Many parents probably recognize that being outside in nature is good for their children’s health. And the kids who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious than kids who spend more time indoors. 

There are a few things we should know about why nature is good for kids’ minds.

It builds confidence:

Kids play in nature has more advantages than most types of indoor play. There are infinite ways to interact with outdoor environments and it will let your child choose how he treats nature. (Meaning: he can learn how to control his own actions.)

It improves social connection and creativity:

Letting kids spend time in settings with natural elements or giving them structured nature experiences can make for a calmer, socially safe, and fun learning environment. Playing in nature also allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings. They can think more freely, design their own activities, and approach the world in inventive ways.

It teaches responsibility:

It can teach a child to take care of the living parts of their environment. For example; they can learn what happen when they water a plant or forget to water a plant.

It gets kids moving and makes them think:

Most ways of interacting with nature involve more exercise than sitting on the couch. It can get benefits for the bodies for a child. Moreover, the nature creates a unique sense of wonder for kids that no other environment can provide. 

It reduces stress and fatigue:

Studies have found that holding a class outdoors one day a week can significantly improve the daily cortisol patterns of students—reflecting less stress and better adaptation to stress—when compared to kids with indoor-only instruction. In natural environments, we practice an effortless type of attention known as soft fascination that creates feelings of pleasure, not fatigue.

In conclusion, the nature can definitely help your kids to increase their creativity, social connection and responsibility. At the same time, you will be creating a way for your family to spend time together that will increase your connection to one another.

Ref: https://www.childrenscolorado.org/

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

Emotional competence is an important life skill. Children with a high level of emotional competence, tend to have more friends, do better at school, and are more likely to help others.

Emotional competence has three components: understanding, expression and regulation. And these are all things parents can help their children to master. One way children can learn about emotions is by talking about them with their parents. So here are six phrases that could help with your child’s emotional development.

1. It’s OK to feel what you are feeling

Children and adolescents worry about not being “normal”, a feeling that stems from a need to fit in. To begin with, young children mostly want to fit in with their family. Then, as they grow, the need to fit in with their peers grows stronger.

By telling them that it’s OK to feel whatever it is they are feeling, we are normalising  their emotions. We are telling them that there is nothing “weird” about them, and they fit in just fine.

2. How you feel right now won’t last forever

Emotions are not permanent, and children need to understand that feelings have a beginning and an end. Importantly, children should also learn that not only will an emotion pass, but that until that happens, its intensity will decrease.

By understanding this, children will be able to cope better with their emotions. This is especially important in the case of negative emotions, when the feeling of not being able to deal with them may lead to harmful behaviour.

3. Don’t let your feelings control you

Although we can’t totally control our emotions, we can to a large extent influence which emotions we have, when we experience them, and how we express them. This is called emotional regulation and is best achieved by changing the way we think about our feelings.

This is possible because the situations we face don’t automatically cause specific emotions. Instead, the emotions we feel depend on our evaluation of those situations. 

4. Let’s put a name to your feeling

Children are not always able to name the feelings they experience. But it is important that we help children put a label on their emotions because by doing so they tend to feel better. Studies  analysing adult brain activity show that by naming feelings of anger and sadness, the amygdala (the part of the brain that deals with emotions) becomes less active. This in turn reduces the intensity of our emotional responses and makes us feel better.

5. Why are you behaving this way? Let’s think about how you are feeling

Our behaviours stem from our emotions, so children need to understand the link between the two. By achieving this understanding, children are better able to predict and regulate their own behaviours and the behaviours of those around them.

6. No matter what you feel, I am here for you

This is perhaps the most important thing that we can tell our children to help them develop their emotional competence. Children experience many different emotions and some of them are accompanied by guilt or shame.

Generally speaking, anything that helps parents and their children to discuss emotions is a positive step. The more we talk to young people about feelings, the more they will develop their emotional competence. By doing this, we will also be telling our children that we value them, that we are interested in them, and that we love them. These are the best kind of messages we can give our children – and ones that will make them feel strong.

Reference : https://theconversation.com

The ability to communicate effectively is a key skill, and the better we are at it, the better our quality of life will be.

We begin communicating from the moment we are born; letting our mothers know we have arrived with our first cry. As a child develops, it is important we nurture their communication skills so they are capable of expressing themselves, clearly and confidently, in all aspects and areas of their life.

If we consider the stages of a child’s development: they communicate first with their parents, then with siblings and friends, and then with other adults such as their school teachers.

A child will learn to communicate by watching and listening to their parents, and then mimicking their words and actions; the more you communicate with your child, the earlier and quicker they will develop these skills.

Reading is a great activity to help improve your child’s communication proficiency; it develops their language acquisition and introduces them to range of vocabulary, helping them to communicate with ease and clarity. As they get older, reading together provides an excellent opportunity for discussion, creating an environment where a child can comfortably and confidently get used to articulating and sharing their ideas.

Through interaction and play with siblings and friends, a child will develop social skills and interpersonal skills alongside their communication skills. These skills will make them feel at greater comfort in social situations, where they will find it easier to strike up conversations with peers, and make new friends. Through these relationships, they will also hone their listening skills as well as their ability to empathize and interpret non-verbal communication cues.

When a child begins school, presentations, class discussions, dramatizations, and oral exams will become regular activities for them, all of which will call directly upon their verbal communication skills; likewise, they may, as part of the application process, have to go along to an interview when applying to a secondary school or sixth form. In these situations you will want a child to feel confident, not only speaking in front of a crowd or meeting a new acquaintance, but also assured in their own ability to converse fluently and make a good impression.

A child who is good at communicating verbally will find it easier to produce written communications, and thus will likely perform better in their school exams and written assignments.

Looking to their future, being able to communicate with employers is crucial, no matter what industry or career you are in. Good communication skills are listed amongst the most desirable skills on nearly every job specification, and will give you an advantage over your colleagues when competing for additional responsibilities.

Being able to deliver instructions, lead meetings, carry out presentations and liaise with clients, consumers, suppliers etc., are just some of the communication skills needed to successfully gain those bigger opportunities.

Like any skill, communication skills can be developed and refined with practice, but by helping develop good communication skills in a child from their youth, you are equipping them straight away with the skills to build a successful future.

Reference: https://www.kumon.co.uk/ 

As a parent, you actively support your child’s learning.  Today – more than ever before – we must help children develop an appreciation for mathematics.  In doing so, they are sure to master the subject.

Our world is becoming increasingly technological. As a result, it demands for a strong skill set in mathematics in both our personal and professional lives. As technological innovations continue to progress, these demands are expected to increase over the lifetimes of today’s kids.

As a parent, it is our job to ensure that our kids are equipped with the skills that are needed to succeed in school, in college, and in the workforce. We must become involved in their learning as early as possible. This will not only display a positive attitude towards mathematics, but, will aid in the development and reinforcement of their skills.

In this two-part series, we will present to you several simple strategies that will aid in improving your child’s math skills.

1)    Aid in the Development of the Understanding of Mathematical Concepts

The first strategy to helping your child improve their math skills is to aid in the development of the understanding of mathematical concepts. In elementary school, your child should start learning the most basic concepts in the subjects of measurements, geometry, logic, algebra, and statistics. The goal during this time should be to encourage the child to solve problems by applying the knowledge that they have acquired in math to new situations. Many schools, math coaches, and families encourage kids to think of themselves and refer to themselves as mathematicians. During this period, kids should develop the ability to reason in a mathematical fashion and to communicate math-based ideas through both talking and writing.

2)    Develop and Display a Positive Attitude towards Math

The next strategy for improving your child’s math skills is to develop and display a positive attitude towards math. If you project the attitude that math is an important element when it comes to life skills and job skills, your child will develop an appreciation for math.

If you see math as a useful, fun activity, your child will see it as useful and fun, too! Your attitude towards math will heavily influence your child’s attitude toward the subject, as well as how they approach learning about the subject. Remember, simply stay positive!

3)    Encourage Your Child to Become a Problem Solver

The third strategy for improving your child’s math skills is to encourage them to become a problem solver. When pushing for your kid to become a problem solver, be certain to make it fun and exciting. You could, for example, tell them that it is similar to becoming a detective.

Encourage your child to ask questions, investigates, and explores all possible solutions to problems. Encourage them to stick to a problem until a solution is discovered. Push for the child to apply math to everyday events and situations. Additionally, include your child in basic or routine activities that directly involve math and encourage them to take an active role in solving the problem at hand.

This concludes part one of this two-part series. By applying the strategies outlined in this guide, you will find that your child will start to excel at mathematics.

As a parent, you should aid in the development of your child’s understanding of math, develop and display a positive attitude towards math, and encourage your child to become a problem solver.

If you take these steps, both you and your child will grow in your appreciation for math.

Reference: https://miraclemathcoaching.com/

Painting with young children not only helps their creative development but it also stimulates their brain. Stimulating children’s brain can also help other areas of their development. When setting up a painting activity for young children, stop and think about what areas of children’s development it may be helping.

Most children enjoy a good messy painting experience, this will allow them to freely express themselves and develop their creativity. Young children will use their bodies to move around exploring as they go, whereas non mobile children will need further support in making sure they can access all the resources. Painting can provide children with vast amounts of learning, this may be developing their fine pincer grip or learning about color mixing. The opportunities are endless hence why painting should be accessible to children throughout the week.

Painting doesn’t just have to be about sitting at the table with a paintbrush and paint, be creative and offer it to children in different ways, large-scale painting is great for developing those social skills. Lay a large plastic sheet on the floor and place the painting resources on the floor. Children will freely enjoy rolling around on the paper making those all-important marks. Painting is very much a tactile sensory experience and for some children getting messy can be distressing, however, a high portion of children will love a good old messy session.

All of the above will give some fantastic results and is a great way of extending children learning opportunities.

Painting is a great way for children to communicate their thoughts either verbally or in the marks they make. Many opportunities can arise from a painting activity leading to exchanges in conversations, which is a way in for adults to listen and ask questions.  Children will often show their feelings through their marks instead of talking to adults, on these occasions, practitioners need to respect this and ask questions in a tactile way and not over question them.

It is important that childcare practitioners are confident in the experiences they are offering children. It is not about practitioners thinking they have to be great at painting it’s about offering children the tools and resources to allow them to develop the necessary skills and build on what they know. Practitioner’s role is to scaffold the children’s learning and help them reach their full potential.

Source: KELLY

Child development is the development of a child’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being from
birth to adulthood. It is influenced by environmental factors and the child’s learning ability.
There are 5 primary stages in the development of a child for their children. Although some mothers
already know, some do not. So in this post, we will share our knowledge.

(1)   Cognitive development skills

The first step is to develop cognitive development skills.
For example, two-month-old babies use their eyes and hands to touch things around them. As you
can see, 5-year-olds can solve simple math problems!!!

(2)   Social and Emotional Development

The second is called social and emotional development that it’s about developing relationships and
emotional well-being.
For example, 6-week-olds will be able to smile and 10-month-olds will be able to say goodbye. Five-
year-olds take turns playing with their schoolmates!!!

(3)   Speech and language development

And the third is the development of speech and language, for example, in 12-month-old infants.
At two, they will be able to understand their body parts.
If they are 5 years old, they will improve their countable skills. 

(4)   Physical Skills

Fourth, they need fine motor skills to develop small muscles and use them well.
It also can pick up small items, hold spoons, flip through the paper, and use crayons!!!

(5)   Gross Motor Skill

And last but not least, the gross motor skill to develop your baby’s big muscles.
12-month-olds can learn to stand up and learn to jump at 4-5!!!
So don’t get upset, mothers, for the development of your children.
I will share with you some training aids
you can use in the next blogs.

Thank you!
https://enlivostationery.com

Are your children ready to go back to school after the holidays? It is very important to be sure that you are thinking of buying only uniforms for children and P.E but also their exercise book, drawing book, colorful book and also need to choose the right notebook for their educational journey.

So we may help parents who are preparing for this not only their exercise books but also their other behaviors to make sure you choose the right choice for some books that are emotionally satisfying.

Exercise Book

A strong and durable exercise book would not confuse you during studying. Therefore,

• Good quality.
• Good at sewing, you should only choose books.

They like smooth and perfume books. You also need to include their favorite cartoons.

Only then can children develop a love for their books.

Notebook

It is important for your children to be trained from an early age to get into the habit of working on a schedule.

Therefore, when buying these notebooks, you should be careful to choose notebooks with calendars so that your children can write down their daily school schedules.

Drawing Book

If art is an escape of mind, then drawing is happiness for children. From an early age, food, drink, entertainment, and humans surrounded them. To make the best study of animals and the environment.

The role of drawing books is also very important. Make sure the paper is thick.

Colorful Paper

They have drawing books, but if they do not have coloring books, it is not possible at all.

If the habit of drawing is one of their favorite activities,

And it is the beginning of a great way about memory and concentration.

Here are some simple subtractions for kids. It is also important to focus on their friendly monsters.

Well, at least I believe that I can support mommy and daddy.

Let us create a more beautiful life path for our little boys.

When kids explore their talents and specialties, one area some may excel in is drawing. Even though drawing or painting may not be every child’s cup of tea. But it also has benefits that both you and your child can learn from together. So in this blog, we list some reasons to encourage your child to draw at home.

Fine Motor Skills

It’s important for your child to develop strong fine motor skills at a young age. Holding and manipulating writing implements represents one of the best ways to improve a child’s fine motor skills. Drawing creates immediate visual feedback that changes depending on the tool they use and how they use it.

Critical Thinking Skills

Art can help children learn and practice skills like patterning, cause & effect. They can also practice critical thinking skills by making a mental plan or picture of what they intend to create and following through o

Increased Individual Confidence

The simple act of drawing plays an important role in a child’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Like no other activity, drawing allows young children to express emotions, experience autonomy, and build confidence.

Imagination active

Drawing enables your child’s imagination to become more active. Each time they draw they access their imagination and make physical representations of what is in their mind. People’s imaginations have allowed them to create all the things we are using and all the things surrounding by every day.

Problem Solving

When he or she draws, your child must determine the best way to connect body parts, portray emotions, and depict specific textures.

Providing specific drawing tasks, such as creating a family portrait, talking about your child’s color, method, or special choices can help them develop stronger problem-solving skills.

To help your child feel motivated to draw and create, please use positive reinforcement. Display finished drawings in your child’s room or in other areas of your home, including personalized drawings in letters to family members, and praise your child for practice and specific achievements.

Encourage your little one to draw throughout his or her childhood to reap all the benefits listed above.

The book is a window to the world. By reading a book, you will gain knowledge about this world. At this point, we all should agree that reading is a vital skill that every child needs to develop and grow. Reading provides a critical foundation for success in school and life.

To foster kid’s interest in reading is not an easy job to do, it does not happen magically or by a chance. Teachers carry out the crucial task to create opportunities where children are exposed to book throughout the day. The important point to remember is that it should be planned, purposeful, and done in a playful manner. Here are our top 5 ways to foster a love for reading:

Create a Supportive Learning Environment

The environment of the classroom is essential to encourage children to explore, learn, and communicate. At the same time, it should give them a sense of well-being. Everything should have a purpose. Materials should be accessible to children. Once the classroom is organized, the task at hand is putting literacy into activity settings in the learning environment.

Shared Book Reading

Shared book reading is one of the most powerful ways to promote vocabulary and comprehension. When children are allowed to interact with one another as well as with the teacher during read-aloud, they are in turn practicing communicating their thoughts and ideas using words in books.

Songs, Rhyme, and Word Play

One of the best and most important ways to engage children in the sounds of language is through singing, rhyming, and wordplay. By providing children with various opportunities to listen and play with words, the faster they would learn the language.

Development Writing

It is always important to remember that reading, speaking and writing go hand in hand. Writing allows children to develop their ability to think and symbolically represent their ideas. Children should have access to writing materials in all spaces of the classroom.

Literacy-Related Play

When children are given ample opportunities to engage in role play situations, they can develop their oral language skills, build relationships with others, and become problem-solvers.

Also, keep in mind that children learn best through thematic units. So, there should be evidence of a clear theme being studied through the linking of art projects, printed materials, and books throughout the classroom.

Hopefully, the tips inspire your children or students to love reading.

Source:

https://www.scholastic.com

Do your kids show interest in drawing? Or maybe you are a student who aspires to be a painter or illustrator? First, you need to know that drawing is one of the most basic ways to exercise your creativity. No matter what tools you use, a pencil, pen, or crayon, you need to learn the fundamentals of drawing. Here are some basic things to know about drawing techniques for beginners.

Back and Forth

This approach challenges you to move your drawing utensil back and forth across the paper in an even, level motion. Depending on how much pressure you apply, the darker your drawing will appear.

Hatching

This technique involves making tiny ticks on your page. Make sure that each mark is parallel to the other. Lines that are close together will look darker, while lines further apart will indicate highlights.

Cross Hatching

This is the logical extension of the hatching technique. But instead of creating a series of parallel lines, have your marks intersect one another in cross-like formation.

Scribbling

The scribble technique allows your hand the opportunity to fly across the page. Move your pencil in random formation-no precise marks necessary. The more you scrawl all over an area, the darker it will look.

Stippling 

For those who love meticulous processes, this technique might suit you. Stippling involves making a countless amount of tiny dots on your paper. Just like the other techniques, the closer the dots, the darker the drawing.

Blending 

If you are using charcoal or pencil, try blending them. To do so, begin with the back-and-forth technique to cover your paper, and then rub the medium into it. You can use your finger, a blending stick (aka tortillon), or chamois cloth. Another option for blending is to experiment with powdered graphite and use a paintbrush to gradually blend build tone onto your pages.

Source:

https://mymodernmet.com