Educational Fun For Your Kids During Rainy Weather

Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com

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.

Tech 101 for Toddlers & Preschoolers

As parents, the information on how much screen time (and what kind of screen time) our kids should have seems endless. It’s challenging to keep up, much less sift through it all and figure out what’s real and current. I’ve taught technology to elementary and middle school students for more than 15 years, and have two kids of my own under the age of 6. These basic guidelines (based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics) can help you navigate the muddy waters and figure out what’s really ok for your child at different ages.

Good guidelines to follow are:

• Children under 18 months should avoid any media unless looking at pictures or using video chat.
• Children 18 - 24 months may watch high quality programming if you watch it with them (and talk about it with them).
• Children 2 - 5 years may watch 1 hr./day of high-quality, co-viewed programming; at this age, it’s important for parents to help kids understand what they’re seeing and how it relates to the world.
• Children 6 years and older need enough sleep, physical activity, and face-to-face social interaction first and foremost – it’s essential that these be priorities. According to recent research, once these are accounted for, children are not negatively impacted academically, socially, or mentally by moderate amounts of screentime.
• A good rule of thumb is no screens half an hour to one hour before bedtime.

So, why are the guidelines the way they are? Children learn the most from direct parent interaction and connections with the real world around them (think of this as your fruits and vegetables). Next, they learn from co-viewing, which includes watching or reading with an adult. They learn the least from using media by themselves (think of this as junk food). You might have a cupcake once in a while, but you wouldn’t have it in place of your meals!

It can also be challenging to figure out which media is high-quality media. The best programs for kids are slower-paced, concrete, and real-world, with pauses for interactivity. PBS Kids has some good options including Sesame Street, Daniel Tiger, Mr. Rogers, Curious George, Doc McStuffins, SuperWhy, Wild Kratts, and Planet Earth.

Parents should be very careful with Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime. Content on these services is not filtered effectively for kids, and inappropriate content is just one click away; young kids should never view/navigate these channels by themselves. For example, on YouTube, videos that get a lot of attention bubble to the top; unfortunately, a video may seem like a cartoon initially, but a few minutes in shift to violent or other inappropriate content.

I’ll leave you with a few practical suggestions for helping your family navigate the technology-driven world that we live in:

• Ask permission before taking pictures. This seems like a simple thing, but we don’t do it. A sobering statistic is that more than half of all girls will be asked for a nude photo of themselves by the age of 14. Our children need to be comfortable saying “no.”
• It’s ok to have different rules for different kids. Kids are different from each other – one may need very firm limits, and the other may function well with more flexibility.
• Treat media time the same as you would reading books – sit together, and choose content that is language-rich and interactive.
• Re-enact things from a show; repetition and contextualizing things with kids help them process it. Talk with them about what they took away from a show.
• Eliminate background TV.
• If a smartphone is in the room, it’s affecting the quality of parent/child interaction; find a place to dump it.
• Technology doesn’t have to be just screen media. If you have old pieces of technology around your house (keyboards, phones, etc.), use them as “take aparts,” or spend time playing with Snap Circuits or Makey Makey.
• If you have an iPad for your child, keep one app on it at a time. When they get bored with it, they will naturally turn it off and go onto another activity. Periodically, change that app out for another one. Some good apps for young kids include Puppet Pals and Scratch Jr.

At the end of the day, parent-child engagement is key with media, as it is with anything. Following the practices outlined here will support your child’s development and set the foundation for a healthy relationship with technology in the future.

About the Author:

Steve Trust is Director of Academic Technology at Charles River School, an independent PreK - school in Dover, Mass., and father to a five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter.

3 Things You Can Do to Prepare to Be a Parent with a Disability

 3 Things You Can Do to Prepare to Be a Parent with a Disability

While new parents eagerly await the arrival of their bundle of joy, they busily prepare their homes and themselves for their lives to change in the best way possible. All parents try to prepare as much as they can, and parents with disabilities have special considerations to make before a new baby arrives. We share a few things you can do to prepare for your new role as parents, including how to handle the stress that comes along with your newborn.

1. Prepare Your Home

Preparing your home for a new baby does not necessarily have to include baby-proofing, since your little one won’t be crawling for some time. Many new parents feel they need to get their homes ready for baby by installing childproof locks on doors, windows, cabinets, etc., but you have a few months before you need to worry about your baby being able to get into potentially unsafe places. Save yourself time and stress by focusing on the most pressing preparations for a newborn.

For example, you need to choose a space for the nursery, find places for the swing and baby bouncer, and make sure that you have baby monitors in place to help you keep an ear or an eye out for baby at all times. Keep in mind that new parents with disabilities should purchase accessible baby gear.

Consider putting as many items on the main floor of your home as possible if you have mobility challenges. Put a changing station on both levels of your home so that you have the necessities handy. And, put a bassinet in your bedroom to keep your newborn close, so you don’t have to worry about maneuvering around your home in the dark when you’re exhausted and stressed.

2. Find Support

Becoming a new parent is an exciting, stressful, and scary time for anyone. But, people with disabilities may fear that they will struggle in their new role as a parent and not know where to turn for support or encouragement. If you’ve struggled with addiction in the past, especially because of your disability, it is crucial that you find support before you cope with stress in an unhealthy way or put your sobriety at risk. Attend a meeting, talk to your sponsor, or meet with a counselor or therapist to remain in recovery.

Another way you can help yourself handle the stress of being a parent with a disability is joining a support group to talk with other parents who face the same struggles. It will help you realize you are not alone and provide additional resources and encouragement from people who are in your position and have healthy, happy families. Talking with other people will help you combat feelings of isolation and depression, and it will give you an outlet for sharing your emotions and relieving stress.

3. Prioritize Self-Care

It may seem counterintuitive to make yourself a priority when you have a new child, but you cannot be the best parent possible if you fail to care for yourself. Practicing self-care involves taking time for yourself to exercise, relax, read, or practice mindfulness. Anything that makes you feel good, relieves stress, and relaxes you will energize you and help you handle the pressure of being a new parent.

It’s easy for parents to feel selfish or guilty if they put some of their needs first. But, mental health professionals agree that new parents need downtime for self-care because they have such a demanding job. Say yes when friends and relatives ask if they can give you a break. Use the time to take a nap, take a hot bath, or read a book (one that is not about parenting) for a few minutes. Ask your spouse to take over while you get outside for some fresh air. Allow people to drop off food for you, or ask a friend to pick up take-out for you on her way home from work.

People with disabilities can prepare their homes and their lives for parenthood by purchasing accessible baby gear, finding support, and prioritizing self-care. The more you prepare, the less stressful having a newborn will be.

Image via Pixabay by jakobking85

Ashley Taylor is a disabled mother of two wonderful, amazing, energetic children. She met her husband, Tom, while doing physical therapy. Tom had suffered a spinal cord injury due to a car accident and uses a wheelchair for mobility. Ashley and Tom knew they wanted children and knew they would have to adapt their lives and home in order to make this dream come true. Ashley is happy to say that they are the proud parents of two healthy, wonderful children and their disabilities haven’t stopped them from leading a happy, fulfilling life.

Setting Compass Points for Children

Parent Talk is grateful to Dedham Country Day School for their sponsorship and willingness to share information and inspiration.  In this guest blog post, Allison Webster, shares her analysis of two books and applies it experiences children have every day in the course of their school days.  

Setting Compass Points for Children

1/23/2018

Allison D. Webster, DCD Head of School

I wrote in my last blog post about peak moments and all they do for a child’s memories and well-being; last week we had a peak moment for both children and adults at DCD. Mr. Clifford, wearing a top hat and tails, led a parade of students and penguins through the Lowell Center, which was packed with students and families.

Nearly 50 penguins waddled in, each pushed by a proud pre-kindergarten or kindergarten student artist who had been hard at work since September on their creation. We all sang an original song by Ms. Glaser, 8th graders shared penguin facts, and children from the upper grades raised their hands with enthusiasm when asked if they could remember their own penguin experience. Each penguin maker learned about creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication through the process of making and presenting their penguin.

These skills – known in education as “the Four Cs” – are ones we value deeply at DCD. I recently read the book Whiplash by Joi Ito, and in it he makes the case for the importance of these skills, especially as we prepare children for a world that will inevitably be different from our current one. He suggests that we need to abandon the idea of providing children with a detailed map of how their lives will progress, and instead instill in them a compass that can guide them as they find their way into adulthood. He writes,

"...a map implies a detailed knowledge of the terrain, and the existence of an optimum route; the compass is a far more flexible tool and requires the user to employ creativity and autonomy in discovering his or her own path. The decision to forfeit the map in favor of the compass recognizes that in an increasingly unpredictable world moving ever more quickly, a detailed map may lead you deep into the woods at an unnecessarily high cost. A good compass, though, will always take you where you need to go."

As we develop children’s skills and capacities, we also set the compass points of DCD’s values. In one short penguin parade, children experienced many of our compass points as a school: all students have a voice and participate; hard work and persistence are expected; we value the continuity and meaning that comes from traditions; we celebrate together as a community. Throughout the process, children experienced the delight of learning, especially at times when creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication converged. 

The learning that occurred for each child during the months of penguin creation and celebration was extraordinary, and the social context in which it occurred was a critical part of the process. I recently read a passage in Jesmyn Ward’s Sing, Unburied, Sing that captured what experiences like the penguin parade provide children and how it builds a well from which children can draw. In Ward’s extraordinary book, the grandmother and grandson have a special relationship. She tells the grandson, Jojo, that she hopes he saved up the emotional sustenance she has provided during their years together. She says, “I hope I fed you enough. While I’m here. So you can carry it with you. Like a camel…Maybe that ain’t a good way of putting it. Like a well, Jojo. Pull that water up when you need it."

I know that today’s pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will one day parade out of DCD, carrying diplomas rather than pushing penguins. When that time comes, they will have a strong and trustworthy compass to steer them, and a deep well of emotional reserves which they can “pull up” when needed. Penguins live in groups known as rafts or colonies, and last week was a time when we were all reminded how fortunate we are to be a part of our “raft” at DCD.

​Blog direct link: ​https://www.dedhamcountryday.org/page/blog-post?pk=981989&fromId=225774