Summer Fun for Your Kiddies

Going to the beach or heading on to the pool is something almost all kids look forward to during the summer. It’s a fun activity for the whole family and a great form exercise because it engages several body parts to function without stressing too much on the joints. There are many other benefits your kiddies get just by swimming alone and studies show that kids swimming at an early age help them become emotionally and physically fit. As the summer starts to heat up even more, I wrote down a couple of good insights about the benefits your children get when they swim. So read on and start preparing for your next summer trip!

You have two choices when planning to go on a swimming vacation with the family: you can either go to the beach or go to a resort where there are pools present. The beach is an outstanding place to have a summer vacation due to its refreshing look, its take you back to nature and your kiddies can definitely enjoy building sand castles. The downside here is that the sea is a massive body of water that houses different underwater creatures and some of them are dangerous. Jellyfish, sea urchins, sea mosquitoes and other poisonous marine animals are just some of the hazards you need to be careful of when swimming at the beach. This is why some parents prefer to bring their children to clubhouses or resorts with pool because they feel that it’s safer and most of the time, places like these offer swimming classes for kids who are enthusiasts of learning how to swim.

When planning for a summer trip and you want to include swimming as one of your activities, it is vital to put your kiddies’ safety first. We don’t want drowning or any accidents in a fun-filled day so we need to take all precautionary measures in order to avoid such incidents. For children below four years old, it is important to keep an eye on them at all times. Kids swimming could sometimes be out of control as they get too excited so you have to remember never let them skip your eyes even for a moment as they might fall down in deeper areas of the swimming pool. The sides and bottoms are usually made of concrete material, so a sudden fall or slip could be dangerous. When planning to go to the beach, make sure your kiddies wear appropriate and protective swimming attire. The sands are sometimes sharp that might cut their feet so it is important to be cautious. Applying sunblock lotion is also a MUST as the sun gets too hot during the summer. Once all safety measures are met, it is time to enjoy and have fun!

Swimming activity for kids has lots of emotional and physical benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), swimming can improve the mental well-being of a child as it increases positive mood and decreases anxiety. CDCP also added that kiddies with developmental disabilities have found that doing group swimming increases family ties and improves family connections. Aside from emotional development amongst children, swimming can also be a great form of exercise. When kids mess around in water, their bodies move from small amount of activity to a full-on aerobic workout. It provides stretching, toning and even a full workout that strengthens the lungs and the heart. They’re doing an intensive workout without even knowing it because they are enjoying so much. Swimming is highly advisable to overweight kids as they find it easier and more fun to swim than to jog or run. Those with health problems such as asthma and arthritis can also benefit from this activity as the weightlessness of being underwater makes it easier for them to get small amount of low-impact exercise. As per kiddies who have asthma, having a sudden attack is less likely during swimming compared to other strenuous exercises.

Enrolling for swimming classes for kids is actually a great way to know more about the benefits of regular swimming activities. Researchers document that the stimulating effect of early swimming lessons for kids (infants/toddlers) increases intelligence, alertness and concentration. And for you to see the progress of your kiddies, you can record their swimming lessons through your mobile phones or handy tablets. It won’t just let you know their progress, it will also save memories of your kid having fun as they swim. Those videos and photos will be precious someday so it is important that you have a reminder of those happy moments. If you want to read more about some tips and helpful ideas, make sure to VISIT US.

TV and Movies: Are they harmful for our kiddies?

The recent movie Frozen was such a success that almost all kids know the song “Let It Go” and “Do You Want to Build A Snowman.” Don’t think that because the lead characters were girls, only girls can relate to the movies because the truth is, ALL kids loved it, even my nephews sing those songs while in the shower. But have you ever wondered what benefits ours kiddies get when they watch such movies or TV shows? There are many common and negative beliefs about children’s prolonged TV exposure such as it makes them lazy, seeing violence and it hampers intelligence. Despite these misconceptions and negative feedback surrounding TV and movies, our kiddies actually benefit from them in a lot of different forms depending on what they see and how often they watch it.

Children love cartoons. The color vibrancy attracts their visual senses and the audio makes them excited. But what really makes them enjoy cartoons are the funny and likable characters. One good example is Dora the Explorer. She has a sweet voice, a friendly personality, a charming look and a likable character that even parents adore. This is why children enjoy watching such TV shows because they tend to look up to these characters and wanting to be like them. Another fun cartoon character is Diego. You’d find him in the TV show called Go, Diego, Go! He’s Dora’s cousin and his series originated from a spin-off of Dora the Explorer. He’s a young Latino-American who dwells on rescuing animals and saving the environment. Kiddies who love animals surely enjoy this show as they get to see tons of different breeds from the animal kingdom, teaching how to nurture them and why it is important to care for these beautiful creatures. Another personal favorite that I have is the Backyardigans. It is pre-school TV series about five animal children who see their backyard as an adventure place where magic happens. They all have different personalities that your kiddies will surely love. Their imaginations are fun, exciting and always creative and you will always see them fascinated in different adventures. As our kids watch these animated shows, what they don’t know is that we use these things “learning for children” method.

Like the TV shows mentioned above, there are certain movies or television programs that can teach our kiddies social skills such as sharing, manners and etiquettes. They can learn how to interact with others positively and politely, greet others or even argue to express themselves. These films can also teach kids about morals, values and life lessons. Although it is vital to teach our children these important things, it has become an effective learning tools 4 kids to know the basics.

 

Educational movies or TV shows enhance kiddies’ learning experience and for some who have difficulty to be motivated in school may have an easier grasp when watching such animated programs. Because there’s a wide variety of TV shows today that air regularly, children develop interest and learn what will inspire them to do more. They can discover many interesting subjects like art, animals, sports, science, history and hobbies which they will eventually nurture away from TV. Learning for children is never easy but as long as you keep them interested on what they are seeing or doing, then there’s a bigger chance for them to find it irresistible.

Older kids on the other hand may watch international channels, historical TV programs, documentary shows and movies based on real events to teach them about cultures and other parts of the world. These types of visuals can lead them interested to knowing more about the government, fashion, art, religion, music, society and education. And for those parents who are having a hard time answering deeper questions and issues can use education videos to explain the topic. This may be a bold move or a sensitive approach but it opens opportunities for an honest opinion and discussion and is considered great learning tools 4 kids who always ask questions as they mature.

Let us not forget that our focus is to let our kiddies have a fun way of learning and TV shows and movies are great ways to provide them with entertainment, relieve stress, offer relaxation and it’s also a great quality time for the family to enjoy as they get to bond while watching and talking about the shows afterward. Watching movies and TV shows are made easier today as you can easily download them through your computers, cellphones, tablets and other multimedia devices. Now you can watch their favorite TV shows, anywhere and anytime with just a few clicks from your gadgets. For more informative tools and tips about good parenting, CLICK HERE.

Why Storybooks Are Important to Children

Have you ever wondered why your parents would always read you storybooks before we go to sleep when you were young? When I was little I always get excited about fairytale stories my mom would tell me before hitting the sack. Well, besides hearing great stories that really tickle my imagination, it actually makes our brain work by stimulating senses thinking these things are actually true and based on real events. Our imaginations start rolling and this helps us develop our neurons in response to what we perceive. So if you think reading story books for children is just a way to make them fall asleep, then you are mistaken. Story telling serves greater purpose in our children’s daily lives and it might sound simple for us parents, but this actually teaches them a lot in their early childhood education.

When kiddies become hooked to what they’ve heard, they tend to ask questions, they wonder, their brain functionality becomes more aggressive and these stories are encoded in their minds generating neurological pathways that develop their neurons. The development of synapses in children’s brain activity occurs at a tremendous rate during their early years in reaction to a young child’s experience in their environment. This is why reading story books for children is a good way to keep their minds from grasping information and to enhance the development of their neurological system. The early years of childhood is the most important stage of learning as the mind is susceptible to taking in all information based on their environment and their experiences. Kiddies learning to read is a process and there’s no general age on when they will be able to read a whole book or a single phrase. There are many factors leading to it such as their environment, who they interact with and the things they experience around them.

Fairytale stories are always the way to go when ready for your kiddie as they go on adventures and the magical experience is a rollercoaster ride. They are easily amazed with dwarves, princesses, fairies and other non-earthly creatures that live in the fantasy world. A good way to know if your kiddies enjoyed their bedtime stories is when they keep asking you to read them over and over again and eventually, they would want to learn to read these books to themselves. Now this is where the process of kids learning to read occur. Good thing they are readily available E-books today that have a huge amount of collections of good storybooks and you can easily read them using your handy tablets and other modern devices where you can install them or download them.

Kids learning to read is a great milestone in your child’s mental development. Encouraging them and giving good reinforcement is necessary to stimulate mental functions and creates brain connections. Through repetition, these connections build into networks that allow them to think and learn. There are many other benefits children get from this activity such as building listening skills wherein it increases a child’s attention span and develops the ability to concentrate. Kiddies also benefit from it by helping them express themselves in a manner of being creative while using their imaginations. When reading to your children regularly, it also helps them master language development whether it may be written or spoken. Together with this, the formulation of neurons develops and fosters a child’s natural curiosity expanding their horizons, introducing emotions, behavioral changes and exposing them to new situations. And perhaps the best part of reading books with lots of images to your kids is when they learn to appreciate illustrations and arts with their visuals. They learn more when they grasp information using their senses and it may take some time, little by little, but you can be sure that you are using a fun and exciting method.

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Productive But Fun Things to Do With Kiddies This Summer

With every summer comes every parent’s desire to make it memorable for the whole family. This year, why not introduce your kiddie to some productive yet fun activities that will also contribute to their development? Other than learning something new, these activities would also help nurture children’s creativity as they discover they can actually produce objects out of wild imaginations. Wow!

Here’s a list of things to do this summer during downtimes:

Make musical instruments

You’ll be needing some art materials for this. Ask your kiddie what musical instruments they would want to play among guitars, bass, piano, or drums. Let them make musical instruments out of cardboard, old toys, and even things you find at home such as spoons, bottles, and plastic containers. Have some of their friends come for a summer evening concert.

This activity not only enhances imagination and creativity, but also develops love for music. If you really want to push your kiddie to such inclination, start now because according to studies, “Toddlers have slightly better attention spans than infants, and have unlimited energy.”

Collage for the clay pots

This is a fun activity especially for girls. Go through old magazines, gift bags, or wrapping papers to cut out some nice pictures. Stick these into a collage in a clay pot for the garden. You can even make money with your kiddie if you have lots of clay pots on stock as you sell them in a yard sale.

Of course you want your kiddie to have a taste and sense of style! This activity opens an eye for design in children as they see what colors work with such pattern and theme. Might as well awaken a potential entrepreneur in your kiddie as they earn money with these artsy clay pots!

Plant some veggies

Yeah it may be hot to stay so long under the summer sun but what does sunscreen lotion do? Spread some to yours and kiddie’s tiny little body and go out to the backyard. Plant some veggies that easily grow such as tomatoes, cucumber, or peas. A large pot will do in the absence of a backyard. Ask your kiddie to take charge in watering the seeds until they grow into veggies ready for eating or even selling.

This third activity helps your kiddie become responsible as they actively tend to the planted veggies. More importantly, it is also exciting being able to watch it from the beginning up to the time the veggies become full grown. What an amazing way to teach your kiddie about growth and life!

The impact and joy this summer would leave your family depends on the activities you plan beforehand. Gather up the materials and start conceptualizing for these productive yet truly delighting activities!

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