New Year’s Eve Fun With the Kids

Plan a New Year’s bash with your kids that is fun and educational. Kids can feel left out of New Year’s celebrations because they can’t stay up until midnight. But with a little planning your kids can have a New Year’s bash that they will remember for years to come.

It’s Always Midnight Somewhere – Plan your party by the world clock and ring in the New Year when the clock strikes 12 somewhere else. This is also a great way to teach geography and world cultures. Another option is ringing in the New Year at noon.

Imitate the Ball Drop – Buy a pinata so you can imitate the Times Square ball drop. At midnight, let the kids crack it open to get the candy. Or, try a balloon drop. Put a bunch of balloons in a large trash bag and then release them at your faux midnight.

Toast – Use plastic, fancy glasses with sparkling cider

Think Up Resolutions- Help your child stick to their resolutions by writing them down or making posters to remind them.

Make Noisemakers - Fill toilet paper roll with rice or dry beans. Cover both ends with paper and decorate the tube. Shake it as the ball drops to welcome the New Year.

Happy New Year!

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Fun Things To Do With Kids Over Holiday Break

With the kids home from school this week parents will be looking for activities to do with the kids.
Here a few ideas:

Cooking– Involve your child in the holiday cooking. Under supervision, letting them help you in the kitchen can be a great learning experience. Reinforce counting and measuring as they help you measure the ingredients. Let them help pour the ingredients in a bowl to practice coordination and fine motor skills.

Science Experiments – You can do some really interesting home science experiments with household items. Teach them about static electricity by rubbing your feet on the carpet and touching each other to see if a static shock develops. Mix some baking soda, vinegar and raisins and see if you can get raisins to dance. Education.com has some interesting science experiments you can do at home. Just use your best judgment to determine what’s safe for you and your child.

Pen Pals– Teach your child how to send a good old fashioned letter. Let them create their own holiday cards and send them to relatives or even classmates. Your child’s friends will be excited to get mail and your child will have fun creating their own holiday cards. It will just cost you some stamps.

The holidays are a special time for children. Take the time off to slow down, spend quality time with the family and enjoy the special moments.



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DIY Giving: 8 Gifts Kids Can Make Themselves

 Children like to make gifts for those important in their lives too. With the holidays fast
approaching, Education.com offers some great ideas on gift ideas kids can make. Click here to check them out.



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A Season for Sharing in Fire Safety

Each year fires occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of over 400 people, injure 1,650 more, and cause over $990 million in damage. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), there are simple life-saving steps you can take to ensure a safe and happy holiday. By following some of the outlined precautionary tips, individuals can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a holiday fire casualty.

Selecting a Tree for the Holiday
Needles on fresh trees should be green and hard to pull back from the branches, and the needle should not break if the tree has been freshly cut. The trunk should be sticky to the touch. Old trees can be identified by bouncing the tree trunk on the ground. If many needles fall off, the tree has been cut too long, has probably dried out, and is a fire hazard.

Caring for Your Tree
Do not place your tree close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, causing it to be more easily ignited by heat, flame or sparks. Be careful not to drop or flick cigarette ashes near a tree. Do not put your live tree up too early or leave it up for longer than two weeks. Keep the tree stand filled with water at all times.

Disposing of Your Tree
Never put tree branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burning stove. When the tree becomes dry, discard it promptly. The best way to dispose of your tree is by taking it to a recycling center or having it hauled away by a community pick-up service.

Maintain Your Holiday Lights
Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up. Use only lighting listed by an approved testing laboratory.

Do Not Overload Electrical Outlets
Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch.

Do Not Leave Holiday Lights on unattended

Holiday Decorations
Use Only Nonflammable Decorations
All decorations should be nonflammable or flame-retardant and placed away from heat vents.

Never Put Wrapping Paper in a Fireplace
It can result in a very large fire, throwing off dangerous sparks and embers and may result in a chimney fire.

Artificial Christmas Trees
If you are using a metallic or artificial tree, make sure it is flame retardant.

Avoid Using Lit Candles
If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be easily knocked down. Never leave the house with candles burning.

Never Put Lit Candles on a Tree
Do not go near a Christmas tree with an open flame - candles, lighters or matches.

Finally, as in every season, have working smoke alarms installed on every level of your home, test them monthly and keep them clean and equipped with fresh batteries at all times. Know when and how to call for help. And remember to practice your home escape plan.

Source: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/holiday-seasonal/holiday.shtm
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Car Seat Safety

With so much information about car seat safety many parents wonder and worry if they are keeping their child as safe as they should be. Below are guidelines set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA).

* Select a car seat based on your child's age, height, and weight.

* Keep your child in a car seat for the maximum age, as long as your child

fits the seat's height and weight requirements.

* All children under 13 should ride in the back seat.

Birth – 12 months

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.

There are different types of rear-facing car seats: Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

4 – 7 years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.


Many local stores and organizations offer safety checks were certified technicians are available to check your car seat installation for free. Click HERE to find your nearest inspection station.



Source: http://www.nhtsa.gov/

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Ways to Introduce Your Kids to Foreign Languages

December is learn a foreign language month, so now is a perfect time to teach your child a second language. Because the brain of a young child is in language hyper-drive learning mode, they can learn a foreign language much faster and much more effectively than a teen or adult.  We found some successful ways to help your young one to learn a new language.Click here to read the article.


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Learning Through Games With Toddlers

When your toddler is around 3 years old you may want to start thinking about using board games to help them learn and grow. When we were growing up, board games were all the rage. But as handheld technology started to rule the world, the board game fell by the wayside.

You may be asking why you should dust off the old board games in the attic. Board and card games have a lot to teach your children. Not only can they teach them about success and disappointment, they can teach valuable cognitive and social skills through hands on experience. And many children learn more effectively through hands on experience.

 

Here are some of the benefits of playing board games:

 
Learning to follow rules
 
Being honest
 
Focusing on a single task
 
Social Skills
 
Taking turns
 
Sharing
 
Learning to count
 
Matching
 
Learning colors, numbers and letters

A few examples of games that incorporate these skills:

Candyland

Chutes and Ladders

Sorry

Trouble

 

There are so many board games that you can choose from. Not all the games above may be appropriate for younger children. Make sure that you check the age rating to verify that the game is appropriate for your child and be very wary of small pieces particularly around the younger players

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A Big-Kid Bed for Your Toddler

Parents struggle to figure out the right time to move their toddler from a crib to a big kid bed. Toddlers struggle with how to deal with this new freedom. We found some advice to make the tradition easier for everyone. Click here to read the article.

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