Category — Leisure Time

Looking for something fun to do today?

Make a collage out of pictures from old magazines together and talk about what you are making. 

Looking for something fun to do today?

Draw pictures of members of your family.
Then mail them to grandma or another person in the child’s life who would love to hang on them on their fridge.

Looking for something to do today?

Make a family cook book.

Looking for something fun to do today?

Have a family dance. Everyone can bring partners.

Invite friend’s over, make it a potluck dance party!

Recent research is confirming the fact that we can live longer, and be sharper, if we keep our brain stimulated with enjoyable mental, physical, and social activities.  Work & Family Life (February 2009) shared these research-based brain-boosting tips:

Breathe deeply. Before you tackle any mental chore, take a few deep breaths.  This will send oxygen to your brain and will also have a valuable calming effect.

Try new things. Do something different every day.  Introduce yourself to someone and start a conversation.  Make a mundane change in your routine such as taking a different route to work.  Or even do something silly like eating di nner with your non-dominant hand.

Eat fish rich in omega-3. A diet that includes regular servings of baked or broiled fish is great for the brain.  Many studies have identified the omega-3 fatty acid in fish as uniquely helpful in slowing age-related mental decline.

American children aged 2 - 11 are watching more television than they have in years.  New findings from the Nielsen Company show children aged 2-5 now spend more than 32 hours a week on average in front of a TV screen.

In a related development, the Walt Disney Company is now offering refunds for all those “Baby Einstein” videos that did not make children into geniuses.  According the New York Times, these videos….

“… may have been great electronic baby sitters, but the unusual refunds appear to be a tacit admission that they did not increase infant intellect.”

“‘We see it as an acknowledgment by the leading baby video company that baby videos are not educational, and we hope other baby media companies will follow suit by offering refu nds,’ said Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which has been pushing the issue for years.

“Baby Einstein, founded in 1997, was one of the earliest players in what became a huge electronic media market for babies and toddlers.  Acquired by Disney in 2001, the company expanded to a full line of books, toys, flashcards and apparel, along with DVDs including ‘Baby Mozart,’ ‘Baby Shakespeare’ and ‘Baby Galileo.’

“The videos — simple productions featuring music, puppets, bright colors, and not many words — became a staple of baby life:  According to a 2003 study, a third of all American babies from 6 months to 2 years old had at least one ‘Baby Einstein’ video.

“Despite their ubiquity, and the fact that many babies are transfixed by the videos, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all for children under 2.”

1. The Wake-Up

It is important for a child to have some parent-love in the first conscious moment of his or her day.

2. The Send-Off

Horses, Olympians, and children run a good race when they get off to a good start.  As often as possible, you should be there for breakfast and for your child’s departure to school.

3. The Reception

If you want to get a real reading on how the “game” went, you have to be there when the “player” comes off the field.  Your presence when your child comes in the door says “I love you.” Your responsibility at the reception is mostly to hug, to listen without judgment, to notice your child is home, and to be available.

4. The Debriefing

This may come right after the reception.  Kids need to debrief their day–not to be interrogated but to report, celebrate, evaluate, or explode.  Again, your role is to listen.  Your undivided attention communicates that you care.

5. The Happy Ending

If “all’s well that ends well,” it’s good for a parent to be there at the end of the day.  It’s a time for an “I love you,” an “I’m sorry,” or a “thank you.” It puts a period on the end of the day.

By Ronald Hutchcraft from Five Needs Your Child Must Have Met at Home

• Hold hands during mealtime prayers.
• Walk one-on-one with each child.  Swing hands and talk.  Tell jokes.  Sing.
• Bad day?  Sigh dramatically and say, “I sure could use a great big hug from someone special.”
• Wonderful day?  Shout, “Hey, everybody!  Come hug me!  I had the best day!”
• Make Hug Sandwiches.  With your spouse, gently surprise unsuspecting children–no matter what age!
• Declare a 100 Hugs Day among your family.  Count them as you go.
• Do four-direction kisses: north (foreheads), south (chins), east/west (cheeks).
• Wrap your arms around your children during church and while waiting together or watching TV.
• APply the Pat Principle: “When in doubt, pat.” God made lots of patting places–heads, cheeks, knees, hands, shoulders, backs.

–By Lorri Cardwell-Casey, From HomeLife Magazine

I would like to invite you all to our annual Open House and Kindergarten Roundup.  It will be held on Thursday, January 21.  The entire open house is open to all, so even if you have a two-year old, please feel free to visit in our preschool rooms!  This event is open to the public, so we encourage you to invite your friends and families to come out and have some fun!

For more information please download our flier or even call us at 328-ABCD!
http://www.smallblessingsinc.com/news/openhouse2010.pdf

Below you will find a list of possible questions to help you with conversations about your child’s reading. They are not intended to be used all at once or every time you read with your child. Use them at your discretion and where they are appropriate. Happy Reading!!

Questions to ask before you read

• Can you look at the pictures and predict what you think will happen in this book?
• What makes you think that?
• What characters do you think might be in our story?
• Do you think there will be a problem in this story?  Why or why not?
• Does the topic/story relate to you or your family?  How?

Questions to ask during the reading

• What do you think will happen next?
• What can you tell me about the story so far?
• Can you predict how the story will end?
• Why do you think the character did _______?
• What would you have done if you were the character?
• How would you have felt if you were the character? (use different characters)
• As I read ________, it made me picture _______ in my head.  What pictures do you see in your head?
• As you read, what are you wondering about?
• Can you put what you’ve just read in your own words?

Questions to ask after reading

• Can you remember the title?
• In your opinion, was it a good title for this book?  Why or why not?
• Were your predictions about the story correct?
• If there was a problem, how did it get solved?
• What happened because of the problem?
• Why do you think the author wrote this book?
• What is the most important point the author is trying to make in his writing?
• What was your favorite part of the story?
• If you could change one thing in the story, what would it be?
• Can you retell the story in order?
• If you were ____________, how would you have felt?
• What is the most interesting situation in the story?
• Is there a character in the story like you?  How are you alike?
• Why did you like this book?