Movement is a healthy part of life for those of all ages (see Part 1), but it’s especially important for preschoolers. While educational standards soar, the youngest children are being robbed of the very thing that they need in order to lay the foundation for healthy emotional, social, and cognitive development. Exercise and Experience Many […]
Parenting
Encouraging Healthy Habits in Your Childcare Center: Movement, Part 1
While seeing young children sitting quietly at desks and doing worksheets may seem like a great start to a successful academic career (see this previous post), that kind of setting is actually far from ideal for the developmental needs of young children. Instead, movement and sensory experiences provide children with what their bodies and brains […]
Encouraging Healthy Habits in Your Childcare Center: Imaginative Play
While it won’t make its way onto standardized tests or college entrance exams, movement is an important aspect of how children learn. Your childcare center has the important opportunity to help lay the foundation for later academic achievement by giving the children in your care opportunities to play, build, and create. While those kinds of […]
Child Care Tips – Teaching Life Skills: Sharing, Part 2
In Part 1 we introduced the topic of sharing by discussing motivation and some basic means of teaching sharing. From modeling sharing behavior in front of children and pointing it out when you witness it in others to positively affirming sharing behavior when you see the child engage in it, you’ll probably be well on […]
Child Care Tips – Teaching Life Skills: Sharing, Part 1
Sharing is definitely an important life skill, when it comes to getting along with others. Children will not only utilize this skill throughout their childhood, but they’ll also reap reward throughout adulthood, both socially and professionally, if they learn to share well. For young children, learning to share can definitely be a challenge; however, this […]
Keep a Trick Up Your Sleeve with Maxtrix Kids Furniture
Many successful companies owe long-term success to a combination of hard work, luck, and something a little less talked about: serendipity. The coffee giant, Starbucks, has had a storied history of incorporating unique strategies in order to promote their continued success. The same kind of creative innovation that fueled the corporation’s reinvention of the coffee […]
Gifts for Young Dancers: Dance-Themed Toys from Melissa & Doug
Well known for their well-made wooden toys, toy company Melissa and Doug® has produced a surprising number of dance-themed toys. These Melissa and Doug products can help toddlers and young children foster an appreciation for dance that extends beyond the studio. Dance-Themed Puzzles Puzzles help build early problem-solving skills as well as coordination, and Melissa […]
Gifts for Young Dancers: Print that’s On Pointe
If you’re looking for inspiration for the dancer in your life, you might want to check out these magazines and novels to help encourage her on her journey. Pointe Magazine Whether you’re looking for inspiration from other dancers, warm-up ideas, tips for technique, audition information, or extra training opportunities, Pointe magazine provides an ideal window […]
Top 3 Household Hazards for Kids
We all realize we shouldn’t keep medications accessible or have sharp objects within reach, but it’s not always the most obvious things that pose the greatest risks. Some seemingly innocuous, extremely common household items can pose unexpected safety risks for the little people in your life. Whether you’re a parent yourself or occasionally care for […]
Are Your Dancers Getting Enough Sleep?
Did you know that the National Sleep Foundation has found that most children require 9 to 14 hours every 24 hours, depending on their age. Enough sleep also means healthy sleep, which produces a well-rested individual. Healthy sleep impacts both physical and intellectual development, both of which are necessary for high levels of achievement in […]