The Importance of Art and Children

At Goddard we often make art the focus of activities and creativity in the classroom. You might think that art itself is the subject of lessons but, art offers other opportunities for teachable moments.

You can expand the lessons of art outside of the classroom by visiting museums and reading old art history textbooks with your children. Not only will they learn an appreciation of masterpieces, they will also learn the following:

· Counting – play games with your children to count the number of paintings containing a specific color to teach counting

· Shapes –point out shapes that can be found hidden in the paintings and sculpture

· Colors – teach the names of colors and the concepts of shadings and texture through photography, paintings and other forms of art.

· Observation – I spy helps make a day at the museum even more fun.

· Computer skills – go online with your children to tour the most prestigious museums and see world class art all around the world with the click of a button. Let them use the mouse to navigate through endless art collections.

Visit and support your local art museum. Many museums offer ½ price days so that you won’t break the budget on admission. Try a family membership that will let you access multiple museums throughout the year.

Children and Pets

By Sue Adair

Pets enrich the lives of many children and families. While children raised with pets show many benefits, safety concerns should always be a determining factor when deciding to get or keep a pet in a family with young children.

Choose wisely from breeds or species that are a good fit for your family, your home and your lifestyle. Behavior, temperament, excitability, patience and size are important characteristics to consider in a child-friendly pet that your little one can help care for. Pets should be free of disease and regularly checked by a veterinarian. Family allergies should also be taken into account. Young children should always be supervised during their interactions with pets. Animals can be easily harmed or provoked to attack if hit, poked or grabbed by young children. Children must be taught to play gently with pets and to keep their distance when an animal is eating, sleeping or caring for their young.

Involved parents, planning and open discussion are necessary in order for a family pet to be a positive experience. Young children can help with pet care, but can’t be completely responsible. They may only be able to help you with a few small tasks when feeding, cleaning or grooming your pet. For example, your child can join you when walking the dog, but certainly shouldn’t walk the dog alone. Allow your child to help care for the family pet in small, safe ways and always under adult supervision.

There are many benefits to children raised with pets. Positive relationships with pets can encourage children to love and trust others. Bonding with a pet can also help young children develop non-verbal communication, compassion and empathy. Caring for pets teaches children responsibility and respect. Both children and animals need exercise and pets are great playmates and a fun way to add physical activity into a child’s day. A pet’s life span can also provide parents the opportunity to teach life lessons about reproduction, birth, illness, loss and death.

For more information: http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/

Talking to Your Kids about Tragedy

With the tragedy that has happened in Japan in the past few weeks, it’s easy for your child to see images that make them upset or prompt them to ask difficult questions. For young children, it’s hard to comprehend tragedy and this can lead to a strong emotional response.

Here are some tips from experts on how you can help your child deal with tragedy.

• Tell your child that it’s ok to ask questions. This provides an outlet for your child’s fear and it can tell you how much they already know.
• Answer your child with honest answers that are appropriate for their age. Be honest, but be mindful not to scare them. Try sticking to the facts rather than focusing on the emotional aspects of the tragedy.
• It may be tempting to keep your TV tuned to CNN all day, but try to limit TV and radio exposure with preschoolers and toddlers.
• Reassure your child. Make them feel as safe as possible and let them know that you are watching over and protecting them.
• Focus on the overwhelming, international help that’s being given to those in need.

For children having difficulty dealing with tragedy you can seek the help of a professional. Your pediatrician is always a great place to start

Goddard Summer Camp

I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s that time of year to start to make plans for your child’s summer camps. Make sure you register early so you can reserve you child’s spot in our exciting and fun summer camp here at Goddard.

Beyond summer camp: Goddard’s summer program blends fun, adventure and learning for your child's best summer yet.

Delight your child with our unique FLEX Learning Program™ summer program activities, where play and educational opportunities abound!

Most summer camps for kids offer plenty of play. But how many prepare your child for school while creating joyful, lasting summer memories? The Goddard School® goes far beyond just summer camp fun. Our summer program combines songs, stories, exploration, physical activities and learning adventures in a safe, nurturing environment. Science and Nature, Arts and Crafts, Manners, Computers and Technology, Literature and Language, Music and Movement, Sports and Games, Cooking and Drama are brought to life. Tour The Goddard Summer Program now.

• Amazing Animals: March into summer with an animal parade, an arctic adventure, and farm and forest visits.

• Hooray for the USA: Your child will learn about the great United States.

•Leap into Literature: Seven children's book authors are featured, with each 'chapter' exploring several books in fun new ways.

• Let's Go Exploring: From the bright lights of the big city to sandy beaches, your child investigates all sorts of phenomena.

• Mysterious Minds: Our adventures in science start with a "Blast-off to Summer."

• Passport Around the World: Learn about Italy, Israel, Australia, Mexico, the South Pole, South Africa and India.

• The Great Outdoors: We provides an authentic "summer camp" experience.

• Time Travel Your child takes a trip through time with stops in various periods.

Click here to see Goddard's Summer Program

Get Your Green On

Everyone loves to pretend their Irish for a day and celebrate St. Patrick’s day. Here are a few fun ideas to celebrate with you kids.

Gold Coins

Have a scavenger hunt and have the kids collect gold coins you have hidden around the house.

“Lucky” the Leprechaun

Lucky visits kid’s bedrooms while they are sleeping at night and creates a little mischief. He messes things up, take clothes out of closest and puts them on the ground. He also has a tendency to rearrange stuffed animals. Your kids will have a lot of fun trying figure out what “Lucky” did.

Find the Pot of Gold

Older kids can have a lot of fun looking for a hidden pot of gold (candy or other treat) in your house. Leave clues for your children to find the pot of gold. Make it a neighborhood activity by hiding the pot of gold in your yard.

Green Milk

Add some green food coloring to your child’s milk to get in the spirit. You can also get mint chocolate chip ice cream and make a milkshake for a sweet treat.

Whistle While You Work: Your Child’s Chores

By Sue Adair

Chores are a valuable life activity for everyone. They help fulfill our basic need to feel needed and contribute to our household. Helping others, and doing a good job at it, helps boost children’s self-esteem, while making them feel more confident, competent and valuable. However, getting children to put down the toys, turn off the television and get off the couch to help clean, declutter and spruce up the house isn’t an easy chore in itself! Here are some great ways to motivate children of any age to consistently get their chores done, while minimizing the moaning and groaning.

• Keep a list of chores for every member of the family—even mom and dad. This helps children see that no one in the house is exempt from doing their fair share of the housework. If they see in black and white what mom and dad do each day, their chores may seem like less of a hassle.

• Don’t expect perfection. When introducing a new chore, show your child how it is done first and then let them do it their way. It may not be exactly how you’d like it to be done, but at least they’re making an effort. Don’t step in and take over or redo the chore after they have finished. Next time, offer some tips on how to do it better. They’ll learn eventually and be encouraged to keep up with it.

• Time it! If a chore is assigned, give a time frame for completing it. If not, your child may realize they can put it off until you or someone else takes care of it. When a chore is completed properly and on time, offer appreciation and praise for your child’s diligent follow through

Source: http://blogs.goddardsystems.com/

Music Makers

Here is a great way to stay indoors and keep your children occupied.

Try a homemade band

First go find some earplugs

Then have your children make their own instruments.

Send your kids on a scavenger hunt around the house for items that make different and unique sounds. Make sure you give them instructions not to use anything breakable or expensive.

Here are some items to use:

· Pots and pans

· Empty cans or containers

· Plastic eggs filled with different items (rice, jelly beans etc.)

· Filling any container with different objects can give you different sounds

Then let your children start jamming out. You can even teach a science lesson by asking them questions about why different items make different sounds.

Are you Ready for Kindergarten?

With kindergarten registration underway, many parents wonder if their child is ready for this new frontier. Here are some basic signs that your child is ready.

They have sufficient oral communications skills.

They have the desire to be more independent.

They have a curiosity about books and learning new things.

They can dress themselves without assistance.

They can take care of bathroom responsibilities.

They can listen to instructions and follow them.

They can recognize numbers and letters.

They demonstrate sufficient motor skills (holding a pencil, coloring within the lines)

They function well in a group environment (they can share).

If you have any questions about if your child is ready, talk to their preschool teacher. As always if you have any question about your child’s development contact a healthcare or educational professional for more information.

The Benefits of the Nutritional Snack

Toddlers and young children grow rapidly, are ever active, and require good nutrition and plenty of healthy meals and snacks. Many toddlers are picky, or don’t want to spend time sitting at a meal. Making sure their diet is adequate is a challenge that all parents face. Here are a few basic tips that might help you establish healthy eating habits from the start.

Balance Is Important
Making sure a meal contains a balance of fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy and grains. Try to balance your nutritional needs based on the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid of at least six servings of foods from the grain section daily, three servings of vegetables daily, two servings of fruits daily, three servings of meats daily, and three servings of dairy products daily.

Snacks Can Help
Many parents find it difficult to prepare and serve complete balanced meals all the time. Snacks are very important for growing children, especially those picky eaters who don’t eat much at meal times. This is why it’s very important to pick snacks for your child that are nutritious like fruits and vegetables. Vegetables, especially green vegetables, are high in iron and fiber, Vitamin C and potassium.

Keep healthy good tasting snacks readily available around the house. Foods that can make for nutritional snacks include microwave popcorn, graham crackers, fruits, frozen fruit juice on a stick, trail mix, pretzels, low-fat yogurt, and low-fat milk. Encourage plenty of milk and water rather than sodas and empty calorie fruit drinks.

Eat a Rainbow
Part of the strategy for having a balanced diet is to try to include foods of every color throughout the day. This means foods that are naturally that color, not processed or artificially colored foods. An example of a breakfast with color variation is cereal with milk and banana slices (white/ yellow), strawberries (red) and orange juice (orange). Snack on blueberries (blue) mid-morning, and a graham cracker (brown). Lunch could include a tuna sandwich and some cucumber slices (green). Snack on purple grapes or fruit spread on whole-wheat bread. Already the day’s menu has been full of color balance, which delivers a good variety of the vitamins and protein a person needs.

If your child is an overly picky eater or their diet continues to cause you concern, seek out the assistance of a registered dietitian who specializes in working with children to develop strategies to provide for the good nutritional health of your child.