Gardening with your kids
It’s spring, and everyone is ready to get outside. A garden is a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors and benefit from growing fresh fruits and vegetables. Now eating what you grow isn’t the only reward from having a garden. You and your children benefit from moderate exercise, learning about nature, developing patience, building confidence, and quality time together. Of course, you’ll want to help the kids feel a part of the garden. Here are some tips:
A garden plot just for them
To reinforce their feeling they are a part of the garden, give each child a section that is theirs. To avoid issues, be sure it’s a manageable size and border the space to identify which plot belongs to them. Establishing each garden section gives you time to work with your kids to define each area and help them prepare any ground too hard for them to work up alone.
Make it their garden area
Once the individual plots are set, let your kids personalize them. From colorful stakes to gnomes, there are a ton of garden décor to let kids decorate their plots to reflect their personality.
Their own tools
Working with adult-size tools can be awkward and unsafe for children. Be sure to get them their own gardening tools that fit smaller hands. Better yet, take them with you to select their own tools. This will give them more of a sense of ownership and responsibility for the garden. Plus, they can have the fun of choosing their favorite color or design!
Let them select the seeds
With the plot bordered and tilled, it’s time to choose the veggies to plant. Help them with their selection, explain the plants that are easier to tend, when they are ready to harvest, and what they taste like if your child hasn’t tried them. A research visit to the produce section or farmer’s market might not be a bad idea.
Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.
Keeping Kids Fit During COVID
With lengthy school closures, stay-at-home orders, and online classes due to COVID-19, there has been an increase in children’s weight. This gain could increase the risk of adult obesity and issues such as diabetes and heart disease. Additionally, exercise is essential for kids during the pandemic as it reduces stress and boosts the immune system. Parents can safely promote physical activity by making exercise a family activity, with the following:
- Encourage your child to be active outdoors. Even ten minutes of exercise outside quickly adds up to a workout.
- Household chores burn calories while giving your children a sense of control and accomplishment.
- Utilize online exercise videos that provide virtual fitness content for kids.
- Family walks, bike rides, dance parties, living-room yoga sessions, or backyard soccer games are fun and safe activities.
- Many local fitness studios or trainers are offering online fitness sessions or may host a private virtual “gym class” or specific sport training session for young athletes.
- Set an age-appropriate goals, like a set number of neighborhood walks, bike rides or push-ups per week to motivate exercise.
Remember, even while practicing social distancing, children can participate in many safe activities. The CDC recommends for preschool-aged children (ages 3 to 5 years) have regular periods of activity throughout the day and school-aged children (ages 6 to 18) should average of at least 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a day throughout the week. Regular exercise plus a healthy diet will help children stay fit during the COVID-19 pandemic and create the habits for a lifetime of good health.
Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.
Keeping Children Safe When Summer Sizzles
As the summer temperatures soar, so do risks from the heat for children. However, if you practice these simple tips, your kids can enjoy the outdoors during the summer safely.
Watch for heat exhaustion
It’s no surprise that heat strokes are most prevalent during the summer. Because of this fact, you need to be aware of the signs. Before heat stroke strikes, minor symptoms will begin to appear. These could include cramps and fatigue. As the condition worsens, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea, and rapid pulse could occur. To avoid heat stroke, have your children take breaks, drink water, mist with a cool spray, and wear lightweight clothing.
Practice sun protection
The earth is closer to sun in the summer months, resulting is faster and more severe sunburns. Before going out to play, children should have sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher applied. It should be reapplied every three hours or whenever your child has been in the pool or sprinkler. If your child is more susceptible to sunburns, stay indoors during peak sunlight hours and consider dressing them in UV protective clothing.
Keep the water flowing
Most people don’t realize that children dehydrate faster than adults. Even though the amount of water intake varies by the age, weight and activity of the child there are guidelines. In general, the number of ounces of water a child should drink daily is half his or her weight (up to 100 pounds).
Check your car before leaving it
The interior temperature of a car rises rapidly in the summer and can cause death to an unattended child (or pet). To avoid such a disaster, get in to the practice of always checking the car before locking it. This habit will assure a child or pet is never left behind in sweltering, and potentially deadly, heat.
The battle of the bugs
With warm weather, come more bugs. Insect repellant is the best way to keep your kids safe from irritating or harmful stings and bites. Other precautionary measures include not using strongly scented soaps or lotions and keeping arms and legs covered with lightweight clothes.
Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.
Enjoying the Summer…Indoor and Out
The COVID-19 Crisis and subsequent stay-at-home orders have taxed many parents’ imagination in helping to keep their children occupied. The following are activities that can be enjoyed in the house or outdoors.
Staying Inside
If your kids are missing regular visits with friends, it might be time to bring back an old-fashioned idea – pen pals! Writing letters to friends can help children keep in touch while practicing penmanship and grammar skills. To apply their artistic talents, kids can draw pictures in the letters or create personalized stationery with stickers, stamps or illustrations.
There is nothing wrong with being productive while having fun. When you make an activity of a home project you accomplish both. The key is setting milestones throughout the project that the kids need to achieve to win. With this approach, organizing, redecorating, or cleaning become a game with a goal.
We are certainly going through unprecedented times, and activities that will help us remember them can hold special significance in years to come. When you make a time capsule or keep a journal, you create a snapshot of the past to review later. Though these are stressful circumstances, try to include positive and humorous items and not just reflect on the negative aspects.
Outdoor activities
With the temperatures soaring, an activity that cools off the kids will be welcomed. A home water park will relive the heat and stimulate creativity as children plan the park and build it. And because the activity is outside, you could invite a few friends while maintaining social distancing.
If you can’t make it to a campground, pitch a tent and bring the sleeping bags into the backyard. Making smores, telling stories and sleeping under the stars as a family will create special memories even if it’s in your own yard.
Doing something for non-human visitors can be fun and have long-term benefits. Consider planting a garden to attract butterflies or hummingbirds. This backyard wildlife habitat will be fun to create with your family enjoying its beauty and visitors for many years.
Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.
Fun Economical Activities at Home
Finding fun things for your children to do at home is more important than ever. Just as necessary is keeping them cost-effective in challenging economic times. The following are some ideas that your kids can enjoy while practicing the COVID-19 guidelines of social distancing without breaking the bank.
Host Movie Time
Watching movies with friends is always fun for children, and it can still happen without going to a theater. Simply choose a fun kids’ movie and send out an invitation to friends that can comfortably watch the video while social distancing. You can use your Blu Ray or DVD player or use Netflix. With your Netflix subscription, kids can watch movies together with a free Google Chrome extension. The film can be synchronized with the group letting kids interact in a chatroom. It is a secure service that only allows invitees into the chatroom.
Create a Craft Exchange
Crafts are always a fun and creative activity for kids, and what better way to connect with friends than to share their art. Just reach out to your children’s friends to create a group that creates craft projects and exchanges them with each other. To add to the fun, you can develop themes such as wildlife, Star Wars, or a sport they all participate in.
Hold a neighborhood I Spy hunt
You have probably heard about areas that decorate their windows with rainbows, flowers, or whatever for kids to find on their walks with their parents. When you connect with neighbors to engage in an I Spy game, your kids feel more connected with friends and have the bonus of exercise and fresh air.
Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.
COVID-19 Crisis and Children
With the pervasive news about COVID-19 it is unavoidable that your children will continue to hear about it and more than likely have questions and anxiety. Because of the current situation, parents need to be prepared to answer questions from their kids. The following tips will help you have discussions that are informative while being reassuring.
Be open to the discussion about coronavirus
Children can’t help but be aware of the virus with shutdowns, online news, and people in masks. Don’t try to avoid talking about the pandemic because not speaking about it can cause more stress. The purpose of the discussion is to pass on facts that reassure the child in an open and honest format. As the crisis continues, keep having discussions to keep them informed.
Consider the age of your children
Keep in mind the age of the child when answering questions. Be careful not to overwhelm them with too much information. Remember that you don’t need to have all the answers. What is important is to be there for your children. Also, consider how much screen time is appropriate for your child to limit access to disturbing information.
Let your child lead the conversation
By letting your kids tell you what they have heard and the questions they have, you convey a sense of control in an uncertain situation. Be ready to answer questions with the goal of not reinforcing frightening and untrue stories.
Focus on safety and routine
Let your kids know the safety precautions that you are taking for their well-being and everyone in the home. These guidelines will help them know what to do to keep themselves safe. With school shutdowns and restrictions in get-togethers with friends, a sense of some routine is essential.
Approach it as you would summer vacation. Maintain structure through scheduled activities, lessons, mealtimes and bedtimes. Also, remind them that this is a temporary situation and you will all be fine.
It is up to you to set the behavior
Now more than ever, your child relies on you for guidance and comfort. Therefore, your behavior needs to be the model for them to follow. Wash your hands, maintain social distancing, and present an attitude of calm and control. These actions will help them to understand what they need to do and how they should react to these unprecedented times.
Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.
Learning through Play
One of the best ways children learn is through play. It not only lays the foundation for formal learning in later ages but also helps develop self-worth. Through playing, children get a chance to improve their ability to concentrate, learn ways to interact in social settings, and to think scientifically. It’s essential to engage your children in activities that promote learning while allowing them to have fun. Here are three activities that encourage learning through play.
Playing with Sand
You might hesitate to allow your kids to play with sand because of the mess, but there are significant benefits. Sand play is an excellent way to enhance self-confidence as well as cognitive and physical learning skills in children. From digging and scooping to sifting and pouring, different play movements help in building their muscles and improve coordination. Moreover, playing with friends in the sand can be a perfect opportunity to develop teamwork and social skills.
Play Dough
Play Dough offers an incredible learning experience for kids. In addition to developing dexterity for writing, it strengthens fine motor skills, improves hand-eye coordination, and boosts creativity. To make things more exciting, try giving your kids some threading beads to turn the play session into a fine motor exercise.
Role Play
Who doesn’t love dressing up with fun props and clothes? Buy your kids some dress-up kits and let their imagination run wild as they try the roles of doctors, astronauts, teachers, or whatever they imagine! Dressing up and role-play help children understand the concepts of the adult world. They’ll learn about the different roles and interests of people. Moreover, these activities will reinforce the aspects of self-care when it comes to appearance.
These interesting activities for children will encourage learning through play and help them grasp essential concepts fast and develop critical skills for the future. Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.
3 Ways a Daycare Center Can Help Prevent Childhood Bullying
With all the misconceptions related to daycare doing rounds on the internet and social media, sending your children to a daycare center can be a tough decision. However, you may be pleasantly surprised to hear that responsible daycare centers can help with one of parents’ main concerns – childhood bullying. The following are three ways a daycare center can help to prevent childhood bullying.
Trained Professionals to Discuss Bullying with Children
The first line of defense against childhood bullying is to make your children understand what bullying is and the different forms it takes. With this knowledge, they’ll stand a better chance to recognize and fight it. When trained daycare professionals speak about bullying, it lets every child know it isn’t something that should be done, and it won’t be tolerated. Also, discussing bullying with children may make them comfortable and encourage them to speak up if they’re a victim.
Promoting Empathy in Children
The quality of empathy makes children less likely to hurt someone because they can understand how others will feel. This practice helps to prevent bullying. Assistants at a qualified daycare facility will design activities that build empathy in children. Ultimately, your children learn to be more kind and helpful toward others.
Parent Involvement
Professional daycare centers always get parents involved. They conduct workshops and educational sessions to seek parents’ support and cooperation to prevent childhood bullying. Moreover, trained assistants can identify any bullying behaviors or victim signs and directly talk to the parents to put an end to it.
These are just a few ways a daycare center can prevent childhood bullying. The key is to do your homework to ensure that the facility you choose is capable of taking care of and nurturing your child.
Heaven’s Elect Christian Learning Center and Daycare is a Non-denominational Christian childcare center fully licensed by the state of Michigan. Our Midland daycare center has been serving the community since 2000. Please contact us at heavenselect.com.