Great Outdoors

Being outside is important for children and this is a great time of year to be outside, with plenty of sunlight and mild temperatures.

The outdoors is a great place for young children to master newly developed physical skills and movement. With today’s busy schedules it’s sometimes difficult to find the time to get outside with your kids. But, considering the important role that activity plays in the physical, social, and emotional development of our children, it’s worth finding the time.

Physical Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children

Childhood obesity is a concerning trend in children. Children who play outside are more likely to maintain a healthy weight because they get the chance to burn off extra calories. They also view play with friends as “play” not exercise, this makes burning off the calories fun. Outdoor play is also important for children because it builds muscles, strengthens bones, conditions the lungs, and improves overall health.

The exposure to sunlight also helps our bodies make the vitamin D it needs for the development of healthy bones, and reduces the future risk of conditions such as heart disease, and high blood pressure. But, it’s also important to apply sunscreen before sending your child outdoors to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

Parents also receive an added benefit from outside play. Children have the chance to use up the extra energy that can make them restless around the house. This can lead to better sleep, improved behavior and better concentration.

The benefits of outdoor play for children are endless. Playing outside makes kids happier, by providing a number of physical, social, and emotional developmental perks.

Dealing With Your Toddler's Sleep Disturbances

A young child waking up in the middle of the night can be hard on the parent and the child.   This article from Family Education gives some great tips on how to deal with young children waking up in the middle of the night.

http://life.familyeducation.com/sleep/bed-time/52588.html

Gardening With Kids

Last week Goddard’s lessons focused on Mother Earth and plants. We are celebrating spring and it would be a good opportunity to plant a garden with your little ones. Here are some of the many skills and knowledge your child will experience in the garden.

• Your child will learn about the environment, plants and what plants need to grow
• Your child will build confidence and a sense of accomplishment when they see their garden grow.
• They will learn responsibility, planting seeds, watering, weeding and finally harvesting their plants, or vegetables.

Where to start:

Let your child pick out their own seeds or plants at their local garden center. If you really want to get your child into gardening buy them their own tools, gloves and watering can. Establish a little area of the yard, or your existing garden, just for your child.

Next comes the fun, show your child how to plant the flower or seeds in their garden. Kids love this part because they get a chance to play in dirt! When they are done planting, it’s time to play with water by watering the new plants. Watering is sure to be a favorite for most children.

What to plant

1. Sunflowers are a great choice because of their height
2. If your child really likes to help out in the kitchen how about an herb garden
3. If you decide to grow vegetables, pick vegetables they already like to eat. Also carrots and strawberries always peek a child’s interest.
4. Plant a Pizza Garden – grow tomatoes, herbs, peppers etc. and then make a pizza with all the ingredients.

Always supervise your child in the garden so they stay safe. Happy gardening from Goddard!

Seasonal Allergy Action Plan

We all loved the warm winter we had but, the downside is an earlier and more intense allergy season.  It’s hard sometimes to determine the difference between allergies and cold.  Parents magazine gives some helpful tips to make it through allergy season. 
  
http://www.parents.com/kids/health/allergies/seasonal-allergy-action-plan/

Benefits of Teaching a Second Language to Young Children

It may seem that your toddler is still working on their language skills and that attempting to teach them an additional language would be wasted. But, recent research shows that many preschoolers are in fact able to learn multiple languages. Children can often learn a second language quicker than adults because they are not bogged down trying to learn verb tenses and grammar, they learn naturally through play and their brains are more open to absorbing new languages.

What are the benefits of learning a second language?

• Statistics show that students who study a second language perform better academically in verbal skills, logic and math.

• Students gain respect and understanding of family history and diversity.

• They will also become more tolerant of differences in people, they way they speak and where they are from.

• Students will have a better understanding of the English language. For example, since many of our words have origins in other languages, students will have a better chance to make sense of a new vocabulary word.

At The Goddard School Ashburn, we offer Spanish and American Sign Language to our children. We feel that it is very important for children to learn a second language at an early age.

Preschool Bullying: Steps to Stop Child Aggression

With so much talk in the news about bullying, I found this article about preschool bullying and the affect on young child.


 http://www.education.com/reference/article/preschool-bullying-steps/

The Benefits of Eating Meals Together

Dining together as a family has become rare in today’s hectic life.  School activities and career demands can make dining together impossible. But, if you can squeeze out time twice a week to sit down together for dinner or any meal, you and your family can benefit in several ways. Eating meals together can help:

• Develop and maintain open lines of communication
• Build stronger relationships
• You share the events of the day and discuss news and ideas
• Reduce teen rates of addiction and lessen teen depression (several studies have shown)
• Show children how they are the priority in their parent’s lives
• You find out more about your children’s likes and dislikes, which can form the basis for meaningful conversation
• Parents to direct their kids toward positive activities and behaviors.
• Children get higher grades on average (several studies have shown)

Sitting down for every family meal simply isn’t possible today, but trying to sit down together a few nights a week can help your children even when you’re not there.

Make a Peeking Bunny

With the Easter Bunny arriving in a few days, we thought this craft would be cute to do with your little ones. The Peeking Bunny uses green handprints to make grass for the paper plate bunny to peek through!

 Supplies

 •Paper plate

 •Green and pink construction paper

•Pencil

•Scissors

•Black marker

•Glue



 Directions 


 1. Trace 3 green handprints to cut out. Place your paper plate 'eating side' down and glue the hand prints to the bottom of your paper plate.

 2. Cut two bunny ears from your pink paper and glue them to the top, back of the plate. Draw on some 'peeking' eyes, and you're done!!

Kindergarten Readiness

This is the time of year parents start to register their kids for kindergarten and they wonder if their child will be ready in September. Many school districts rely on age as the determining factor for school readiness but some educators believe that how much experience a child has in a school like setting is just as important of a factor. .

Some districts test children before the school year starts. The kindergartners may be evaluated on their physical development, ability to recognize the alphabet of his or her knowledge of body parts, colors and shapes. These tests attempt to evaluate your child’s physical and cognitive development.

What should you do if your district doesn’t offer testing before entering Kindergarten? Below are a few guidelines to look for at home:

Language

• Does your child speak in full sentences
• Can they explain events they experienced

Motor Skills

• Can your child throw a ball, skip and climb
• Do they use scissors and hold a pencil

Social & Other Skills

• Do they understand the concept of sharing
• Can your child dress him/herself
• Do they wash their own face and hands
• Does your child play well with others
• Do they follow rules and directions

There is no way to tell if your child is truly ready for kindergarten. You, as their parent. are the best judge of kindergarten readiness.