Fun activities for Halloween!

Your kids must be looking forward to trick-or-treating and dressing up in costumes but who said Halloween can’t be more than that? With Halloween just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start planning fun activities for kids!

Pumpkin Jars

First up is creating a pumpkin jar! Pumpkin jars are not only fun and easy to make but also make for the perfect Halloween décor! All you need is a few glass jars, glow sticks, and pumpkin stickers. Start by emptying the contents of the glow sticks into the jars and close the jar lids tightly. Then, let your kids enjoy decorating the lanterns with Halloween stickers and other craft supplies. Once the jars are ready, shake the jars and enjoy the excited looks on your children’s faces as the come to glowing life! And these fun glowing lanterns will make great nightlights for them.

Halloween Slime

What’s Halloween without a little slime? To create your own slime, you’ll need a ½ cup of washable school glue, 4 tbsp of liquid starch, and 1 tsp of washable liquid watercolor. Simply shake the liquid starch and pour it into a tub before adding the glue. Mix until they are blended. Add the watercolor of your choice and mix again. You can even get some googly eyes for a creepy effect! That’s it –the gooey slime will keep your kids entertained for hours!

Poke a Pumpkin

Poke a Pumpkin is one of the most engaging Halloween activities for kids. To create this mystery prize game, take a few plastic cups and fill them with trinkets. Wrap them with orange tissue paper and then glue them to a poster board in the shape of a pumpkin. Then line up the children to poke a hole in the tissue pumpkins to see what’s inside and whether they win a trick or a treat!

With these Halloween activities for kids, get your family in the Halloween spirit and make the occasion memorable! 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 Fall Activities for Children

Are you looking for some fun activities to do with your kids this year? Here are some ideas to enjoy in between the chilly breeze, bonfires, pumpkin pies, and those orange autumn leaves!

Raking leaves

While it may sound like a chore, raking leaves can be fun and gratifying. Your kids will love getting outdoors, the spectacular fall foliage, and the obligatory leap into the leaf pile. See if there are any elderly or disabled people in your community. Your children could volunteer to rake leaves outside their home. They will have fun and also get a sense of accomplishment and community pride. Most importantly, if you volunteer to help a neighbor, it will teach them the valuable lessons of kindness and concern for others.

Planting a fall garden

If you like gardening, you can get your kids involved in growing a garden with you with colorful fall flowers, such as mums. Or plan ahead by planting spring bulbs. This great activity is both exciting for the kids and beneficial for the environment.

Baking Halloween cookies

On chilly weekend nights, you can get your kids in the kitchen and bake together!

They’ll enjoy the baking and frosting process – and will love eating fresh cookies while they snuggle in for a movie night! To make things even more interesting, you can choose a Halloween theme for the cookies and let your kids embrace their creativity.

Doing handprint crafts

Using your child’s handprint in a craft project is simple and inexpensive. A handprint can become an autumn tree. By tracing their hand on a white piece of paper, it can be the tree trunk and branches. When you cut out small pieces of colorful tissue paper and glue them to the fingers of the handprint, you have the leaves. And don’t forget the tried and true handprint turkey at Thanksgiving!

With these fun activities for children, get ready to make the most of your family time this fall season! 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.

Four Factors to Consider When Choosing a Daycare Center

One of the biggest decisions in a parent’s life is to send their child to daycare. The anxiety of leaving your child under the supervision of strangers is entirely understandable. To alleviate the concern, you need to understand that you are making the right decision. Make sure you opt for the best daycare facility. Here are four essential factors you should consider when making such an important decision.

The Program

It is never too early to start age-appropriate learning, and your child can begin at a very young age. Therefore, when choosing a daycare facility, going through the program and the curriculum is essential. Make sure that the center you choose has age-appropriate programs and curriculums. Interact with the staff and ensure that what they teach is designed according to your child’s developmental stage.

The Environment

You must review the daycare’s environment as your child will spend most hours of the day in that facility. A warm and welcoming atmosphere will be attractive to children and be comfortable surroundings for them. The environment must give friendly vibes. Moreover, choose a daycare facility that is located at a safe location. Be sure to check whether the building and the equipment are maintained and secure.

The Staff and the Materials

The teachers and the other staff are a vital factor to consider when choosing a daycare center. It is important because your child will interact with these people daily. Make sure that the teachers are trained, verified in CPR, and have experience in dealing with children at the ages they are supervising.

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.

Summer Safety: 4 Tips for Protecting Your Child from the Heat

Summer vacations for children mean they get more time to play outdoors and have fun with friends. Everybody loves seeing kids beaming with joy while running, jumping, and enjoying a refreshing swim. But it also means a boatload of additions to the ‘worry list’ of parents! Here are a few helpful tips for protecting your child from the heat.

Sunscreen is a Must!

For kids over six months, a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 works great for protection against the harmful UV rays of the sun. Make sure you apply on your child’s skin at least 30-40 minutes before they head out in the sun. This practice will increase absorption for the best results. Also, reapply it after every 2 hours and after activities causing sweat, taking a swim, or using a towel.

Dress Them Appropriately

Choosing the right summer clothes and hats is the key to shielding your child from the sun. Pick lightweight and airy garments that cover the neck, elbows, and knees. Also, don’t forget to complete their summer look with a cool hat and cute sunglasses!

Encourage Early Morning Play

It’s best to plan your child’s outdoor activities early in the morning in the summer season. Typically, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is the peak sun time. So, make sure that they spend as less time as possible outdoors during these hours. Moreover, plan enough breaks in between to ensure that your child is hydrated and well-rested.

Beware of Bugs

Unfortunately, bugs and mosquitoes love coming out in the summer season, especially at night. Be sure to spray your kid’s clothes, exposed skin, as well as your home to ensure they stay safe from insects.

Furthermore, always be on the lookout for any allergic reaction. Seek medical help as soon as you identify one.

These summer safety tips will help you take better care of your child during the summer season. 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.

Allergies and Your Child

Allergies are among the highest rated of chronic conditions in children. Not surprisingly, allergy symptoms rank at the top of the frustration scale for parents looking to uncover the causes behind their child’s allergies and a possible solution. Being a parent with a child suffering from allergies means that you must have a sound knowledge regarding both indoor and outdoor allergies.

For example, common types of food allergies include tree nuts, soy, wheat, peanuts, egg, and milk. Non-food allergies can be caused by ordinary things, like house dust mites, insect bites, pets, plants, and pollens. Children may be allergic to medications or rubber, as well. Typical allergic reactions include runny nose or congestion, itchy, eyes, and ear issues. More severe reactions could be rash, hives, swelling, stomach discomfort, vomiting, or diarrhea.

In order to keep your child safe from allergic reactions when at daycare, you need to know precisely what will cause an allergic reaction with your child and share it with the daycare provider.

Exposure to allergies at our center would be similar to those found in the home. Before sending your child to Heaven’s Elect, it is crucial to meet with the staff to discuss the allergies of child and any concerns regarding medication. It is particularly significant if your child would your have a critical allergic reaction that may require auto-injectable epinephrine. If your child is allergic to any food item, you must make sure that our daycare staff is well aware of your child’s food allergy to avoid those items.

Heaven’s Elect staff is dedicated to your child’s well-being. When made aware of food or other allergies, we take every step to protect the children in our care. We regularly request that parents keep us informed of their child’s allergies. If you have any new information or that questions, please contact us.

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.

Types of Child Care

Child care is the process of caring for and looking after a child or several children at a time between the ages of six weeks to thirteen years. It covers a large range of institutions, professions, activities, contexts, and cultural and social conventions. It is significant in a child’s proper development. The quality of care given to a child in his or her early years can make an everlasting and substantial impact on their future. There are many types of child care services and methods. In this article we will delve into two types of child care; informal care and family child care.

Informal Care

This form of child care system relies heavily on the services of an unprofessional acquaintance. Informal care does not offer conventional education as compared to a professional child care center. Education and learning occur over a series of interaction between the person watching the child and the child. Informal care also does not offer the interaction between other people and children to promote social skills.

Family Child Care

This child care practice is often family child care and is led by stay-at-home parents who wish to look after their child. Regulations regarding family child care are different from state-to-state, some are more stringent as compared to others. Generally, family child care system can be operated by a single member of the household with the condition that the person is eighteen years or older.

Child care and day care are often interchangeable terms to many people. At Heaven’s Elect we make no distinction. Our day care center provides child care for each of the little people we look after. Our program is state licensed and staffed by trained, loving individuals that focus on the children’s education, growth, safety and happiness while in our care.

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.

Practices of a Nurturing Parent

A child’s education begins at home in a nurturing and loving atmosphere. This type of home allows children to reach their maximum potential. Parents that maintain a warm, inviting, understanding, and happy home tend to have children that grow into a confident human being.

It can be challenging for first-time parents to understand the sensitivity required when nurturing a child. In this article, we will highlight some practices for the wellbeing of your infant.

First and foremost is empowering your child from a very young age and encouraging offspring in everything they do. This approach will boost the confidence of your child. Teaching them to trust in their abilities will help your child to be more confident in decision-making scenarios, and life challenging situations as they grow.

Parents should refrain from pressuring or scolding children or creating a tense atmosphere at home. This behavior hinders in the growth and development of your child and can be a roadblock on your child’s ability to learn and adapt.

Parents should actively take part in their child’s upbringing. Often, due to their busy lives and hectic schedules, parents may miss their child’s milestones and achievements. This behavior can instill the feeling of alienation and lack of attention in the child, invoking a negative mindset. Parents should proactively make efforts to participate in their child’s activity, celebrate their achievements and milestones. This attention makes them realize that their developments are of significance to you. It will encourage them to be enthusiastic about their accomplishments.

Parents should introduce healthy practices, informational activities, and good eating habits in their child’s regime to instill the methods of an ordered and health-focused life.

In addition to creating a healthy environment at home, parents should be on the lookout for good daycare centers for their children. Half of a child’s development and growth will be affected by it. Also, daycare centers play a vital role in securing admission in a good school. This is the reason Heaven’s Elect focuses on academic and curricular activities in its practices, for a well-rounded 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.

Types of Child Care

Child care is the process of caring for and looking after a child or several children at a time between the ages of six weeks to thirteen years. It covers a large range of institutions, professions, activities, contexts, and cultural and social conventions. It is significant in a child’s proper development. The quality of care given to a child in his or her early years can make an everlasting and substantial impact on their future. There are many types of child care services and methods. In this article we will delve into two types of child care; informal care and family child care.

Informal Care

This form of child care system relies heavily on the services of an unprofessional acquaintance. Informal care does not offer conventional education as compared to a professional child care center. Education and learning occur over a series of interaction between the person watching the child and the child. Informal care also does not offer the interaction between other people and children to promote social skills.

Family Child Care

This child care practice is often family child care and is led by stay-at-home parents who wish to look after their child. Regulations regarding family child care are different from state-to-state, some are more stringent as compared to others. Generally, family child care system can be operated by a single member of the household with the condition that the person is eighteen years or older.

Child care and day care are often interchangeable terms to many people. At Heaven’s Elect we make no distinction. Our day care center provides child care for each of the little people we look after. Our program is state licensed and staffed by trained, loving individuals that focus on the children’s education, growth, safety and happiness while in our care.

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.