people look like models; models also feel stress about their bodies; and being really skinny isn’t a good thing.

If your child says “I’m too fat” rather than jumping to “No, you’re not” right away, ask “What makes you think that?” to try to keep the conversation open and keep your child talking about this issue. It’s important to know how to communicate with your teen. Spend time listening to him or her. Express your feelings about the topic, but rather than negating your child’s feelings, try saying, “Here’s what I think. . . ” so it feels more like your personal thoughts than a judgment on your child. At the same time, if you ever suspect an eating disorder, talk right away to your pediatrician to find resources.

Talking about weight, body image and health can be sensitive, but it is also very worthwhile to keep the topic on the table and encourage children to talk about what they think and feel. Remember that feelings about this body image start early so be thoughtful about the impact of your words and actions in your child’s life.

For more information on childcare and parenting, check out Premier Academy’s Blog Page.

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Helping Children Cope With Change

Helping Children Cope With ChangeWe live in a constantly changing world. The pace of change is the most rapid that it has ever been. New products and processes are continually available and the rate at which we are exposed to new information is continually increasing. This can be overwhelming at times. Sometimes we are able to shelter our children from so much change, but often not. If it is overwhelming to us, how does it feel to children? And that is just “normal” everyday change. What about the big unexpected changes?

Most of us, and especially children, appreciate some level of “sameness” in our lives. That doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate the new and the novel, but we’d like more sameness than change. Children need time to process all of the information that they are exposed to and appreciate daily routines and repetition or they may become stressed. They like knowing that when they arrive home from child care, mommy and daddy fix dinner and then the family eats, and then there is a bath and then two stories. Children thrive on the predictability of daily routines.

So how then do we help children handle change – both the big changes (new sibling; family illness; new school) and the little changes (new breakfast foods; new morning routine; new shoes)?

Tips for Helping Children Cope with Change

  • Give advanced warning. Have a discussion something like, “The place where Mommy works thinks she will be a bigger help if we move to another place. We are going to look for a new house in a place called Georgia. Will you help us pick out the house?”
  • Keep as much the same as possible. During a big change, like adding a sibling to the family, try to keep as much the same as possible. For example, this is not the best time to also move your child from a crib to big bed.
  • Answer all their questions. Depending on your child’s age, he may have a lot of questions. Do your best to answer them all, even if some are repeated many times.
  • Expect that some regression may happen. At times of change, children may regress to earlier behaviors. For example, a child who was toilet trained may revert back to having accidents. This is normal – strive for patience.
  • Be accepting of grieving. Your child may go through a process that looks a lot like grieving as she navigates new waters with a new house, sibling, teacher or school. Listen, don’t be too quick to distract, and at the end, remind her of all the positives.

During times of change, a little extra attention will go a long way in helping children deal with stress. Plan an hour or a half hour each week where your child has your undivided attention. It is important to use play time to help a child’s development. Let your child pick the activity or follow your child’s lead. For example, if your infant wants to drop a toy over and over again from her high chair, retrieve the toy and let her drop it again. Or your preschooler wants to make cookies. Find time to do that and let him take an active role in the process even if he makes a mess. How does that help your child deal with change? Extra attention and patience from you helps your child understand that although some aspects of life are changing, your love and care remains constant.

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Sunglasses and Eye Health

Sunglasses and Eye HealthIn the summertime, it’s second-nature to apply tons of sunscreen on our children to protect their skin from the harmful effects of the sun. But many times, as much attention as we give to their skin, we often overlook another area that can be damaged by the sun – their eyes.

We put sunglasses on to shield our eyes and our children should have the same protection. This protects them now and also helps to prevent them from developing common eye problems later on in life. Keep in mind that UV rays are radiation and radiation is damaging to the eyes just as much as it can damage anything else. Here is just a partial list of those common eye problems that you should be aware of:

  • Over-exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can cause the cells of the eye – inside and out – to divide abnormally. This abnormal division can cause tumors – both malignant and benign.
  • “Surfer’s Eye” is common in coastal regions and is caused by sun exposure. This affects the cornea which can affect your ability to focus clearly.
  • Overexposure to the sun also effects the lens of the eye as well as the retina which can lead to macular degeneration and cataracts later on.

A good rule of thumb to help protect your children’s eyes is to put sunglasses on them if they are going to spend any extended amount of time in the sun. It’s never too early to start this practice. You’ll want to use standard tinted glasses not the colored lenses that are popular with kids.

If you have younger children who are having a hard time wearing the sunglasses, a large hat with a wide brim or visor is the next best thing. You can also try attaching an elastic band to the sunglasses to help hold them in place.

Sunglasses, sunscreen and your children should be a common routine in the summer!

For more information on childcare and parenting, check out Premier Academy’s Blog Page.

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