Sunday, June 29, 2008

kiddos

While browsing the information super highway I found this article about stuff to do with you kids during the summer time ( or all year with my wee ones ). : ) I know my kids are a bit young for a lot of this stuff but I still thought it was good and useful. What do you think? Some of the article I have pasted in below, the rest can be found here. It is all just basic information but still a good reminder for me.

"O’Connell’s Top 10 tips for summer learning:

  1. Turn off the television and computer and play outside: Encourage your children to join a city league to play team sports like baseball or swimming. Physical activity helps prevent the silent epidemic of childhood obesity. Teamwork teaches children about the values of helping, sharing, listening, respecting, and participating.
  2. Get puzzled: Play Sudoku or Scrabble with your children. These types of activities encourage children to think and solve problems.
  3. Collect stamps, coins, or other historical items: Encourage your children to start a collection that may spur their interest to research facts about their hobby. Start at the post office for stamps. Search through antique stores or your attic for collectibles.
  4. Start a journal, diary, or scrapbook: These types of activities encourage children to write, organize their thoughts, and spur creativity. You can start simply with a notebook and pencil. Or for more elaborate journals, craft stores often have a selection of scrapbook materials.
  5. Make plans: Let your children help you schedule your day, plan a meal, or assign chores. This helps children structure their activities and learn to meet deadlines.
  6. Take them grocery shopping: Adding up the grocery bill helps your kids practice their math skills. Let them choose the fruits and vegetables to teach them how to make healthy choices.
  7. Plan dinner: Learning to cook will teach your kids to be self-sufficient and independent. Preparing meals requires math and reading skills. You never know -- your child could be the next great chef.
  8. Set aside time each day to read: Read the morning newspaper with your children or find them a good book at the library. Reading keeps their minds active and engaged and ready to learn when they go back to school. Search the California Department of Education’s Recommended Literature database that will help you find age-appropriate materials at Search List, Recommended Literature for Reading and Language Arts, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve.
  9. Encourage children to create their own job: Children can get training to be babysitters. Or they can pet sit, house sit, or take care of your neighbors’ plants while they are on vacation. These activities help children learn about responsibility and financial literacy.
  10. Volunteer: Encourage your children to help some elderly neighbors or a charitable organization. These activities help children learn about sacrifice and good citizenship. Find volunteer opportunities at CaliforniaVolunteers: Families & Kids [http://www.californiavolunteers.org/families.asp] (Outside Source)."
* Quoted from the California Department of Education website.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

A new resource being use to improve kid’s nutritional status is a new book “The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.” Out only a few months and already being bought in quantity for class use. I hope parents and teachers interested in getting kids to develop a friendly attitude towards fruits and vegetables should take a look at it.
It is designed for kids of all ages as it is two books in one – children first learn their alphabet through produce poems and then go on to hundreds of related activities. Coauthored by best-selling food writer David Goldbeck and Jim Henson writer Steve Charney. More at HealthyHighways.com

I was raised in a barn said...

Love it, Annie! Thank you!