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Child Basics Archive Page
Saturday, March 29, 2008
 The wonderful thing about pretend play is that it has uses far beyond just having fun. Pretend play is valuable because it stimulates and exercises children's minds to come up with creative scenarios for the toys at hand and also if there is a group of children, learning to participate in group activities and group play are all skill building activities that your children will use all the way into adulthood. Even the most basic of life skills - cooking- can become a fun playtime activity for your kids. Talk to your kids about basic safety. Hot things burn, don't leave food out, wash hands before cooking so you don't spread germs and let them test out their cooking techniques in their very own kitchen.The KidKraft Kitchen has left no detail out. There is an oven, a stove top, a sink a microwave and a fridge with a freezer. Additionally there is a cupboard for bowls and glasses and a cupboard below for cooking utensils. Your kids can have a blast playing out every scenario from playing "house" to being Rachel Ray and creating a 30-minute meal on her own cooking show - this set will stretch as far as your child's imagination! Labels: boys, educational toys, girls, learning-toys, pretend-play, toy kitchens
by: Child Basics
Thursday, March 27, 2008
 Is one of your children "the shy one"? It's not uncommon for have three children and have each of them have personalities that are night and day. It's also not uncommon to have one child that is an extreme extrovert and another that is much more introspective. Your shy child may not actually be too shy at all, it may rather be a case that he or she lacks the confidence to call a lot of attention to themselves that way your other kids do. The secret is find their special ability that lets that child shine as brightly on their own - you'll watch your "shy one" blossom into a confident youngster that doesn't mind being the center of attention, even if they don't get there as loudly as their other siblings. Explore ArtWithin many a shy child is a very brilliant young mind. Explore art together, remind your child whatever they create doesn't need to look like a photograph but rather it's a view of the world through the artist's eye. Show them different artists such as Monet that looks like a mess up close with all those little dots of paint however from a distance, the dots form detailed imagery. Create a special place to do art together - having a regular place to create will also relax your child so he or she can do their best and enjoy exploring art with you. Try Out SportsIt doesn't mean running off and joining the T-ball team. Instead try some one on one sports so you can work on catching, throwing, kicking and other physical activities. Praise your child mightily when he really tries his best even if 9 out of 10 of the kicks he made went elsewhere, the idea is to help him learn to do it well and find confidence within himself. BrainGrowersIf your shy one isn't into sports and really doesn't take to art, let him wow you with his mind. Many shy ones have outstanding abilities for reading and seeing details in books that others miss. Make some time to sit down every day and read a book together and then talk about. Your shy one's insights will be intriguing. Those are just a few ways to coax your shy one out of their shell and help them bloom! Labels: boys, girls, pretend-play
by: Child Basics
Saturday, March 22, 2008
 When you go to purchase toys for your kids or grandkids, did you notice how many of the toys now basically have so many lights, components and gadgets that the toys basically play for the kids? Many toys simply invite a child to sit back and watch a video display or lights as a form of play. These types of toys may be enjoyable - for a while but they don't fire up young imaginations or invite the child to think creatively. You can change that with a one simple addition to your child's toys. A train set is a marvelous toy that has limitless possibilities for play. Your child may not have had the opportunity to ride a train beyond the little one at the park or zoo, but he or she will love playing with their own train set and making up imaginary destinations. Melissa and Doug have put together a 130-piece train set that is nothing short of fabulous. The track can be assembled any way your child likes as each piece simple locks in with another. Make simple looping tracks or make something more elaborate - your only limitation is your imagination! If you'd like to have a toy around that encourages group play - again this is a great choice. Each child can take a different role for running their own railroad and it's a wonderful way to get kids to jumpstart their creative juices and make up their own scenarios for where the train is going and where it has been. Labels: boys, educational toys, girls, learning-toys, pretend-play, toddler, toddler toys, trains
by: Child Basics
Thursday, March 20, 2008
 It will happen somewhere between being a baby and the earning the much coveted "Big Kid" title, your toddler will gain a lot of independence and want to do as much as possible on his own. And for a lot of those things, you should let him but he'll still need a little help. Although he may not be potty trained yet and he may not be able to do a lot of things for himself, small children are very eager to help. If you're picking up toys, don't look at it as a chore you have to do by yourself. If your child is able to understand simple requests such as "Help Mommy pick up the toys and put them in the basket" then you will have a very happy helper for many things you do around the house. It is also good for little ones to learn early to put up toys before they get new ones out. Good habits for putting up items can be instilled early on in this fashion. Another great way to let your toddler feel more independent is to let him do certain tasks on his own. When it comes time wash his hands before dinner. Get him a step stool and show him how to put water on his hands and then soap and wash his hands. Explain why we wash our hands before meals and show him how to rinse off all the soap. Stand by as he does it and expect a little mess at first but soon he'll have the hang of it. You can also let him use his step stool for learning to brush his teeth by himself too. If you're in the kitchen, let him stand by as you rinse dishes and either put them in the dishwasher or even better wash and dry the dinner dishes and give him a plastic cup to dry. He will feel like a very big kid if you let your toddler help with things around the house. Children also can use their step stools to sit on when reading and for a myriad of fun pretend play games. The only limit is their imaginations! Labels: boys, furniture, girls, toddler
by: Child Basics
Saturday, March 15, 2008
 Want a toy that will keep your preschooler interested and also expand his mind with hours of fun pretend play? Look no further than the magic Melissa and Doug have dreamed up. Made especially for the 3-years old and up crowd, the fun toy cars included in this set are a police car, school bus, fire truck, ambulance, mail truck and of course, the all important ice cream truck. Along with these vehicles are signs that your child will learn from. Handicapped parking sign, do not enter, no U-turns, railroad crossing, speed limit 55, one way sign, cross walk and yield. Talk to your child about what the signs mean and make up scenarios with him about how they work. Let one of your vehicles, like the mail truck run through a stop sign, go up a "do not enter" street and may even make a U-turn in front of the sign that reads, "no U-turns". Then ask your child which vehicle would be the proper one to talk to the mail truck and let him know that he isn't driving safely by following the signs? Let your child guess until he chooses the police car and explain to him what the roll of each of the trucks are and then let his imagination run wild. He can set up his own roads complete with signs, save kittens from trees with the firetruck, deliver million dollar checks with his mail truck and take the school bus to the ice cream truck for a real treat for everyone. Don't be surprised after playing with this set if your child starts telling you what the signs mean as you're driving along! Labels: learning-toys, pretend-play, toddler toys, toy cars
by: Child Basics
Thursday, March 13, 2008
 Teaching your kids the basics, colors, shapes patterns and developing their fine motor skills would be such a bore if you got out a big pad of paper with shapes on it every day and pointed with a big stick and said, "This is a red square, this is a blue circle, this is...." You get the idea. However, you know the studies indicate children easily learn and retain knowledge gained through play. So making those lessons fun will mean your kids will learn their shapes, colors and you can even practice math with your kids using just one simple game. Lacing beads aren't a new idea. In ages past they were made out of simple carved wood and were just beads of various shapes that your child strings onto a long string or lace. The wooden beads would usually get turned into something along the lines of a mini-weapon once some kids discovered they could swing the loaded lace and really whack some things or their beading partner sitting next to them. The stringing beads of today are made of soft, non-toxic foam and even if your child is the bolo-master with his string of beads - he won't be able to hurt anyone or anything as the beads are soft as can be! Also after you learn shapes and colors (an easy way is to say, "Hand me the blue square or would you like the red circle bead?") and then you can say,"How many blue squares do we have left" and let your child count - this is an easy way to teach your child to count objects and he'll effortlessly learn the beginnings of math. Learning can be fun, interesting and safe for all. Make sure your child plays with age appropriate toys and join in the fun - you'll watch your child learn at lightning speed. Labels: educational toys, hand eye coordination for kids, lacing beads, toddler toys
by: Child Basics
Saturday, March 8, 2008
It's never easy when your relationship breaks up and it's even more difficult when you have young children that really aren't quite old enough to understand that Mommy and Daddy don't live together anymore. However the basics for making the road to healing easier are to agree not to argue or "discuss" any personal issues in front of your kids and never use your kids against each other. Then for your kids themselves, if there will be weekend visitations, use this time to make it fun for your kids to go to Daddy's house. Your little girl may be a little unsure about going away for a weekend but assure her that it will be fun to spend time her Dad and you're only a phone call away. A special toy and a special duffel bag of her own to take with her on the weekend trips will make it enjoyable too. Children feel secure when they know what to expect and letting your child have the same bag and a favorite stuffed toy to take along and also something to do on her own such as a coloring book and crayons will go along way to making her feel okay about her first weekend away from home. Use the same bag and let her choose her clothes (you may have to help her go over some of her choices in clothes for the weekend as shorts probably won't do in December); but this will help her feel secure and also develop a sense of independence. Labels: boys, girls, toddler
by: Child Basics
Thursday, March 6, 2008
As you know, study after study has been done that shows the earlier you begin reading to your child, the more of a love of words he or she will develop and retain throughout their lives. This is a marvelous foundation for all future learning and not only is a wonderful way to spend quality time with your child, it's also a great way to expand your child's mind. Many mommies-to-be read to their babies in utero and there's evidence that babies do listen as their mother reads. As your children grow you'll begin to hear, "let's read a story" and "how about a bedtime story?" on a very frequent basis. Your children will have favorite books that you will wind up reading over and over and they will never see to tire of hearing about "4 Pups and a Worm" or "Go Dog Go". Many children start to memorize the stories and soon they are "reading" right along with you. Some parents read part of a sentence and let their child finish - it's a fun way to practice memory skills while you're spending time together. Although memorization isn't reading, your little one will think he's being slick by reciting what he remembers and actually it's a great way for your child to remember word patterns which is the first step to reading. Make books easy to get to for your child. A bookshelf that is your child's height is a marvelous way to keep the books within easy reach as well as easy to put up and teach organization skills. A circus themed bookcase to a fun doll house that will hold books will make reading and putting up the books fun to do. Labels: boys, furniture, girls
by: Child Basics
Saturday, March 1, 2008
 Keeping one child stimulated and learning can be a real challenge, if you have decided to begin keeping children in your home or it's simply your turn to host the play date, it can be intimidating at the thought of keeping an entire group of kids entertained. Actually, it's not that hard. Actually the majority of children play very well in group play situations and that in and of itself is a wonderful learning experience as it teaches kids to get along, respect the opinions of others and taking turns. All of these things are necessary to get along in life. If you'd prefer that the kids didn't spend the entire time watching DVD's and/or playing video games; you'll find that pretend play is still pretty high on the list of fun activities for most kids and why not make it something the kids can collaborate on? A pretend play kitchen can have them playing "Iron Chef" in your living room. Another fun pastime that you'll remember from your own childhood is the fun of a simple puppet show. Invest in your own puppet theater you'll find that you have opened up an entirely new world to this group of kids. They will be inspired to act out stories they've heard and stories yet to be told. If you have a digicam that hooks up to the television, let the kids "broadcast" their puppet show, sing songs and you'll see levels of creativity happening that will be impressive. So don't feel overwhelmed, instead look at all the fun and mind expansion you can give the kids and you'll look forward to those days when it's your turn to host the play date! Labels: boys, girls, pretend-play, toddler
by: Child Basics
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