Educational Fun For Your Kids During Rainy Weather

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Educational Fun for Your Kids During Rainy Weather

No matter the time of year, being stuck inside on the weekend or after school can be disheartening for kids. Thanks to the Internet, however, there are plenty of ways to have educational fun without relying on television or video games. If you’re running out of ideas on what to do with your kids during rainy days, here are some excellent ideas to consider.

Make Music

Even if you’ve never picked up an instrument in your life, you and your children can have fun by learning about and making music. If you are worried about not knowing how to teach them, don’t fear. There are plenty of websites out there that offer free lessons, specifically for kids. Of course, many require a specific instrument, so you’ll need to pick one out with your child. If that isn’t practical, you can play some musical games instead. Exposing your little ones to different kinds of music can be quite beneficial and even get them exploring new cultures. One study done by the Brain and Creativity Institute from the University of California suggests that music can speed brain development, so get the tunes going when you see gray skies on the horizon.

Have Fun Exercising

Exercising indoors can seem difficult, especially if you don’t have any indoor-safe equipment. However, thanks to video sites like YouTube, you can find fun, kid-friendly workouts that you can do in the comfort of your home. Make sure that whatever video you choose is age appropriate and has a warm-up and cooldown at the end. There are different forms of exercise you can explore, from yoga to dance to movement practice for toddlers. Most include music for your little one to enjoy, which helps to keep things fun at the same time.

Get Artistic

Kids of all ages love to draw. It’s fun and creative and can help stormy hours pass by. Did you know you can make it educational, too? You can find online tutorials for different things, including activities like teaching your little one how to create optical illusions or zentangles, abstract shapes used to create patterns or a scene. Art doesn’t stop with a box of crayons and paper, however. There are various crafts you can do with your children, using things you have around the house, to get them experimenting and expanding their creativity.

Tell a Tale

One way to pass the time together when it’s raining is to make up an impromptu story with your kids. If you’re unsure how to start, it’s easier than it seems. Pick a protagonist or main character. Come up with a backstory for this person with your little one. How old are they? Do they have a job? If they are a child, where do they live? Next, decide where this story is going to take place. Is it going to be a magical tale? Real life? In outer space? You’ll need something for your main character to be doing, so come up with a conflict or a surprise that they have to deal with. Do they need to raise money for a project? Are they trying to get home? Are they going on an adventure to explore the world or to find a missing friend or sibling? Once you have this figured out, take turns telling parts of the tale. You never know where it will lead.

Experiment with Science

There is nothing like a science experiment to get kids learning and laughing. It is never too early to stimulate a love of STEM in your child. If you don’t know how to begin, Earth Science Jr. has a bundle of free lesson plans to get your children learning about the world around them through experimentation. The great part about these experiments is that they only require what you have around the home, so you don’t need any special preparations to get started.

Being trapped inside can trick us into thinking our only options for entertainment are TV or video games. However, you don’t need to sacrifice education for fun due to rain or a storm. With a little preparation and some teamwork, you and your children can have an enjoyable time learning something new!

About the Author:
Jenny Wise homeschools her four awesome children. As any homeschooling parent knows, every day is an adventure, and Jenny has begun chronicling her experiences at SpecialHomeEducator.com. She hopes to use the site to connect with other homeschoolers and to provide helpful advice to parents who may be considering a home education for their kids.

The Playdate

The Playdate

I love my daughter and enjoy her company; she's smart, affectionate, and frequently hilarious.  That being said, I REALLY do not want to spend my Saturday afternoon playing Ana to her Elsa. I will if I have to, but the effort required to muster the demanded enthusiasm leaves me drained. Happily, there are some totally valid, unselfish reasons to get me off the hook - the biggest one probably being plain old social emotional development. For kids to learn how to interact with others, resolve disputes, and have a good time in the process they need to spend some time with their peers. Luckily, we have the option of arranging playdates with other kids. Especially during the winter months, when making a friend at the local playground isn't frequently an option, playdates are a great way to keep our kids to entertained without losing our minds or dying of boredom in the process.

The Golden Rules

Keep to a reasonable, pre-determined, agreed upon time limit.
This should be age appropriate - an hour tops for babies, 2-3 max for toddlers and preschoolers. Decide and agree upon the details before you arrive. If it's a drop-off playdate, be punctual for pick up.

Reciprocate.
If your child attends a playdate at a friend's house, make sure you offer to host the next one.

Be flexible.
Your household rules do not apply in someone else's house, and every family does things differently. Unless you feel your child may be at risk, try to suspend judgement. If you do feel your child may be at risk, don't arrange the playdate. In your own house, the rules are up to you. So if you are very sparing with screen time and a playmate arrives bearing a tablet, nothing wrong with holding it for her until the playdate is over. That being said, if you relax the rules temporarily you will not lose the kingdom; just use your better judgement.

Show gratitude.
Make sure you thank the host, and your child thanks the host. Offer to assist with clean up, with the kids' help of course.

Guidelines

Snacks - offer but don't insist
Unless your child has a food allergy or other dietary restriction, don't send them with a snack. If your child does have limitations on what she can eat, definitely DO bring the snack, and bring enough to share. Establishing the habit of arriving for a visit with a small gift for the host isn't such a bad idea - gluten-free pretzels today, a nice bottle of Malbec tomorrow.

Activities 
Never a bad idea to have a few prepared options available, but committing to an intricate craft idea you found on Pinterest is a risky venture. You could spend hours setting it up and either have the kids burn through it in 10 minutes or decide they'd rather pretend to be dogs for 2 hours. Unstructured play is healthy, and in today's world there is less and less of it. I like to set up a few DIY activity stations the kids can use or ignore, and keep a fun idea or two in my pocket as an emergency distraction. I have a shoebox of bits and clippings from wrapping paper, magazines, and crafty odds and ends; I have glue sticks, I have paper and markers - voila, it's an art station. I have play dough. I have flashlights, and a blanket and kitchen chairs, which apparently make a much better fort than the ridiculous circus tent I bought thinking it would serve the same purpose.

Supervision - should be age appropriate 
Babies obviously need to be watched very closely, but toddlers and preschoolers can be monitored from a safe distance. Stay nearby enough to know what's going on and be able to intervene if necessary, but for the most part, just let the kids play. Isn't the point here that you DON'T have to entertain your child?
TIP : prior to the playdate, check in with your child to decide what toys she does NOT want to share with her friend, then tuck those things away until after the playdate.

Clean up 
Offering to help clean up at pick up is good manners, but if your host declines the help, let it be. If you are the one hosting, a good idea is to enlist the help of the kids in cleaning up BEFORE the visiting kid's parent arrives for pick up. This not only teaches good behavior, it also signals the impending pick up transition, which may make that transition go a little more smoothly. Unless your house has been utterly destroyed, or you are in a hurry to go somewhere and really don't have time to clean up the remaining mess on your own, take care of it yourself. Remember, next week it'll be someone else's house that gets trashed.

Should I stay or should I go?
Under 3 years old? Stay.
First playdate? Stay.
Your child isn't ready to be on her own? Stay.
Other than that, if the host suggests you take off, feel free. She might have a few things she'd like to get done while the kids play too. Just pick up on time and show your gratitude.

What if my child misbehaves?
It happens to EVERYONE. Even your perfectly-parented, well-adjusted little angel. It's hard to hear, but try not to be defensive. This is information about how your child behaves when you aren't in the room, and short of bugging your own house, how else can you get that?

What if someone else's child misbehaves?
It's not your place to discipline anyone else's child, so leave that to her parents. If there's a problem and you need to intervene, it's fine to explain your house rules calmly and to separate fighting children so they can calm down. One really effective tactic is to divert their attention from the situation entirely - snack time beautifully serves this purpose, as well as taking care of any testy attitudes brought on by hunger. Then when the other parent arrives for pick up, go ahead and tattle - with respect, diplomacy and politeness. Pretending things went beautifully when they didn't helps no one. Take the parent into another room (a.k.a. out of earshot) and let them know what happened. Try not to assign blame. Kids are just kids, and sometimes somebody gets bitten.

About the Author:

Laura Perras is a mom and Realtor who grew up in Needham, where she now works as part of the Perras Group at the William Raveis Needham office. In addition to mom-ing and selling houses, Laura enjoys djing, yoga, and arts and crafts. She’s involved in Parent Talk as Board CoChair of Marketing and Communications, Blog Coordinator, and Sale Committee Member.  Please reach out if you would like to submit a post to the blog or have feedback or ideas regarding what you’d like to see here : Laura.Perras.Realtor@gmail.com

Keeping Cool with the Kids This Summer - Area Splash Pads, Sprinkler Parks & Wading Pools

   

As summer temperatures rise, what better way to get the kids outdoors without overheating than hitting one of the many splash pads, sprinkler parks and wading pools in the area!  

Massachusetts is home to a few full-on water themed resorts, most of which offer day passes, with the exception of Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, which is an overnight-only resort. In no particular order:
CoCo Key Water Resort in Danvers
Hurricane Harbor at 6 Flags in Agawam
Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis
John Carver Inn and Spa in Plymouth
Water Wizz in Wareham
Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg

Looking for a place you can just stop by and cool off on the fly? Try one of these great spots:

Artesani Park & Wading Pool (free) in Brighton - my personal favorite, Artesani is not only free - it also has loads of parking, clean restrooms, life guards, a sprinkler park AND separate wading pool, playground, picnic area, and is located right on the beautiful Charles River. The entire facility was upgraded about 2 years ago. IT'S AWESOME.

Rings Fountain on the Greenway (free) in Boston - located right near the Aquarium, it's a great place to stop by and cool off after a trip to see the fishies. Every summer my daughter and I hit the Figment Art Festival (this year planned for Saturday and Sunday July 22 & 23) on the Greenway to check out the music and interactive art installations, and we always visit the Rings Fountain for a good soaking. In fact, there are fountains all along the Greenway, so you can take dips the whole way through.

Frog Pond on the Boston Common (free) - it's easy to spend the whole day on Boston Common with the kiddos, whether there's an event going on or not. Check out the enormous wading pool, the sprinkler park, the playground, the carousel, maybe even take a ride on a Swan Boat - not to mention the gardens are stunningly beautiful, great for a stroll with an ice cream cone before you head home. There are also lots of fun activities planned for the summer months, like free evening yoga, so check out their website to find out more.
Minot Rose Garden Playground (free) in Brookline - I live near this one, so we hit it a lot, and the roses are in full bloom right now. The splash pad is the usual playground sprinkler set up, nothing fancy. The fancy part is its location - right next to a fantastic playground that is itself located inside a large, shady, fully fenced in park with a paved loop perfect for scooters or bikes. This park is named and known for it's gorgeous rose gardens, and makes a great spot for a picnic or catching a free morning yoga class on a Sunday.
Daniel Ford Playground at Emerson Park (free) in Brookline - another great Brookline playground, along with a separate sprinkler/fountain area, in a large sunny park where summertime often finds my daughter and I (and a hundred or so other families) sharing some takeout pizza with friends and listening to some live music at the Brookline Summer Concert Series Wednesday evenings.

Those are my personal favorites, but there are so many more:

Soule Recreation Center (free) - Chestnut Hill
Charlesbank Playground & Spray Deck (free) - Boston
North Point Park & Splash Pad (free) - Cambridge
Danehy Park Splash Pad (free) - Cambridge
Johnson Playground & Stonybrook Spray Deck (free) - Jamaica Plain
Bradley Palmer State Park & Wading Pool $ - Topsfield
Beaver Brook Spray Deck & Playground (free) - Belmont
Luciano Park Spray Pool (free) - Arlington
Artemas Ward Wading Pool (free) - Marlborough
Nelson Memorial Park & Splash Pad (free) - Plymouth
Davis Farmland $ - Sterling (Yes, this is a farm with a spray park. I cannot WAIT to take my daughter here.)
Petersen Splash Pad at Watson Park (free) - Braintree
Cellucci Skate & Splash Park (free) - Hudson
Lynch Park Splash Pad (free) - Beverly

Or look them up yourself:

Waltham alone has 9 parks with splash pads, so depending where your day takes you, there may be a place to cool off nearby : Spray Parks and Pools

Wherever you go to stay cool this summer, be safe, have fun, and don't forget your SPF!

About the Author:
Laura Perras is a mom and Realtor who grew up in Needham, where she now works as part of the Perras Group at the William Raveis Needham office. In addition to mom-ing and selling houses, Laura enjoys djing, yoga, and arts and crafts. She’s involved in Parent Talk as Board CoChair of Marketing and Communications, Blog Coordinator, and Sale Committee Member.  Please reach out if you would like to submit a post to the blog or have feedback or ideas regarding what you’d like to see here : Laura.Perras.Realtor@gmail.com

The Benefits of Boredom

April vacation is here! The kids are out of school and the weather is warm, great conditions for a family vacation.  Alternately there are plenty of options from gymnastics to computer programming to fill those non-school hours with edifying pursuits. But some of us do not have a trip planned and prefer not to spend an almost equivalent amount of money on "vacation camp", and we are faced with the daunting question: "What am I going to do with my kids all week?"

Well, the magic answer to that question does exist : NOTHING. That's right, nothing. Apparently boredom has benefits that may outweigh any or all of the 21+ enriching activities we've spent hours planning to get ourselves and the kids to the end of the week.

Creativity & Imagination
Being bored forces children to use their imaginations to entertain themselves. A 1980s study comparing the imaginative capacity of preschoolers who watched TV with those who didn't showed significantly more imagination on the part of the TV free kids. More recently, Dr. Teresa Belton, who studies the connection between boredom and imagination at University of East Anglia, maintains that boredom is critical to the development creativity in children.

Independence & Self Reliance
When kids don't have their whole day scheduled out for them, they are compelled to figure out on their own how to best spend their time. According to child psychologist Lyn Fry, "Your role as a parent is to prepare children to take their place in society. Being an adult means occupying yourself and filling up your leisure time in a way that will make you happy."

Tolerance & Emotional Self-Regulation
Having to deal with being bored is one way kids get practice tolerating things they may find unpleasant or uncomfortable, definitely an important skill in adulthood. It will serve them well when they become parents, and have to listen to their own kids whine about being bored.

Better Sleep Habits
This particularly applies to the overuse of digital devices for entertainment, but applies to non-digital forms of excitement as well. Giving kids' brains a break from constant stimulation, even educational or beneficial stimulation, can improve sleeping habits and contribute to the ability to calm oneself. If they never get a break, how can they learn how to consciously take one when needed?

Does this mean we don't have to play cruise director? We don't have to defy time and space to deliver 3 children to 3 separate activities that all begin within the same 15 minutes? That's exactly what this means. But before you start calling your mom friends to find out if they prefer mimosas or margaritas, I'm afraid I have to point out one teensy weensy downside to this approach : they are going to whine. By 'they' I mean your kids, and that's 'whine' with an 'h'. So herein lies the real challenge for us, the parents: to listen to the whining and hold strong. As in "No, you can't watch TV"; "No, you can't play video games"; and "No, you can't use the ipad".

That being said, we're only human. So when you've reached the point where you're wishing you actually were a cruise director, on a boat, somewhere far away - remember it's only a week. Still fantasizing about working for Norwegian Cruise Line? You'll find a few links for some activities and ideas for things to do below. So you and your mom friends can make it to the end of the week and enjoy your margaritas in peace.

"A child develops best when, like a young plant, he is left undisturbed in the same soil. Too much travel, too much variety if impressions, are not good for the young, and cause them to grow up to become incapable of enduring fruitful monotony." Philosopher Bertrand Russell, 1930

Kids' Fun Stop Indoor Playspace (Parent Talk member discount $2 off child's admission)
Needham arts & crafts drop off classes (Parent Talk member discount 15%)
Jump N' Slide (Parent Talk member discount 33% on walk-ins)
Check out our ParentTalk Member Discounts page for more discounts on drop-in fun
Needham Public Library Calendar
Needham Candlepin Bowling
Wellesley Toysinbox 3-D Printing Show
Natick minigolf
Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln
Cambridge Science Festival
Boston Common Swan Boats
Museum of Fine Arts Vacation Week Free Activities
Zoo New England Vacation Week
Ecotarium in Worcester

About the Author:

Laura Perras is a mom and Realtor who grew up in Needham, where she now works as part of the Perras Group at the William Raveis Needham office. In addition to mom-ing and selling houses, Laura enjoys djing, yoga, and arts and crafts. She’s very excited to be taking on the role of blog coordinator! Please reach out if you would like to submit a post to the blog or have feedback or ideas regarding what you’d like to see here : Laura.Perras.Realtor@gmail.com