Role-Play Activities for Kids
Activities are a wonderful way for kids to learn how learning can be fun. Role-play is an excellent way to let your child use her creativity and imagination to the best of her knowledge. Choose from amongst any of the following role play activities for your kids, to create the scenes at your home! Its school time: Kids love pretending to be teachers and act like their favourite teachers. Let your child write a register of her class and pretend to take attendance and mark present or absent. Give her a chalkboard and colourful chalks to enact like a teacher does. Let’s play doctor-doctor: Buy a doctor set for your child and pretend to be a patient. Let her be the doctor and her friend as the nurse. Tell her to check the heartbeats using a stethoscope, prescribe medicines etc. Time to cook something: Role-playing cooking game will help to teach your child the benefits of cooking and learn this unique art with zeal and enthusiasm. It is a fun way for both boys and girls to bond with family and friends. Let’s construct a building: Let your child make buildings with blocks, cushions, books, other household items etc. What would you like to eat? : Allow your child to make a menu and play restaurants with chefs and waiters. This can include taking the table booking, taking your order from the menu, cooking/chopping (or helping you cook), laying the table, serving the food etc. Its shopping time:Pretend shops can be grocery stores, ice cream parlours, etc. Have your child put prices on items and turn it into a great way for her to learn counting and teach the value of money.
How to Plan a Child’s Birthday Party
Planning birthday parties are fun! Here is a simple checklist of the things to do (the to-do list) so as not to miss out on anything while planning for a child’s birthday party. Read the tips to find out how to plan a child’s birthday party: Talk to your child and discuss about what kind of a birthday party she wants to throw. Decide the venue for your child’s birthday party. You can choose to organise the birthday party either at home or somewhere outdoors. Choose a theme for your child’s birthday party. Involve your child to make the guest list including your child’s close friends and family. Personalize the birthday party invitations to fit your theme & style. Purchase the party supplies such as ribbons, streamers, birthday poppers, balloons, khoyi bag, return gifts etc. Either bake the cake or order your child’s favourite cake from a bakery. Serve kid’s favourite food items such as finger fries, pizzas, burgers, potato chips, soft drinks, ice-cream etc. Invite a children’s entertainer to add a lot of fun and value to your child’s birthday party and make it a memorable one. Arrange simple games such as musical chairs, pass the parcel, treasure hunt etc. Make and decorate gift bags depending upon the birthday party theme.
Hot Summer Fun in the Sun
Summers are here and most of us are faced with the question of what to do with all that time in hand? What to do to entertain our little ones and how to engage their curious minds and active bodies? Summer give you an opportunity to make sure that your child stay busy and happy. Moreover, summer can be a great time for you to spend quality time with your child, experience new things, grow in different directions and spend some fun time together as a family. This is the best time of any year when your child is at break and you are at ease because you do not have to get them ready in the morning for school bus or worry about their class tests or pending home assignments etc. So, this summer follow these ideas to make your child feel special and properly channelize her energy & time while having fun during the summers- Ask your child to create a canopy, make a tree swing, make a scarecrow or create a collage out of old magazines and keep your child busy with these activities. Encourage your child to watch the sunrise, make a card for a friend, go stargazing, bead some bracelets and sell them for charity etc. Search for the best camps happening around your city like adventure camps, arts camp, aerobics & dance camps and sports camps and enroll her to a summer camp. Plan a short weekend break to a nearby hill-station, beach or resort and give your child an exciting holiday for her memories. Celebrate summers in cool style by preparing cold snacks, fruit snacks or vegetable sandwiches with your child and make variety of salads etc. Play a variety of indoor games like scrabble, chess etc. to increase your child’s vocabulary and thinking power. Plan for some outdoor games in the evening like volleyball, cricket and lemon spoon race etc. that will build your child’s stamina and keep her physically fit. Watch the all-time favourite movies with your little ones. Try out some famous movies like Mighty Raju Rio Calling, Rio 2, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars, Kung Fu Panda, Toy Story (series) and Lion King etc.. Do lots of day trips with your child and create life time memories. Take her to museums, planetariums, historical monuments, amusement parks, nearby Zoos and Malls. Get a variety of Word Search Books, Puzzles, Sudoku, Tangrams and Ruby Cubes etc. for your child Get the colourful books and encourage her to read aloud. Encourage your child to take up a sport of her interest such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, swimming, horse riding etc. So, summer is about having fun. Whatever your child does, let her enjoy it and always think that by doing this; she will gain something for herself. Just stay positive and productive, whether in the house, outdoors or anywhere. Try to learn new things and live life to the fullest. Wishing you Happy Summers with your child!
How To Handle Unacceptable Behavior
Unacceptable behaviour is quite common in growing children, as it is one of the most common ways through which they express their emotions. Most toddlers and preschoolers show varied signs of unacceptable behaviour such as impatience to wait for their turn, rushing into activities, getting angry easily etc. Such behaviour normally occurs during situations wherein children are hungry, bored, feel lonely & ignored or when they do not get the attention they seek. However, such behaviour should not be allowed to become a part of their personality because unacceptable actions, if not controlled at an early age, can have adverse effects on their own lives as well as affect their relationships with their loved ones. Moreover, children who do not have control over their unacceptable reactions may find it difficult to adjust to the social set-up in which they live, grow and become a part of. Such children are often cornered and disliked by other children of their age and even by adults because through unacceptable reactions, children cause harm not only to themselves but also to the people around them, physically and psychologically. Here are some remedial measures & techniques that you can adopt at home, through which you as a parent can control your child’s unacceptable behaviour. Maintain a loving and understanding atmosphere at home wherein every family member shows respect towards each other. Be very careful with your behaviour towards others in the family in your child’s presence, as she may often pick up and imitate your actions. Unacceptable behaviour may sometimes occur because your child may not be getting the much-required parental attention. So, respond to your child promptly whenever she comes up to you to say something. Your attention, combined with love, will be helpful in keeping your child on the right track and also in reducing her tendency to show unacceptable behaviour. Speak to your child to get a clear picture of what she feels whenever she shows unacceptable reactions such as getting angry instantly, screaming, crying, feeling frustrated etc. In a polite way, ask her why she acts that way and let her express what all is in her mind. This way, you will be able to find out the problem areas and situations that make her show unacceptable reactions. Make your child realise that unacceptable reactions such as throwing or breaking her toys, screaming when angry, will not make her feel good later on, though it may give temporarily relief to her during the particular situation. Further, explain to her that such behaviour will create a bad impression about her, in the minds of others. Do not explain the bad effects of unacceptable behaviour through prolonged lectures. Whenever your child shows unacceptable reactions, try not to respond in anger, as keeping pace with such behaviour will become difficult for you if you also reply angrily. Instead, approach your child with a positive mind & attitude and focus on the remedial ways to control your child’s unacceptable behaviour. Monitor your child’s activities, behaviour and mood swings on any day, to know how she behaves in different circumstances. For this, you need to keep a track of her activities in the daily routine, such as studying, playing with her friends, watching television, dining with the family etc. and check how she reacts to different situations. Observe your child’s television viewing time and take a note of her favourite shows on TV. Even if it is a cartoon show, make sure that your child is not exposed to unacceptable acts of violence on television, as she may get influenced easily & may even imitate such undesirable actions in real life circumstances. Indulge your child in healthy and productive activities such as drawing, reading story books, making crafts etc. Productive activities will keep your child’s mind occupied and will also channelise her energy towards something progressive. Above all, have reasonable expectations from your child, keeping in mind her age & level of development because it is normal for small children to react on impulse, as they do not have the cognitive ability to have control over their responses.
Tips for Picky Eaters
Does your child refuse to eat anything besides junk food items? Or would she rather play than eat anything at all? If children’s nutrition is a sore topic in your household, then you are not alone. Patience and persistence are the two keys for parents to tackle the picky eaters. Parents of these picky eaters need not worry anymore. Just consider the following tips for picky eaters to avoid mealtime battles: Keep Calm-Make mealtimes enjoyable by creating a positive and calm environment for your child. Make sure that your child does not feel pressurized to eat. Do not get angry or lose patience if she takes time to finish her meal. Sit at the Table- Always encourage your child to eat her meals while sitting at the dining table as this will help her to understand that when she sits on the table, she is supposed to eat. Moreover, sitting at the dining table will help her to develop the right sitting posture. Share your Plate- Let your picky eater try food from your plate. Research says that children sometimes prefer to eat what’s on their parents’ plates, as they are aware that their food is different. Minimize Distractions- Most children can concentrate better when the environment at mealtimes is not distracting. Ensure that when your child is eating; her favourite toy/game should be kept well out of her sight. Also, turn off the T.V. or radio during mealtime. Stick to a Schedule- If your child eats very little or has no appetite, try to feed her at specific intervals; i.e. within every 3-4 hours. Strictly avoid snacks to encourage complete appetite for your child. If you eat this, you will be just like..: Children love to act just like their favourite character/cartoon character. So, motivate your child to eat certain healthy food items that will help them to be like their favourite characters.
How to Help the Child Who Stammers
Stammering is an age old problem associated with talking that has afflicted many people, especially children. Kids who stammer, present puzzling problems not only to parents but to the teachers as well. It becomes extremely difficult for them to identify the cause(s) behind breaks in fluency of speech and variations on different days. Also, there have been instances when a child faces stammering problem in school, while parents do not observe any such problem at home. Here are the tips to help child who stammers: Help the child in all possible ways so as to make her feel normal. Reduce communication stress by speaking slowly and calmly & by using simple words. Do not over-react if the child hesitates or repeats the words while talking. Do not let the child speak if she is crying, injured or upset, to avoid getting stammering response. Ensure the child that you are listening to her attentively by looking at her, not interrupting her while she talks and accept a certain amount of disfluency in her speech. If the child wants to know about her stammering, discuss about it in an open, calm and acceptable manner. If out of frustration, the child stammers, then reassure her by explaining her that sometimes even adults face trouble while talking. Do not allow anyone to tease, interrupt, imitate or make a mockery of the child’s speech. Instead, encourage a favourable attitude and try to explain the nature of stammering to them. Strictly do not insist the child not to stammer as this may lead to greater chances to force the words out. Keep the child away from failing whenever possible as anxiety and distress are amongst the major reasons that cause stammering while speech.
Affirmations to Help Your Infant Learn About Being and Trust
[ If your baby is ‘beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time,’ you’re the grandma.] — Theresa Bloomingdale The developmental task of all new babies is to trust that the world will support them, to know they are welcome in the family, and to learn that simply “being” in the world is important. With recent research on the brain, we know that bonding at this stage can set the foundation for the rest of the child’s life. When parents recognize what their child needs at this first stage of growth, they can give them the affirmations on which to build a solid foundation. Of course, when we speak of “affirmations” for infants, we don’t particularly mean words, although even very young children can recognize their mothers voice at birth. Nevertheless, you may wonder how affirmations apply to an infant since a newborn hasn’t learned a language yet. But the messages parents and others give to newborns aren’t expressed only in words. Babies learn it is their right to be in the world and to have their needs taken care of when their caregivers bond with them emotionally and gently nurture them with touch and loving care. That is why a soothing tone of voice is as important for an infant as the verbal encouragement offered a toddler who is afraid to go down a slide. Every time you gently hold a baby who has been fussing, you are teaching her that the world is a safe place to be. Every time you feed her when she has been crying, you are teaching her that she can get her needs met by letting others know what she wants. When you respond to her needs quickly and sensitively, she gradually learns how to comfort herself. When you talk with her as you change her diaper or put her in the car seat, you build on the language capacity her brain is programmed to develop. Affirmations needed by all babies from birth to six months of age—and by everyone else as well: We’re glad you’re here, because this is where you belong. We love holding you and having you near us. We will provide what you need because your needs are important to us. You can take your time to grow up at your own pace. We cherish you because you are a gift to the world. We will dream great dreams for you.
Tips to Photograph Your Children
Photographing the children to make memories is something that every parent wishes to do. As kids grow up quite fast, so they do not want to miss out any chance to capture the special moments of their kids childhood. So, to enhance the quality of your children’s photographs and turn them into lifelong precious memories, simply follow the below mentioned tips & tricks. Trust your abilities as a photographer. You do not have to be technically perfect to click photographs of your children. Always focus the camera on your child’s eyes. To get the real essence while taking the picture of your children, just let them be themselves. To make the children comfortable in front of the camera, simultaneously, show them the pictures you click. To get the best photos, strictly avoid harsh light. Ensure that the background of the picture should neither be too distracting nor too overpowering. Try taking pictures of your children from different angles. Do not make them conscious by forcing them to say cheese or saying ready steady 1-2-3 etc. To get some authentic expressions and candid moments, plan an activity or event around your children, while clicking their photographs. Select clothes that both look good and comfortable for your children, so that they come across in a casual, relaxed and natural mood. It is not a herculean task to take great photographs of your children. You just need to have the patience and energy to capture some pretty good photographs, without having to worry about expensive camera. Simply an interesting situation and good lighting are enough to capture the best photographs of your children.
How To Make Balloon Plants
Making Balloon Plants is a wonderful activity! You can also use them to give as gifts, or to make at parties. Kids love making them and you will enjoy watching your new plant grow:) 1. Hold a balloon firmly by the neck. The neck is the long part. Use a funnel, and pour 1/2 cup of dirt into the balloon. Don’t turn the balloon over. (Try to find clear balloons to use.) 2. Keep holding the balloon by the neck. Add about 1/4 cup of water through the funnel. Be sure the soil in the balloon is wet. It shouldn’t be soggy, though. 3. Use the funnel to drop the radish seeds into the balloon. Don’t turn the balloon over. 4. If the balloon is dirty, wipe it carefully with a washcloth. 5. Now you’re ready to blow up your balloon! Keep holding it gently by the neck. Now carefully blow air into the balloon. You need to keep the balloon from tipping. 6. Tie a knot in the neck to keep the air in the balloon. Tie a ribbon around the knot. 7. Tie the balloon to a hook or other place near a window. The neck should be the top. 8. Your balloon plant is ready to begin growing!
You Can Teach Your Child How to Swim
Want to make learning to swim a natural part of your child’s life? Adhere to the following points to make this experience both enjoyable as well safe for your child: Make sure that the water is at the right temperature for your child. You can check this if after gently rubbing the water over your child’s skin, she smiles back at you. Beware of all water hazards and keep rescue equipment such as a plastic ring, a reaching pole, a first-aid kit etc. handy. Dress your child in a swim suit to prevent leakage of fecal matter in the water. Set a time limit for her to stay in the water. Do not force her to stay inside water for more than 5-7 minutes in the starting. Avoid teaching your child how to swim when the sunlight is at its peak. Also, always use an appropriate sunscreen suitable for your child’s skin. Do not leave your child alone in the water. Teach her how to be comfortable and remain at ease while putting her face in the water. Show how to blow bubbles and hold her breathe by allowing her to practice it in the tub or pool. Once your child gets comfortable in the water, hold her hands firmly and help her to stand in the water. Teach your child to float and help her learn how to kick. Always be enthusiastic, happy and full of excitement to make it a joyous teaching-learning experience. Try to swim at least three days a week to achieve the best results.