Category: kids books

Why Parents Should Cut Down Screen Time For Kids

Posted on | by KD Novelties
Playing with Tablet

As we add more and more devices to our home, we constantly wonder whether we should be cutting down our kids’ time spent in front of them. According to recent studies, the answer to this question we have all asked ourselves is “yes”. While devices such as television, tablets, phones and others have shown to be helpful in the realms of building literacy skills, however, it can also detract from personal family interaction that comes from talking face-to-face. The positive effects of doing so has been shown to significantly increase children’s social, behavioral and physical well being. It has even shown to help improve academic performance.

A balance of stimulation and activity is incredibly important for kids whose minds are still growing and developing. In these early and impressionable stages, many behaviors and modes of thinking become ingrained in their behavior which can affect their future relationships with others as well as themselves. Telling your kids to step away from the tablet, TV or computer can help them develop more well-rounded skills that can ensure their future success, academically and personally. Activities such as spending time as a family, going outside or on a joint trip to the park, reading a book and other activities are beneficial. Using tools such as our interactive personalized kids books and music CDs, can help entice kids to get involved in an activity that does not have a screen. With these sorts of personalized educational activities, kids can be introduced to other forms of spending time if they see a book or hear a story or a song all about them. 
You can even make other activities more personalized if you’re having a difficult time coaxing your kids from the screens. Playing their favorite games with them, encouraging them to engage in conversation about their daily lives and participating in arts and crafts are all other great outlets for learning and social interaction. Whether you are with your kids or your kids are engaging with siblings and friends, a variety of activities is best for a growing and developing brain.

Click to view our personalized books for kids to help in cutting down screen time!

Light Up Your Child’s Imagination With Reading

Posted on | by KD Novelties
The benefits of reading are widely known. Reading builds upon a person’s ability to communicate by expressing their inner thoughts and feelings or recounting events in an effective way.  A love for reading has been known to act as a precursor to a lifelong love of learning. Being able to read and read well makes it easier for individuals, especially kids, to grasp new concepts and bits of information. This aspect of reading is perhaps the most important. Reading and acquiring information helps children have more vivid imaginations, and according to studies conducted by child-development experts, imagination plays an important part in cognitive development.
Reading Personalized Books

Believe it or not, an active imagination helps kids understand reality. The ability to imagine scenarios, stories, and characters helps kids learn about other people. When we converse, we share stories. When we listen to stories our friends and family tell us, we are being asked to imagine a series of events that have not directly happened to us. Imagination helps kids learn this valuable concept. It also helps them grasp abstract ideas like the future or the presence of possibilities beyond the present.

Reading is a fundamental tool to developing imagination. The outcome of reading helps children and readers of any age, to imagine things that are not directly happening to them or relaying information they are not directly observing. 
Personalized books can help reluctant readers develop a love for learning as well as develop fundamental imagination skills. Our personalized kids books help kids imagine themselves in the stories they are reading and makes it easier for them to mentally place themselves within these abstract scenarios and situations since they are placed directly into the story. Therefore, children can better transition into reading books about other characters and grasping more abstract concepts and ideas.
Browse our large selection of children’s personalized books that promote literacy, build self-esteem, and enhances the imagination of children of all ages.

10 Ways to Teach Kids About Earth Day – April 22, 2014

Posted on | by KD Novelties
Earth Day 2014
Earth day comes at a time of year when the green starts to finally peek through the layers of melting snow. Teaching kids about Earth Day isn’t just a great way to beckon the spring or to get kids outside, but encourages a healthy respect for the planet we live on. Teaching kids about Earth Day is important. It will not only help them become more enthusiastic about spending time outdoors, but will help foster a positive and responsible relationship with our planet. Today’s kids will soon be responsible for the planet’s well being, so teach them about how important it is to be respectful and responsible about taking care of our universal home.
  
1.     National Geographic is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the world around them. There is so much of the world they have not seen and looking at the vivid images in the pages of National Geographic or National Geographic Kids is a great way to introduce them to the world, it’s beauty, as well as books about the subject that will help encourage them to keep learning.
2.     Picture books and informational books are great ways to introduce kids to the idea of Earth Day while also teaching them about the beauty the holiday is trying to save and protect. Books can also teach them about pollution and its effects. Personalized Books such as My Fishing Adventure, My Camping Adventure or My Tea Party can help inspire kids to look forward to outdoor adventures. When kids see themselves embarking on journeys in these completely personalized books, they will be more excited about returning outdoors. 
My Fishing Adventure Personalized Book
3.     Documentaries. There are plenty of documentaries that are kid friendly while still being informative and captivating. Nature documentaries such as Planet Earth or Disney’s Earth are great ways to garner interest in the world and its natural beauty. Other fun kid friendly movies with a powerful message about conservation and recycling may include movies as both versions of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax or the animated film Ferngully.
4.     Next, go out and experience the world while bringing kids along, of course! Go for a walk, visit a park, take a stroll through the forest, go on a hike! Take pictures, play I Spy games to identify and spot animals or plants, or any number of interactive activities. Introduce kids to nature and help them develop a personal relationship with it.
My Camping Adventure Personalized Book
5.     Play games! Spend as much time outside as possible. The ability to enjoy the outdoors and even play sports relies on keeping the earth healthy. Find ways to play games in parks or open fields, places where nature is truly at work. For instance, activities such as swimming can be relocated to rivers, lakes or oceans. Make nature a part of children’s lives.
6.     Gardening is a wonderful way to teach kids about the environment, the importance of planting trees and preserving plants, forests, and other natural landscapes. Build a garden in the backyard or partake in the Earth Day tradition of planting a tree.
7.     Begin composting! Have the kids take part in the process. This will teach them about how harmful plastics and other materials are to the earth while others are apart of its natural cycle.
8.     Have them help with recycling. Explain the importance of recycling and why certain materials are recycled while others are not. A bit like composting, having kids help sort through the recycling makes the activity a daily routine, making it a part of their lives, and will inform them of why it is important to recycle in the first place.
9.     Visit a zoo, botanical garden, wildlife reserve, or a national park. Have kids experience the wealth of life that depends on the health of mother earth. Have them listen to the zookeepers and park rangers about saving and protecting the animals as well as the places in which they live. Many species are endangered due to activities such as pollution and the grazing of vast forests. When kids see the animals up close, they can better sympathize with them and understand their story while understanding that earth is our home as much as theirs. They can learn to appreciate the beauty of life while developing a respect for nature.
10.   Volunteer to clean up a local park or other community area. Getting involved is a great way to instill Earth Day spirit. Go to a park or any other natural location you visit frequently and volunteer to help clean it. The people who use these spaces are responsible for keeping them safe and clean. Kids will grow an understanding of personal responsibility while also having fun.
 Teaching kids about Earth Day is important, not just for their own benefit but for our own as well. The kids are our future and they will one day be in charge of taking care of the world we all live in. By dispensing the proper knowledge and encouraging positive action and inspiration, kids will continue these habits throughout their lifetime and will continue to protect our planet.