At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we know how beneficial nature and the great outdoors can be for children’s learning and development. There are many ways to teach your child to appreciate nature and allow them to benefit from the great outdoors at the same time. In this blog, we are going to talk about ways you can help teach your children to appreciate nature. Read on to learn more and go explore the world with your kiddos!

Play Outside

Playing outside is a great way to get started building your child’s appreciation for nature. Just getting kids to play outside nowadays seems like a feat with technology running our lives. Let your kiddos play tag, color with sidewalk chalk, ride their bikes around the neighborhood, or play in the grass. You don’t need to go on a grand adventure to get your kiddos outside enjoying nature. Even just playing outside of your home allows kids to realize how much nature can offer and the endless possibilities.

Go On Hikes

Hikes or nature walks are a great way to immerse yourself in nature and the great outdoors. One thing to keep in mind is that kids can’t hike as far as you can. Find a trail that brings you through the heart of nature and just explore with no goal in mind. If your child wants to examine a creek for 15 minutes, let them! They are learning, exploring, and engaging with the outside world, which will help them develop an appreciation for nature. Talk about what they see, what they hear, point out different flowers and animals, and let them (and yourself) just enjoy being outside.

Climb a Tree

Kids love climbing trees. While you don’t want your little one climbing to the very top of a tall tree, letting them climb some branches, in arms-reach of you, allows them to get closer to nature, touch the bark of a tree, and examine a tree up close. They may notice a bug they have never seen before, or touch sap that makes them question why the tree is sticky. These are great learning opportunities and allow their curious minds to start moving at full speed.

Go On a Treasure Hunt

Treasure hunts are fun for kiddos and a great way to get outside. Make a treasure hunt of different things that are found in nature and go exploring with your kiddos. Let them work through their treasure hunt as you explore different outdoor areas. Not only is this a great way to get outside, but it is also a great way to ensure your children actually notice the outside world and nature! People can get so stuck in their own worlds from time to time, so helping your child learn how to look around and take in their surroundings can help them continue to use this skill into adulthood.

Take Pictures

Taking pictures is a great way to capture memories, but it is another great way to get your kiddos to notice their surroundings and observe nature. Get disposable cameras for your kiddos and go on a nature walk. Let them take pictures of whatever they find interesting or beautiful. When you print out the photos, they will be excited to revisit these pieces of nature that caught their interest and be able to look at them for years to come.

Get Lost

Go find a natural area and just explore. Get lost (not physically, but mentally). Make no other plans that day, pack snacks and drinks, and let your kiddos just explore. Jump in puddles, play in a stream, collect rocks, bring a sketchbook and let your kiddos draw different plants, and just enjoy nature. Allowing your kiddos to just completely become engaged with nature is a great way to help them learn to appreciate it.

Let Kids Be Kids

Let your kids be kids when they are outside. Kids want to dig holes, pick up bugs, dig their toes in the mud, and chase geese. When you go outside, don’t tell your children what to do or how to engage with nature, just let them do what feels right to them. We all interact with the outdoor world differently — allowing your child to do what they want can help them grow an appreciation for the great outdoors.

There are so many ways to get your children to appreciate and enjoy nature. Our biggest suggestion would be to not force anything and just let them explore. Talk about what you love about nature and show your appreciation. Eventually, they will learn to do the same.

If you are looking for a great child care center for your child that allows them to engage with nature and learn in a fun and beneficial ways, be sure to check out Growing Kids Learning Centers. We have locations throughout Indiana and can ensure that your child is always able to socialize with others. Contact us to learn more!

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Helping your child develop a love for learning can help them stay curious throughout their entire lives, constantly looking for new things to learn. If you want to raise your child to have a desire to always learn, there are some things you can do!

At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we offer a variety of child care programs that help your child begin to learn at an early age. We make learning fun, engaging, and rewarding, helping your child develop a desire to learn more! Be sure to check out our child care programs and get in touch to learn more about our centers. For now, continue reading this blog for tips on helping your child develop a love for learning.

Let Them Explore Their Interests

It is natural that people want to learn more about what interests them and get excited when they discover new things about their passions. Allowing your child to explore their interests can help them develop a love for learning, no matter what their interests may be. As your kiddo grows, their interests will likely change. If your child goes through a space phase, bring them to a planetarium. If they go through a dinosaur phase, bring them to a museum to look at fossils and learn about the dinosaurs that once roamed the places you called home.

When you give your child a chance to explore what interests them, you are showing them that learning can be fun and exciting. This gives them a chance to learn something that excites them rather than just the typical subjects they learn in school. While the information they learn in school is important, it may not excite them like learning about sharks does. Allowing them to explore their interests gives them an opportunity to be excited about learning.

Surround Them With Books

Books are a beautiful thing that can transport us to another world, inspire imagination and curiosity, and help us learn. When you surround your kiddos with books, not only will they be more motivated to read, but they will begin to realize how much they can learn from books. Take trips to the library and let them pick out some books that interest them. Read them together, talk about what you learn. This is a great way to not only help your child develop a love for learning, but reading as well! Books are a wonderful source of learning and knowledge, and with so many to pick from, your child is sure to find something that they enjoy and can learn from.

Provide Hands-On Experience

Hands-on experiences are not only a fun way to learn but they can help your child actually absorb what they are learning better. There are many ways to create hands-on experiences while learning. If your little one is learning to count, you can use any type of object, like buttons or blocks, and have them use those to help them count. If your child wants to learn something about science, try finding a fun science craft project online to do with them.

Providing your child with hands-on experiences can help them grasp the concept better and allow them to feel more confident in their learning. Get creative with hands-on experiences. If your kiddo is in the dinosaur phase, buy some toy dinosaurs or fake dinosaur bones and bury them in your sandbox, get them the tools to uncover the hidden fossils and help them learn about what it is like to be a paleontologist. Even something as simple as crafts is a great way to give your child hands-on experiences and help them learn!

Understand Their Learning Style

There are a variety of different learning styles and understanding your child’s will not only help you teach them but can make learning more enjoyable for them. While there are quizzes online that can help you determine your child’s learning style, you may be able to figure it out just by observing them.

The learning styles include:

• Visual Learning: Your child will be able to process information best when it is present in writing or images. Your child likely is very observant, has a good memory, and enjoys art if they are a visual learner.
• Auditory Learning: If your child is an auditory learner, it is likely that they like to hear information, are a good listener, follows directions well, have verbal strengths, and may have an aptitude for music.
• Kinesthetic Learning: These types of learners absorb information best through movement and touch. They likely count on their fingers, use hand gestures, like to do it themselves, and may excel in sports, dance, and other physical activities.

While it is likely that your child uses all of these methods to learn, there is one that is probably stronger than the others. By understanding the type of learner your child is, you can help make absorbing the information easier for them and make learning more fun.

Ask Questions

Asking your child questions is a great way to help them learn and get excited about what they are learning. If your child is reading a book about the ocean, ask them what the most interesting thing is that they learned, what sea creature is the most fascinating, or what type of creatures they think live at the bottom of the ocean. By asking the right questions, you can boost their interest, make them more excited to learn and discuss with you, and show them you are interested in what they are learning as well.

When you ask your child about school, try to avoid the basic “how was school today?” or “what did you learn” questions. These don’t inspire them to think or excite them. Instead, try something like “I heard you were learning about animals around the world. Which did you like learning about the best?” This type of question engages them, makes them think about what they learned, and allows them to discuss why they liked one thing more than others.

Have Discussions

Along with asking your kiddo questions about what they are learning, have discussions with them about different things. If you are driving with your child and see something that sparks your own curious thoughts, mention it to them and ask them what they think about it. Discuss the world, the way things work, and have intellectual conversations with your kiddo (ones that they can understand and contribute to). Having these types of discussions with your child can help to stimulate their mind and help them feel as though they have something important to say.

You can also have discussions with them about what they are learning in school. Let’s go back to the example of asking them what animal they like learning about the best. When they answer, start a discussion. Ask them what other animals they learned about, why the specific one caught their attention, share any information that you know about that animal, and have discussions about whatever they are learning. This is a fun way to engage with them and allow them to think and learn more.

Learn With Them

It is true that we learn something new every day, whether we realize it or not. And if you don’t think you learn anything new, children are a great resource for you! Not only can kids teach you fun things that they learned in school, but they also have curious minds. They may look at a duck swimming in a puddle in the middle of winter and wonder how they don’t get cold, while you may just look at a duck and not think twice about it. When your kiddo asks how the duck doesn’t get cold, don’t just shrug it off and say you don’t know. This is an opportunity to learn!

Instead, say “I am not sure, but let’s find out!” and then go home and do research with your kiddo. This will teach your child that even adults don’t know everything, you are constantly learning, and when you show an interest in learning new things, they will be more likely to develop a love for learning as well. This can be a fun way to bond with your child, learn new things, and keep their curious mind at its full potential as they age.

Show Your Own Love For Learning

While learning with your child is a great way to show them that you love learning, you can also demonstrate this by learning on your own. Pick up books that teach you about whatever interests you. Watch documentaries while you prepare dinner. Share interesting facts with your child that you just learned. By setting an example and showing them just how fantastic it is that we can constantly learn new things, you can help them develop a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

Helping your child develop a love for learning is not difficult, just be enthusiastic about learning yourself. And be sure to give them the best start to education possible by enrolling them at Growing Kids Learning Centers! We have locations throughout Indiana, allowing you to find a location close to home. Contact us today to learn more and start following these tips!

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At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we know how beneficial doing different activities with your kiddos can be! Not only does it get them moving, stimulate their minds, and get them away from the screen, but it is a great way to bond as well. We offer a variety of child care programs that allow your children to learn and develop new skills. Plus, we have a summer camp that allows children to spend time outside, take part in different activities, and make the most of summer!

In this blog, we are going to give you some ideas for some fun spring activities to do with your kiddos at home! Read on to learn more and be sure to enroll your children in our summer camp today!

Make an Outdoor Fort

Forts are always fun for children and can give them a place to hang out and play. While indoor forts are always a great idea, you can make your fort building even more exciting by building a fort outside!

Be sure to check the forecast to ensure that it won’t rain that day or for a few days after in case you want to leave the fort up. Use a tarp to lay on the ground and use as the floor of the fort. Try to find an old sheet that you no longer use and hang it from a tree, staple it to the fence, or throw it over a ladder to get the fort started. You can use the natural aspects of your yard to help you create a fort that is fun and unique.

Let your children play where they want the fort and how they want to build it. This will help them learn decision-making and problem-solving skills! Plus, it allows them to create an outdoor fort that includes their favorite natural aspects, whether it is a tree, a garden bench, or the soft green grass that covers your lawn.

Create a Fairy Garden

You may have seen fairy gardens in your neighborhood before. These gardens include small figurines of cottages, bridges, fairies, and other pieces to create a little fairy village. You can head to a local nursery or shop online to find some fun pieces to add to your fairy garden. It may be more fun to go to a nursery and have your children pick out the pieces they want to include.

If you don’t want to buy pieces for your fairy garden, you can also make some! Walk around your yard with your kiddos and gather pine cones, leaves, pine needles, old flower pots, and any other things that could be used for your fairy garden. Use your craft supplies to create different pieces and then head back outside to help your children set up their fairy garden. This can be a fun way to spend time outside and help your children enjoy nature more! Plus, they will be able to set up, rearrange, and move their fairy garden whenever they want.

Go On a Nature Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt for your kiddos to do in your backyard or when you are at the part together. Add things like bugs, birds, squirrels, flower buds, bird nests, and other natural aspects to the list for your kiddos to find. They will love running around and looking for these different things.

This is a great way to get outside and help your children get excited about nature. It will also cause them to actually look around and take in the beauty that is all around them. This is a great activity that can help keep your kiddos busy outside and running around for a while!

Start a Garden

Gardens can be a fun thing to do with your children and can be beneficial for a number of reasons, from teaching them how to grow their own food and patience to teaching them to care for something other than themselves. And the spring is the perfect time to start a garden!

Decide whether you want to grow a flower garden or a vegetable garden and take your kiddos to go pick out plants or seeds! This can be a fun project that will last all spring and summer long, giving your child something to look forward to and keep track of throughout the warmer month.

As the plants start to grow, your child will become even more excited and begin to learn more about plants and how amazing nature truly is. Plus, it can help them learn how to eat healthier if you choose to plant a veggie garden!

Make a Bike Course

A bike course can be a fun and unique way to spend time outside with your children! While riding bikes is fun for the whole family, a bike course can keep your children entertained for hours. Use chalk, cones, and other items you have in your garage to create a course in your driveway, on the sidewalk, and in the street (if it is safe).

You can either create a racetrack that is big enough for multiple children to ride around at the same time or just make it a fun course that they can take turns doing. Your kiddos will love working on their bicycling skills in their course and they can even throw on some rollerblades or use a scooter to go through the course! The best part is, if you make the course with chalk, you can make a new one after it rains or by simply hosing off the old course.

Make Bird Feeders

Bird feeders are a fun item to have in spring. They can invite all sorts of birds into your yard, which can be fun to watch and even more fun to listen to! While you can always go out and buy a bird feeder, making one with your child is even more fun!

Whether you make it out of wood, make-your-own bird feeder kit, or come up with some other creative way to make a feeder, this can be a fun activity to do with your kiddos that they will absolutely love. They will get excited every time a bird swoops down to enjoy the feeder they made!

These are a few of the many great spring activities that you and your children can do to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and spend more time together. If you are looking for something for your kiddo to do during the summer months, be sure to check out our summer camp program and enroll them today! Contact Growing Kids Learning Centers today to learn more and start planning some fun spring activities to do with your kids!

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At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we take every precaution to keep our school a safe and healthy place for your children to be! While we have always made this a part of our mission, we have added new COVID safety measures to ensure that we continue to provide a safe and healthy environment. We wanted to give parents some tips as well! In this blog, we are going to talk about some of the things you can do to help boost your child’s immune system. Read on to learn more and be sure to check out our programs today!

Focus On Sleep

Sleep is important for a number of different reasons. Not only can sleep help your child with their mood and alertness, but it can also boost their immune system. Sleep deprivation can make you more susceptible to illness because it reduces natural killer cells, which are the immune system’s defense against microbes and cancer cells. For this reason, it is important that you make sure your child is sleeping enough. Creating a bedtime schedule can help ensure that your kiddo is getting enough quality sleep and gives their immune system a fighting chance. If your child won’t go down for naps, try putting them to bed earlier so that they can get the proper amount of sleep every night.

Stay Active

Exercise is a great way for your family to stay in shape and healthy. While being active is important for a number of different reasons, especially for children, it can help to give their immune system a boost as well! Exercise increases the number of natural killer cells in children and adults, so being active as a family can help everyone stay as healthy as possible! Go for bike rides, walk around the neighborhood, play in the yard, shoot some hoops, and do any other activity that gets your family moving! This is also a great way to spend more time outside, which provides a number of benefits on its own!

Protect Against Germs

Protecting against germs is an obvious way to keep your children and family healthy and, while this doesn’t technically boost the immune system, it does help to reduce germs and stress on the immune system. Make sure that your kiddos are washing their hands regularly with soap. Ensuring that they are washing their hands before and after meals, after they are done playing outside, after they blow their nose or use the bathroom, and after arriving home from daycare can help to reduce their exposure to germs. It is also beneficial to keep wet wipes handy when you are out and about. These can help to quickly clean and wipe away germs.

Serve The Right Food

Food also plays a huge role in our overall health and immune system. Feeding your children the right foods can help keep them healthy and allow them to get the proper nutrients. Here is a list of some of the best immune-boosting foods and the benefits they offer.

Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and veggies are one type of food that every parent is always trying to get their child to eat more. While this may be a challenge to get your kiddo to eat their fruits and veggies, these foods are very beneficial. Many fruits and veggies contain carotenoids, which are phytonutrients that help boost the immune system. Phytonutrients may be able to increase the body’s production of infection-fighting white blood cells and interferon, which is an antibody that coats cell surfaces and helps block out viruses. Fruits and veggies also contain high levels of vitamin C, which can help protect your little one against colds and flu.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a tasty food that many kids love and can provide many benefits. Yogurt contains probiotics, which are living organisms that live in your gut and can improve the way your body uses the food you eat. Probiotics can also help your body fight off viruses and can lower the risk of colds, ear infections, and strep throat. However, when it comes to children, they may only want the yogurt that is packed full of sugar, which obviously won’t have the same benefits. Instead, try to get a flavored yogurt that is on the healthier side, and have your kiddos add some berries and granola to make it a fun and tasty treat for them!

Nuts

Nuts are another healthy snack that can help boost the immune system. Nuts contain proteins, minerals, and vitamins. They are rich in antioxidants, including omega fatty acids, zinc, and vitamin E. Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are great options for your kiddos and are easy to have on hand whenever your child gets hungry. Almonds contain vitamin E and manganese, which creates a strong immune-boosting duo that can help enhance natural killer cells. Walnuts have omega-3 fatty acids, which can help your body fight off illness. If your child doesn’t love munching on nuts, you can chop them up and add them to different snacks, such as yogurt, cereal, or make a trail mix!

Eggs

Eggs are a superfood and can provide a rich source of protein. Egg yolks contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which can help strengthen the immune system and protect your kiddos from viruses. Eggs also contain vitamin D, and are one of the only foods that naturally contain this vitamin. Vitamin D is great at protecting against illness.

These foods are only a few of the many beneficial foods that can help keep your kiddo healthy and strengthen their immune system. Try to find fun ways to make these foods something your children want to eat, we know how picky children can be when it comes to eating.

By following these tips, you can keep your child as healthy as possible. We know that children who attend child care are exposed to more germs, but we do everything we can to provide a safe and clean space for your kiddos to learn and grow. Growing Kids Learning Center has adopted extra COVID safety precautions to ensure that our facilities are clean and sanitized. You can learn more about our COVID safety measures here! Be sure to also check out our programs and contact us today to get your questions answered!

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At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we know that this year has been hard for you and your kiddos. We believe that by making the most of this holiday season, you can teach your children to focus on the good in a bad situation and how to stay positive no matter what. While your holiday celebration will look different this year, there are still so many things you can do to make it special and enjoy it as a family. In this blog, we are going to give you some ideas for how to make this holiday season a fun one! Read on to learn more and be sure to check out our programs!

Decorate Everything

If your family feels like the holidays don’t have the same warm and cozy feeling that they usually have, it is time to decorate! Nothing makes the holidays feel more like the holidays than a well-decorated home. If you haven’t already, get out your decorations and go crazy! Your kiddos will love decorating the home with their favorite festive decorations. This is not the year to hold back on your decorations, in fact, we think you should invest in some more! Decorating your home with an excessive amount of holiday decor can help you create the warm and cozy feeling that we all know and love.

Another fun way to decorate your home with your kiddos is to make some of your own decorations! Winter-themed crafts are a great way to add a special touch to your holiday decor and allow you to spend quality time with your children doing fun activities. From paper snowflakes to construction paper garland, you can decorate your home with fun crafts your kiddos make.

Bake Sweet Treats

Baking with your family is another fun way to celebrate the holiday season. Sweet treats are a major part of the holidays, and just because you can’t share them with all your friends and family members this year doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make them! Spend time each weekend baking something with your children. Not only is this a fun activity to do with your kiddos and a great way to celebrate the holidays, but baking is actually very beneficial for developing minds! This activity teaches them to follow directions, helps with language development, allows them to work on their counting skills, and so much more.

Start A New Tradition

The holidays are also a time for family traditions. While you may not be able to do some of your old traditions, you can always start new ones! Brainstorm some fun things that your family would enjoy doing that could become a fun holiday tradition, whether it is reading a holiday book near the fire, getting matching pajamas and watching movies all day long, or making new ornaments every year. While it can be difficult to plan a tradition, you can plan a bunch of different activities and see which one sticks. Maybe your family will love doing all of these activities so much that you suddenly have multiple new family traditions!

Enjoy Cheesy Holiday Movies

While there are some great holiday movies out there that most of us love, there are others that are quite cheesy. Instead of shying away from these cheesy holiday flicks, embrace them! Make a list of all the cheesy festive films your family wants to watch this season and make a schedule to watch them all! Make this family movie time extra-special by making hot cocoa, enjoying some popcorn, and building a fort. Be sure to throw in some classic films as well so that your children can enjoy the holiday movies that you grew up watching! This is a fun way to share a piece of your childhood with your kiddos and it could help bring back some special holiday memories for you.

Meet With Family Virtually

The holiday season is meant to be spent with family, and while you may not be able to physically see family this year, you always can plan virtual meetings! Plan a time to video chat with your parents so that your kiddos can see their grandparents and talk to them throughout the season. This is a fun way to meet with family and can help everyone feel more together. This can be a great time for your little ones to show their grandparents the holiday crafts they have made, their favorite ornament, and any other fun things they want to show off.

Make Holiday Sweaters

Ugly holiday sweaters are something many people love and one way to celebrate this holiday season is to make your own with your kiddos! Simply buy some plain sweaters or sweatshirts in any color, buy some holiday craft supplies and a hot glue gun, and start decorating! This can be a fun way to make this year’s ugly sweater even more special and meaningful and it is a fun activity to do with your family. You can wear your homemade ugly holiday sweaters in family photos to really capture the memory!

Make Gifts

We know that the pandemic has put some families in a financially hard place. Everything is stressful enough as it is, the last thing you should do is stress about the holidays and gifts. Instead, make this year about making gifts! This can be a fun way to put more thought and time into your family’s gifts and can become a fun family tradition. Plus, your kids can get in on the action as well! While kids do not often take part in the gift-giving part of the holidays, when you make gifts, they can participate. They will be so excited to give someone a gift that they made! Even if it is a popsicle stick picture frame with a photo of them in it, they will be excited to give this special gift that they put time and effort into.

While this holiday season is not going to be the same as previous years, there are still so many reasons and fun ways to celebrate! Your kiddos will appreciate that you are still trying to make the holiday season special for the whole family and they will learn to take the same positive approach to life, which is a great life lesson to teach your kiddos at a young age — just because things aren’t going how you had hoped doesn’t mean you can’t make the most out of the situation you are in.

If you are looking for a child care center, be sure to check out Growing Kids Learn Centers! We offer a variety of great programs that can help your kiddos learn and develop new skills. Contact us today. We hope you have a safe, happy, and fun holiday season with your family!

The post How to Make The Holiday Season Special This Year appeared first on Growing Kids Learning Center.

A daily routine can help your child know what to expect from day-to-day and provide comfort when big changes occur in their life. At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we know that daily routines can be beneficial for your child for a variety of reasons. If you want to help your toddler have an easier time with day-to-day activities, developing a regular daily routine can help! The earlier you start developing a routine for your child, the better. Learn the benefits and start implementing a routine today!

Gets Them On a Schedule

When you wake up at a specific time, take naps at a specific time, and go to bed at a specific time, our bodies get on a schedule that helps make sticking to this routine easier. When you create a routine and stick to it, you can help boost your child’s ability to take naps and sleep better at night, ensure they eat fuller meals, get to enjoy time outside, and know when they should be calm and relaxed during the day. By getting your child on a schedule like this, it will be easier for you to take care of them. Their body will know that bedtime is soon and they will begin to get sleepy, allowing them to fall asleep easier.

Sets Expectations

When you introduce a routine into your household, you set expectations for your child. They will know what they can expect throughout the day and be prepared for it. This can help to eliminate the fuss when the time comes for them to clean up their toys or get ready for bed. When your child knows what to expect, they will have an easier time accepting that they have to clean up their toys at the end of the day and begin to do it without throwing a fit about it.

When your child knows the routine and what you expect of them and when, they will be more likely to follow these expectations, making it easier for both of you to go about your day peacefully with fewer struggles and tantrums.

Allows For Regular Family Time

In today’s hectic world, it can be hard to find time to spend quality time as a family. Routines can help you establish certain times when the family will be together and enjoy each other’s company, even if it is as brief as eating breakfast together on the weekends. When you create a routine that includes family time, your child will be able to start understanding the importance of family time and look forward to these moments together. Bonding as a family is important for you and your child and developing a daily routine can help ensure that you do spend quality time together and show your child what is truly important.

Gives Your Child Independence

A routine is a great way to teach your child independence. Since they know what they should be doing at certain times of the day, they will begin to do those things themselves. If your child knows that they are supposed to pick up their toys after dinner and before taking a bath, they will begin to do so without you having to ask or supervise day after day. This teaches your child independence, which is beneficial for your toddler to begin learning at a young age. This can help build confidence and allows them to learn how to make their own decisions, like when they dress themselves in the morning.

Establishes Healthy Habits

A routine can help to establish healthy habits that your children can continue following as they grow up and rely less and less on you. Things like eating breakfast, brushing their teeth before bed, and going to bed on time can teach them important and healthy habits. Even having your child pick up their toys at a certain time every day and to complete their homework in the evening teaches them important and helpful life skills, like that keeping a clean place is important and allows them to learn better time management. With a routine, you can help them develop habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

These are a few of the many benefits that routines can provide your children! If you are looking for a high-quality child care center that works with routines, contact Growing Kids Learning Centers today!

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Don’t worry! Growing Kids Learning Centers has your back. We know how much kids love holidays, especially when they get a bag full of candy at the end of it. We came up with some unique, fun, and safe activities you can do with your kiddos in order to celebrate Halloween! While your children may still be bummed about not going trick-or-treating, you can still help them have a good time and celebrate in a unique way.

In this blog, we are going to go over some ideas to help parents avoid the trick-or-treating meltdown. Read on for some fun ideas that you can do with your kiddos this Halloween!

Indoor Trick-or-Treating

Just because you can’t go house to house trick-or-treating doesn’t mean your kiddos can’t go room to room! Decorate the doors in your home with fun Halloween decorations. Add fake spider webs, pumpkins, and anything else to give your doors a fun and spooky look. Have your kiddo go from door to door trick-or-treating in your own home! To make this even more fun, invite family friends over. The adults and older kids can all have their own door and the little kids can trick-or-treat at each one! This is a fun way for your child to still be able to do this fun Halloween activity while staying safe.

Costume Fashion Show

Costumes are another big reason why kiddos love Halloween. Who doesn’t love dressing up like someone or something else? Let your child pick out a costume this year even though the celebration will likely look different. Instead of them wearing this costume during trick-or-treating (although they can still wear it while indoor trick-or-treating), do a costume fashion show! You can even have them dress up in some of their play dress-up clothing to put on a real fashion show and show off a few costumes before revealing their new costume for this year! Parents and older children are welcome and encouraged to participate but anyone who doesn’t want to participate can be the judge of the fashion show, and the reward can obviously be more candy!

Bake Halloween Themed Goodies

Baking is another fun way to celebrate this spooky holiday with your children. There are so many unique and fun things you can make that your kiddos will absolutely love. Plus, baking is an extremely beneficial activity for your children and can help them develop their math skills, learn how to follow directions, teaches them patience, and so much more. Whether you make Rice Krispie treats with orange food coloring to make little pumpkins or you make white chocolate covered fruit and turn them into ghosts, there are many great Halloween themed baked goods and treats that you can make with your kiddo! You can find a ton of spooky recipes to try just by searching online. You could even let each of your children pick their favorite and make them all!

Do The Monster Mash

Dance with your kiddos to Halloween themed songs like the Monster Mash. Create a playlist of kid-friendly spooky songs and put them on to have a dance party. This can be fun to listen to while baking your spooky treat or while doing some crafts! Making a playlist with these Halloween songs can be a fun way for you and your children to enjoy the Halloween season.

Jack O’Lanterns and Pumpkin Painting

Going to a pumpkin patch is a fun Halloween tradition for many families. Bring your kiddos to a pumpkin patch to have them pick out a pumpkin to decorate at home. Whether you make Jack o’lanterns out of them or paint them, this is an easy way to enjoy some Halloween festivities. Carving pumpkins is a fun tradition, but if your children are younger, painting them is a great alternative. You can have them paint faces on them to keep the Jack o’lantern look or you can let them paint them with a unique design or color. Then you can display these pumpkins in the front of your house!

Try Some Halloween Crafts

Crafting is one activity that children love no matter what season it is! Doing fun Halloween crafts can make celebrating this spooky season even more exciting. Just like the Halloween baked treats, there are a ton of spooky crafts that you and your kiddos to make, from cotton ball ghosts to toilet paper roll monsters. Make a variety of Halloween crafts and decorate your home with them! Your kids will love doing these spooky crafts with you and can help you all celebrate the spooky holiday.

Even if you don’t get to bring your kiddos trick-or-treating this year, there are still so many fun ways to celebrate Halloween. Make this year extra special by trying all of these activities with your kiddos. We know they will love it!

At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we offer a variety of programs that can help your children develop new skills, learn, and grow! Be sure to check out our programs today and contact us with any questions you may have.

The post Unique Ways To Celebrate Halloween With Your Children This Year appeared first on Growing Kids Learning Center.

At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we know how hectic life can get and how special family time is. We encourage you to spend some time with your children to celebrate summer and enjoy some family time. Our schools are open and we are taking certain safety measures to help keep your kiddos healthy during this time. To learn more, be sure to check out our COVID safety measures and contact us with any questions you may have. Read on for some fun activity ideas to end summer!

Play With Water

Kids love playing with water and there is only so much time left in the year to do so. Whether you have a water balloon fight, run through the sprinklers, or take a day trip to Lake Michigan, your child will love one last day of water-filled fun before the weather gets too chilly. A day trip to Lake Michigan can be a fun way to spend a day with the family. You can pack a picnic, bring some toys and games to play if they get tired of swimming, and enjoy a day outside with your little ones. Before the weather starts dropping, ask your children what fun water activity they want to do, and make it happen!

Bike For a Treat

Riding your bikes to get ice cream is a great way to spend a beautiful, warm day. Riding bikes and eating ice cream are two things you will likely not be doing soon, so better add those to the list of activities to do before summer ends! While your children may not enjoy riding their bikes for too long, they will certainly enjoy the sweet treat at the end of the ride. Find a nearby ice cream shop to bike to and enjoy a little treat before biking home. This will be a full day activity that can become a fun family tradition. If you don’t have an ice cream shop nearby, drive to one and walk around the town while you eat it. Or bring your bikes with and find a nearby bike path or park to ride around. Just remember to bring your masks!

Have a Picnic

Picnics may seem like a lot of work, but kiddos really love the idea of eating outside on the ground. There is so much simple joy in a picnic and it can be a great way to bond as a family. Pack a lunch, picnic blanket, some outdoor games and toys, and head to a park or a field. Don’t rush it, spend a few hours enjoying the sun, grass, and time with the family. This is also a great time for you to disconnect and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Leave your phone in the car or mute your notifications so you aren’t tempted to check your work email. Trust us, your kids will be grateful for your full attention.

Play Outside

Another simple joy that children love is playing outside. This could include a variety of different activities. From kicking a soccer ball back and forth to playing pretend in the backyard to playing a game of tag, there are so many activities that you can do with your kiddos. If your children can decide on one thing to play, do it all! Let each child pick one thing to play and spend an hour or so playing each, or save something for the next day. Your kids will love it when you join in and play with them. Playing outside is a simple way to stay entertained, enjoy the great outdoors, and spend the last few weeks of warm weather.

Watch the Stars

While this may break their bedtime schedule for a day, it will be worth it. Drive out to a more secluded area and enjoy the sight of the stars for a while. Watching the stars can stimulate your child’s imagination and boost their creativity. Plus, it is a great way to help them appreciate nature and the world around them. Bring some blankets, snacks, and a telescope if you have one, and head out into the dark night to enjoy the sparkling stars. If you make this a tradition, it will become a memory that your child will love and cherish for the rest of their lives. To keep them even more interested, print out some fun star facts or download a night sky app that shows you constellations, and teach them something fun about space and the night sky.

There are so many fun activities that you and your kiddos can try that will help your end summer the right way. Be sure to do at least one of these activities before the weather gets too cold. But we encourage you to do them all. We know your children will love them, but you may even gain something for these activities as well!

If you are looking for a great early childhood learning center, be sure to check out Growing Kids Learning Centers. We have locations in South Bend, Elkhart, Valparaiso, Goshen, Chesterton, Plymouth, and Warsaw! Contact us today with any questions and enjoy the rest of summer with your kiddos!

The post Fun Activities to End Summer With appeared first on Growing Kids Learning Center.

At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we offer a variety of programs for young children. In these programs, your child will learn a ton of different skills, including independent play. With many parents working at home right now, teaching your child how to play independently can be extremely beneficial. But even when the world goes back to normal, this is a great skill for your child to have. It allows you to make dinner, clean, or do any other task without needing to play with them.

In this blog, we wanted to give you some tips for teaching your child to play independently.

Play With Them

In order to teach your child to play by themselves, you need to start by playing with them. While kiddos love to play, they are not born knowing how to play. When you stick your toddler in front of a box of blocks, they are not going to know what to do with it. Teach your child how to play. Sit on the floor with them, play with blocks, dolls, action figures, or whatever other toys they may have. Teach them how to use the toys, manipulate the play dough, and build with blocks. When you teach them how to play and play with them, they can learn how to play when you aren’t around.

Toys With No Purpose

If you want your children to play independently, you will want to give them the right toys. Giving them toys with a purpose can make it difficult for them to play for a long time by themselves. Choosing toys that your child can play with alone, with you or another child, or even next to another child is a good place to start. Stuff like blocks, play dough, art supplies, and LEGOs are all great options. These types of toys will allow your child to play for a while and develop their motor skills at the same time.

Create a Play Area

Creating a designated play area can help as you teach your child to play independently. Your child will begin to learn that in this area, they are allowed to play and use all their different toys. This area could be their bedroom, in the basement, or in an area of the house that you don’t mind toys being. If you have younger kids who may still need your supervision, having their play area near where you are working can work as well. Set up a play mat or a table that they can play at while you cook, work, or do whatever you need to get done. Make sure they have a variety of toys and activities to keep them entertained and busy.

Slowly Pull Away

As we already mentioned, to teach your child to play independently you need to start by playing with them. As they begin to enjoy playing and understand how they can use their different toys, you can start to slowly pull away from playtime and allow them to play alone for short periods of time. You can start by telling them to keep playing while you go make a call, or start working on dinner. If your child is having a hard time with you leaving, you can try using a timer so that they know you will be back in a certain amount of time. Have them play for five minutes on their own, if the timer goes off and they are playing alone just fine, you can stay away a bit longer. Eventually, go back and start playing with them again. If they think that you will never come back, they will not want to play alone again. Over time, you can stay away for longer periods and allow them to continue to play as long as possible.

Encourage Them to Play Alone

As your child begins to play alone, you can help them continue to improve this skill by encouraging them to go play alone. If you are about to start dinner and they want you to play with them, tell them to go start to play on their own and that you will join them in a bit. This is different than slowly pulling away from their playtime because in this case, they are initiating the independent play and you are joining them later, rather than simply pulling yourself from the situation. By encouraging them to go play alone before you join them, they will likely begin to do it on their own without you

Celebrate It

If you catch your child playing alone without you encouraging them or having to play with them to get them started, be sure to celebrate it and tell them that they are doing a good job. When you celebrate your child’s good behaviors and habits, they will be more likely to continue that behavior.

These are some tips that you can use to help teach your child to play independently. For some children, teaching them this skill may be easier than it is for others, but eventually, you should be able to help them get there. This is a great skill for your child to learn and be able to do whether you are working at home or not. Be sure to learn more about our programs and contact Growing Kids Learning Centers today!

The post How to Teach Your Child to Play Independently appeared first on Growing Kids Learning Center.

At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we offer child care programs that help young kids learn and grow. Our programs include everything from infant care to preschool and after-school care. We know that young kids, starting at infancy, are observing and learning on a daily basis. While our staff can help your child learn and develop the skills they need at each stage in their early lives, there are ways you can help them learn as well!

In this blog, we are going to give you some ideas for how to teach your child at home and help them continue to learn during this strange time!

Read to Them

No matter how young your child is, reading to your child can help them develop language skills. In a previous blog, we talked about the benefits of reading to your kids. Not only does it give you something to do together, but it can improve their literacy skills, promote a longer attention span, stimulate imagination, expose them to language, and more. Reading to your child is extremely beneficial and can help them develop a variety of new skills.

Try to read to your child every day, even if it is right before bedtime. As they begin to learn to read, you can also have them read to you to help develop their language skills even more.

Make Them Read

This time we aren’t talking about books. To help your child continue working on their language skills and begin to realize that everything has a name and words are everywhere, have them read everything. When you walk down the street, have them read street signs. Have them read the back of the cereal box. Any time you see a word that they know or can sound out, have them read it.

This is a great way to help them connect items to their names and find meaning in different words. They will also be able to begin to understand that language is a regular part of everyday life.

If your child cannot quite read yet, you can have them point out letters that they recognize and tell you what sound it makes. Just because your kiddo has not started to read, it does not mean that they can’t benefit from this as well!

Label Items

Another way to help them with their language skills is to label the items in your home. Think of a preschool classroom — many teachers have the items throughout the classroom labeled so that children can begin to read those words and understand that these words are connected to the object.

Label the lamp, clock, closet, doors, windows, oven, bookshelf, toy box, chairs, couches, and anything else in your home. While your house might look silly for a while, with everything labeled, it can help your child learn. They will be able to go around the house reading each label and understanding exactly what that word is.

Make Them Count

Just like making them read random words you see throughout your day, you should also make them count! When you see a group of anything — could be ducks, flowers, chocolate chips, or toys — ask them to count how many they see. This can help them learn their numbers and begin to count to higher numbers.

This can also help them realize that even though the ducks may be walking around, there are still only five. Children may try to count a duck twice because it walks somewhere else in the group. Help them learn that just because they moved to different spots doesn’t mean there are suddenly more! As your child begins to feel more confident with their counting skills, they will start counting things that they see in groups, even without your prompting them.

Do Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts are not only fun and a great way to keep your kiddos entertained, but they can also be beneficial for your little ones. Arts and crafts require fine motor skills, which is something that children develop at a young age. Fine motor skills include the ability to mold playdough, draw with a pencil, paint with a paintbrush, and other tasks that involve small hand movements. Doing crafts with your kids allows them to develop these skills and have fun doing it!

Crafts are also beneficial for children because this activity allows them to be creative. Creativity is something you should always encourage in your children. It can help boost their imagination, improve problem-solving skills, and boosts confidence. Giving your child a creative outlet can be very beneficial for their development and growth and crafting is a great way to do that!

Play Games

Playing games with your child can teach them a variety of different things. While there are number and letter games that help them with, well, numbers and letters, other games can be extremely beneficial as well. Playing matching games can help them with a variety of things. These types of games can improve concentration, increase short term memory, boost attention to detail, help to notice similarities in objects, and so much more. Matching games are a great way to help your child learn and develop new skills.

As your child gets a little older, start playing board games with them. Board games can help your child learn to follow directions, take turns, and teaches them about sportsmanship. Games are fun to play with your kiddos, but they can also be very beneficial for their growth and development.

Explore the Outdoors

Learning doesn’t also have to be about numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. Learning can be about experiences and exploring. Go explore the great outdoors with your child. Whether you head into your back yard or walk a nearby trail. Ask your child what they see, what they notice, what sounds they hear, what smells they smell. Make them notice their senses. Get up close to trees to examine the bark. Lay in the grass to see a ladybug crawling up a blade of grass.

Getting outside and allowing your child to explore nature and follow their interests is a great way to help them learn about the world around them.

Answer Questions

Kids ask a lot of questions and while it can be annoying at times, this is how they learn and it is important to answer their questions. When your child reaches the why phase, giving them answers can help them understand how things work and what is going on in the world around them. They will be able to learn when you answer these questions.

If they ask a question that you do not know the answer to, learn it together! Search the internet for the answer and talk about it with your child. You may learn something new yourself as well!

There are many ways to help your child learn at home, and they don’t have to be as time-consuming and difficult as sitting down and trying to teach them an actual lesson. Simply add these mini “lessons” into your regular daily routine and help your child learn, grow, and develop while at home. When life goes back to normal, be sure to check out Growing Kids Learning Centers. We have locations in South Bend, Elkhart, Valparaiso, Goshen, Chesterton, Plymouth, and Warsaw! This makes it easy for you to find a location near you. Contact us with any questions you may have and start working with your child at home!

The post Simple Ways to Teach Your Toddlers At Home appeared first on Growing Kids Learning Center.