The Importance of Early Learning

Early childhood is a time that is often viewed as a moment in life where children are free to just play. While this is true, it is also important to realize how critical these early play experiences are for a child’s development. Children are naturally curious about the world and love engaging in new experiences that offer them a new perspective. While it may look like a child is just playing, they actually are picking up valuable skills in language, science and mathematics that may not be obvious to others at first glance. As your child enters these amazing years full of wonder, provide them with these educational activities that stimulate learning by tapping into their interests.

Develop Social Skills Through Dramatic Play

Dress up may be cute to watch from an adult’s perspective, but children engaged in imaginative play truly allow themselves to try on new personas. Helping to put out a fire in an imaginary village or pretending to serve food to their friends in a restaurant promotes a sense of the importance that each person has in a community. It also gives young children a chance to practice social skills such as asking for help or ordering food in a restaurant. And, as they talk to each other, their language and vocabulary skills also rapidly improve.

Teach Science by Nurturing a Love for Nature

Children are fascinated by science, and real life experiences are critical for creating an environment that satisfies their curiosity. For young children, planting a seed and watching as it grows into a fruit-producing plant is a lesson about the cycle of life that they will always remember. Helping to water the plant or feed an animal teaches responsibility and the importance of caring for the environment. Nature walks through the wilderness also give kids the chance to examine rocks, flowers and other types of natural elements as they develop their skills in scientific exploration.

Promote Creativity and Self-Expression Through Art

Finger paints and play dough are staples of every early childhood program, but the teachers do not use these materials just to keep the children busy. These types of experiences promote sensory awareness, which is important for helping kids learn how to express themselves and make sense of the world around them. In addition to strengthening their fine motor skills, using a brush to swirl paint across paper gives young children a positive experience with self-expression.

Get That Little Body Moving in Fun Exercise Classes

Energetic preschoolers may look like little wiggle worms as they run around a room, but all that activity is critical for their physical development. During these formative years, participating in age-appropriate exercise classes is perfect for helping kids develop gross motor skills while learning how to work with others as a team. Whether your child loves tumbling with other tots or learning how to climb on a rock wall, testing their abilities at an early age fosters the development of self-confidence.

Looking in on a preschool class is likely to make you look back with fond memories of the days when you spent your days playing with clay. Yet, it is easy to forget about how important these types of experiences were for your healthy development. Today, much is understood about how much learning truly goes on in the early childhood years and, by filling your child’s day with a wide range of educational activities, you can nurture their interests while providing them with the experiences they need for healthy development.

Let your kids enjoy the birthday party experience at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/year-round-programs/school-year-programs/ to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

Crazy-Fun Birthday Party Ideas

Kids look forward to their birthdays all year long, and it is easy to understand why. On top of turning one more year older, they get to enjoy being the center of attention with their family and friends. For parents, however, birthday planning can get complicated when it seems as if everyone has done the usual bounce house and cartoon character parties. This year, give your kid a true surprise by using these crazy-fun birthday party ideas as inspiration for adding some excitement to the special occasion.

Have a Blast With Laser Tag

Kids love futuristic play, and laser tag is one activity that just gets better when kids can play with a huge crowd. As kids divide into teams and devise their strategies, the parents will get a kick out of watching to see who emerges as the leaders. Your guests will also love the adrenaline rush that comes from stepping into a world where every move could make them a target. After running, leaping and rolling to dodge the blasts, your guests will be blissfully tired by the time you are ready for the cake to be served.

Encourage Them to Climb the Walls

Forget throwing a birthday party where your whole goal as the host is to stop the kids from climbing the walls. With a rock climbing party, your guests can be as wild as they please. Since you know that they will be safely harnessed and guided by trained professionals, you can relax as the party literally hits full swing. The best part is that even kids who have climbed before will feel like it is a new experience, since there is always a new challenge to conquer such as scaling to a new height.

Host a Battle of the Boats

Pin-the-tail on the donkey may have kept your kid entertained when they were two, but older kids need a bigger competition than the classic birthday fare. This year, put a new twist on a nautical theme by arranging for your party attendees to go on a boating adventure. If they’ve never left dry land before, then is no need for worries. Bumper boats are safe and easy enough for young kids to operate with supervision. Just make sure to grab your waterproof camera to capture all those bumps and laughter in action.

Put on a Dramatic Production

Over the years, your kid has become quite the character and their birthday is the perfect place to highlight their creativity. Give your child a birthday that they will always remember by encouraging them and their friends to put on a play. Whether they recreate an old favorite or improvise a completely new production, having an array of props and costumes will set the stage for a memorable dramatic event.

Birthday parties are the one time of the year when you get to show your kid how special they are to your family. Yet, coming up with an awesome theme and activities gets more difficult as your kid gets older. By choosing activities that challenge your guests to use their bodies and minds in new ways, you will keep them interested and ensure that your next celebration leaves a long-lasting impression.

Let your kids experience the a fun birthday celebration at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/year-round-programs/birthday-parties/ to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

 

5 Important Reasons Why Parents Should Introduce Gymnastics to Kids

Gymnastics offers kids an opportunity to stretch outside of their comfort zone and learn new skills. At first, it can be scary to watch your child leap and flip using gymnastic equipment. However, every new lesson is carefully designed to build upon a child’s existing skills as they use floor mats and other safety equipment under the guidance of a professional instructor. Introducing gymnastics to your child at an early age will provide these benefits in addition to giving your child an opportunity to just have fun.

Safe Risks Build Confidence

It is always exciting to watch the expressions on a beginner gymnast’s face as they watch their peers with advanced skills perform tricks such as a back handspring. Gymnastics gives kids the chance to turn what seems like an impossible feat into an accomplishment. Since gymnastic lessons break complicated tricks down into simple steps, kids gain confidence with each new skill they master.

Exercise Eases Challenging Behavior

Kids today are often forced to sit for hours in their academic classrooms, which sometimes leads to behavior problems. In gymnastics class, kids get to burn off their energy while learning how to harness their ability to focus on completing a routine. They learn to respect their coaches, and looking forward to gymnastics after school gives kids motivation to stay on their best behavior.

Flexibility and Balance Decrease the Risk of Injury

Stretching is a primary component of every gymnastics class since limber muscles help a child maneuver through complicated elements as they perform their routines. Children also learn balance as they work on equipment such as the balance beam, and they build core muscle skills that give them control over their movements. Flexibility and balance are two important parts of physical fitness, and they make kids less likely to sustain injuries such as sprained ankles during other sports activities.

Visualization Positively Impacts Academics

Often, while watching a gymnastics competition, you will see competitors take a moment before they begin to visualize the routine in their mind. Children are encouraged to practice mentally working through their skills during times when they are not in class since that impacts their ability to achieve a perfect score. Memorizing routines and strengthening body memory also help kids stay focused in school. Children who struggle with paying attention in class learn to apply these same visualization skills toward accomplishing both academic and athletic goals.

Foster Desirable Character Traits

Every parent wants their child to learn the value of teamwork, independence and perseverance. Gymnastics stands out from other types of sports because it allows kids to compete individually while also working as a team. Mastering a new skill, such as a dismount on the vault, takes multiple efforts that teach children how to overcome failure to reach their fullest potential.

In a gymnastics gym, it may look like chaos as children are flipping on bars and jumping on trampolines. Yet, every lesson in gymnastics class is strategically planned to give kids the support they need to become advanced gymnasts who can compete with confidence. While learning how to support their peers celebrating a perfect dismount, setting their eyes on a goal and making it happen influences every part of a child’s life.

Let your kids experience gymnastics at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/year-round-programs/school-year-programs/ to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

How to Get Kids to Do Their Homework

Trying to get kids to do their homework can become a nightly battle that fills your evenings with dread. Yet, you know that practicing the skills they are learning at school will reinforce new concepts while teaching your child the importance of education. Teachers today must keep their classes moving at a fast pace to keep up with their school’s standards, which means that skipping homework can leave your son or daughter falling behind. While you cannot wish homework away, you can make it easier for them to stay motivated for completing their assignments by implementing these simple strategies.

Establish a Set Time for Doing Homework

Kids do best with a routine and setting a specific time for doing homework will eliminate those last-minute rushes to complete an assignment. Talk to your child about the times when they are best able to think. Usually, this time will be in between after school and dinner when they are not yet tired out from the day’s events. Once you agree upon a time, stick to it. Your child can use an alarm or other type of reminder to let them know when it is time to get started.

Set Up a Study Space

A defined study space gives your child a place to store supplies so that they can avoid time wasters such as searching for a pen and paper. It also ensures that they will not be distracted by other activities that are going on in your home such as a television blaring in the background. Find a quiet space in your house where your child can focus without such distractions. Then add a desk, chair and shelves that they can use to complete their work.

Sign Them Up for an After-School Program

For many kids, homework battles occur because they do not understand the assignments. In these cases, having homework assistance from a professional tutor will help your child learn critical skills without getting frustrated. After school programs make it a point to provide a special place and time for kids to study so they are prepared to get straight to work. Knowing that they will also have time afterward to participate in their favorite activities such as sports also motivates kids to get those assignments completed.

Support Your Child’s Changing Needs

As your child begins to respond to your strategies, it is important to acknowledge their progress. Let your child know that you are proud of them for completing their homework, and ask if there are ways that you could provide extra support. For example, your child may ask for one-on-one tutoring if they are struggling in a tough subject such as mathematics or writing. Enrichment courses in science and the arts can also help reinforce skills that will make doing homework easier.

Homework may seem arbitrary to kids, but teachers truly do hand out those assignments with the best intentions in mind. Although you know that doing their homework will lead to success in the future, your child may need some convincing. By setting them up with a defined space and time to study, along with homework assistance, your son or daughter can finally look forward to the feeling of satisfaction that comes with showing up to school with their assignments complete.

Let your kids experience academic tutoring at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/year-round-programs/school-year-programs/ to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

The Best Ways to Improve Your Child's Vocabulary

Helping your child develop an extensive vocabulary will ensure they succeed academically and socially. Not only will a large vocabulary help them sail through standardized tests, but it also enables them to speak to their peers and authority figures with confidence. However, this is one skill that is best taught by surrounding your child with multiple types of support. As you plan ways to improve your child’s vocabulary, use these strategies to give them the best chances for success.

Encourage Them to Read Challenging Books

From the moment you open that very first book with your child, you are exposing them to a world full of words. In the early years, many parents offer books that are simple to read so that their new reader does not become frustrated. However, it is also important to provide reading challenges that inspire your child to look up new words. Talk to your child’s teacher and academic tutor about your child’s current reading level. This way, they can guide you to a selection of books that will challenge your child without being overly frustrating.

Use Rich Vocabulary Around Your Child

As a parent, it is important to model desired behaviors, and using rich vocabulary around your child helps them learn how to use new words in their appropriate contexts. Avoid using baby talk or simplifying your language. Instead, speak carefully, and be willing to provide explanations for the meaning of new words when your child asks.

Enroll in Academic Tutoring

Individualized learning experiences are important for helping your child learn new words and how to use them correctly. Academic tutoring provides targeted instruction that is tailored to your child’s abilities. Whether they play a word game with their teacher or practice speaking with a group of their peers, each tutoring lesson will focus on implementing strategies that makes learning new vocabulary words fun and effective for your child.

Create Opportunities to Practice

Simply memorizing a list of vocabulary words will not help your child remember them in casual conversation. For this reason, social opportunities are critical while your child is strengthening their oral language skills. After school programs, such as tutoring and sports, are great ways to extend your child’s language learning beyond the school day. It is also important to stretch their vocabulary through enrichment opportunities such as science clubs and fine arts lessons.

Provide Supportive Feedback

When a child makes attempts to use new words, it is important to acknowledge their successes while providing supportive correction for mistakes. Make it a point to notice when your child uses a word that is new to their vocabulary. If they use a word incorrectly, give them the correct word or help them see how to make it fit the sentence. This helps to reinforce their learning while also building their confidence to take a risk in casual conversations.

Building your child’s vocabulary is a process that begins early in their academic years. Yet, nurturing a love for learning new words pays off as your child begins searching for the meaning of new words they hear. By implementing multiple strategies that support word acquisition into your child’s daily routine, you will be seeing noticeable results in their conversations and knowledge every time you talk about their day.

Let your kids experience academic tutoring at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/year-round-programs/school-year-programs/ to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

Preschool Crafts to Enhance Motor Skills

The picture of a young child covered in paint sums up the joys of childhood perfectly. Yet, children are doing more than just having fun when they participate in arts and crafts activities. Crafts allow children to express their creativity while also building essential motor skills that will impact their entire learning experience. When adults know how to maximize crafting experiences to their full potential every child can benefit from building their motor skills while enjoying creative play.

How Crafting Builds Motor Skills

Preschool crafts are best known for helping to strengthen a child’s fine motor skills. Pinching clay, tearing paper and holding a paintbrush all help a child to develop their pincher grasp, which is necessary for writing. Crafts can also help a child develop their gross motor skills when parents and educators are willing to turn art into a whole body experience. For example, feet painting on long strips of butcher paper helps children develop their walking skills and painting on an easel stimulates a child’s back and shoulder muscles so that they will be better able to throw and catch a ball.

Preschool Crafts for Fine Motor Skills

When adults look back on their favorite summer camp and school experiences, they often recount the art projects they made as a young child. Many of these craft projects are still popular today such as making sculptures out of play dough. Preschoolers also love making jewelry. Pipe cleaners and pony beads make simple bracelets and lacing each bead onto the pipe cleaner is perfect for strengthening fine motor skills and eye hand coordination. Weaving construction paper placemats, painting with a small brush and cutting out shapes with scissors for a collage are a few more crafts that are excellent for building fine motor abilities.

Gross Motor Craft Ideas

In preschool, crafts do not have to be sit-down projects. In fact, making art bigger is the ideal way to develop a young child’s ability to run, jump and throw. For example, splatter painting outside encourages a child to use their arms while walking around the canvas. Preschoolers can also make musical instruments, such as paper plate maracas and hold a parade for their friends and family. Murals are another fun project for kids that get them moving. Simply hang a large piece of paper up on a wall, and let the kids use a short step stool to practice their climbing skills while reaching their paintbrush to the top of the mural.

Crafting Tips for Preschoolers

Making art with preschoolers is always fun, yet it is important to carefully choose your projects. Since you never want to ruin the fun by worrying about messes, make sure that you plan your project to take place in a kid-friendly zone. Open-ended craft projects work best so provide a variety of materials from which kids can choose to express their creativity. Finally, have fun. The actual product is never as important as just letting the kids enjoy the process.

Kids and crafts just go together and making beautiful works of art is a great way to encourage preschoolers to move their growing bodies. Whether the child in your life needs to work on their ability to hold a pencil or develop their balance, there is a craft project available to help them build their skills. By taking the time to enjoy a crafting moment with your child, you can simultaneously build motor skills while letting them express their creativity.

Let your kids experience preschool learning fun at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site at http://maplewoodyearround.com/about/news/look-at-what-is-new/  to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

 

6 Things About Academic Tutoring You Should Know

There comes a time in many children’s school careers when they are simply struggling with a particular subject or concept. Should you notice your youngster falling behind in math or worried about not reading as well as classmates, it may be time to seek out a tutoring program whether through the school, at a community center or at a specialized summer camp. Timely addition of tutoring can make a huge difference in your youngster’s school success.

Individualized Learning Experience

There’s nothing like individual attention to help youngsters grasp hard-to-learn concepts and work through stumbling blocks. Today’s classrooms are often crowded and busy. Quiet, struggling children are easily lost in the crowd, and individual tutoring or small group instruction allows these youngsters to better reach their potential. Kids are also more comfortable in the non-threatening atmosphere of tutoring, where they can work at their own speed without worrying about the performance or opinion of other students. With less pressure, students are more at ease and better able to overcome with academic problem areas.

Becoming a Better Learner

A good tutoring program can give young students the chance to become better learners, to think independently and to develop improved problem solving skills. A good tutor can help a child hone study habits and learning strategies that can stand him in good stead in a variety of subjects throughout his academic career. It’s also helpful for kids to see that they aren’t alone in their struggles with math or reading, and success can also breed success. When kids see others with similar academic problems begin to succeed, they realize that they can too.

Value of Hard Work

Tutors aren’t intended to do your child’s home work for him. Rather, a good tutor can develop a child’s appreciation of the rewards of hard work. Much as a coach can’t hit a home run for a young baseball player, a tutor can’t perform a student’s school work but can show him how to maximize his efforts. For a child, knowing that better school performance and better grades are earned by their own hard work is an invaluable lesson and a great character builder.

Immediate Feedback

Unlike homework and class assignments, individual or small group tutoring means your child will get immediate feedback on work done. Although this can seem like criticism to your child if he’s not used to tutoring, it’s a great way to speed along the learning process. Also, one-on-one attention means your student can ask as many questions as he wants without worrying about whether class might think the question is “stupid”. Immediate answers to questions means concepts can be grasped more quickly.

Super Parent Resource

Because a tutor is spending one-on-one time with your youngster, it means the tutor can be a valuable resource for you as a parent. Stay updated on the progress of current and upcoming sessions and ask the tutor about his own experiences with studying and taking tests and how they may help your child in their home studies.

Improving Academic Performance and Stopping the Summer Slide

High quality tutoring, based on the child’s needs as identified by parents, teachers and the child herself, leads to improved performance with school work, homework and tests. However, even when one particular goal has been achieved, a youngster may need occasional remediation in problem areas. A good tutoring program is geared to helping kids with needs that may change throughout their academic career. Additionally, many kids lose ground during summer when they’ve stopped using their academic skills. Depending on the student, this may mean the loss of several months of learning. Tutoring during the warm weather months can help your child start school in the fall right at or above grade level.

Resource:

Let your kids experience academic tutoring fun at Maplewood Summer Day Camp. Experienced staff will keep your child both safe and busy with arts and crafts, games, water sports, gymnastics and more. Visit the site to see the fun your child will have at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.