Easy Ways to Inspire Your Child’s Imagination

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Imagination is a wonderful thing, but make-believe is more than just about playtime. Sure, having a vivid imagination can often lead to artistic creativity and daydreaming, but having an active imagination can also be beneficial for developing minds in other ways. Imagination, or the ability to create and imagine things mentally, allows for conceptual problem-solving, abstract concepts, and other types of intangible thought to thrive. Kids with active imaginations are better at solving complex problems, learning new things, and embracing abstract ideas.

One of the most important thing a parent or guardian can do is to encourage this kind of thought and to continually inspire their children to think big and be creative.

Tell a Story

Storytelling has inspired mankind’s imaginations for millennia and it continues to do so every day. As much as storytelling lends itself to movies, tv and video games, try simply telling your children bedtime stories without any other kind of medium – that way, kids can see the characters and the setting in their head. Ask them how they picture things or to describe what they see in their mind’s eye to encourage them to think actively. Feel free to use a book for inspiration, but making up a story on your own can be fun, too!

Get Crafty

Making and looking at art is another way to help get your child’s creativity flowing. Make holiday-themed decorations or encourage them to adorn their bedrooms with creations of their own. Ask them to make their favorite characters or write a story that they can share with you later. Experimenting with different mediums can be an adventure as well. Purchase an art kit or have fun at your local craft store by just picking out random items and seeing what your child thinks of doing with them on their own.

The Great Outdoors

Nature has proven to be inspirational for artists, writers, and visionaries for centuries. Having a personal relationship with nature is good for your health, but it can also help keep kids inspired and amused with wonder. Go for hikes, long walks, and visit national parks if you can. Try to find local areas that house different types of landscapes or features like large forests, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and more.

Expand Their Horizons

It can be easy for parents and children to get trapped in their own little worlds, thinking of little else but home, work, and school on a day to day basis. Try and teach your kids about other cultures, travel to different places, and expose them to history, myths and legends, different cuisines, and other fun things. Exploration has inspired humans since the dawn of time, so let your kids discover the world around them, too. Encourage them to keep learning and experience new things, even when they are no longer kids but only kids at heart.

How Personalized Books Inspire The Joy of Reading

Posted on | by KD Novelties

personalized books

Avid readers tend to carry a very special trait. We are the daydreamers. We are the ones who can come up with a thousand scenarios and the ones who will mourn a fictional character. Reading is more than a hobby. It gives us hope and inspiration. It opens our mind to things we had never thought of before and worlds where we can get lost in.

It is only natural then, that we would want our children to have that same love for reading.

personalized books

Why Reading Is Crucial For Children

Researchers have found that reading to our children should start as early as when the baby is in the womb, mainly because when we read, our tone changes and babies can listen to our voice.

Reading is a way for us to build a stronger bond with our children as we slow down, open the book and have a more peaceful moment to spend together during the day. Books ignite our children’s imagination and they will learn to be more empathic as they read about people who are different from them — people of different cultures and ways of life.

Books also arm children with stronger literacy skills, which is especially important, seeing as 34 percent of children entering kindergarten have been found to lack basic language skills.

personalized books

How Personalized Books Help Your Kids Fall In Love With Reading

Reading them Dr. Suess or The Little Prince is a magical reading experience in itself but what personalized books can do is to get your kids to create a more profound connection with reading. Having them be the stars of a magical story is a way to ensure that reading will become an immersive experience for them and a more interesting way to spend time.

With personalized books, you can choose to tell them the story you want. You can have them learn about their family’s history in a more exciting way or you can put them in situations that are out of this world. It is a medium where they can learn to deal with challenges and strange situations in a safe environment and learn how to think logically along the way.

Children today are tempted by the fleeting entertainment of iPads and TVs. Give them the tools they need to fall in love with reading. And, of course, an even better way to inspire younger children is to read to them every night before they go to sleep. With a personalized book, they’ll dream themselves into every story you tell.

10 Reasons to Hide iPads from Your Kids

Posted on | by KD Novelties

From the moment your kids are able to hold something in their hands, they will probably be grabbing your tablet to try to use it. Kids love technology, and many parents love that all they have to do to entertain their kids is hand them a tablet. There are many benefits to allowing your kids to use tablets, including familiarizing them with technology at an early age, but there are also some serious drawbacks. Here are 10 reasons you may want to hide your iPad from your kids:

Poor Sleep Quality

School-aged children need 9-11 hours of sleep per night, but their sleep may be affected by exposure to tablets. If children sleep with tablets in their rooms, they may be more tempted to stay up late and play games, watch shows, or surf the web. But, the device can interfere with your child’s sleep even after it has been shut off. The blue light from the screen tricks your child’s brain into thinking it’s daylight, so he or she may struggle to fall or stay asleep.

Vision Problems

Staring at a tablet screen for a long period of time can cause eye strain, which may affect your child’s vision in the future. In fact, the problem is so serious that it’s recommended that children let their eyes rest every 20 minutes by looking away from the screen for 20 seconds.

Posture Pains

If your child uses a tablet too long, he may develop aches and pains related to how he is holding the device. For example, his head, neck, and wrists may start to ache because of the way he grips the device. The repetitive motions of tapping on different icons, scrolling through pages, or sending texts and emails can lead to strain injuries, especially in the fingers and hands. The only way to prevent them? By taking a break from using these devices!

Emotional Recognition

A University of California, Los Angeles study found that children who have regular access to technological devices had more trouble reading human emotions than children who did not use these devices. This could affect a child’s ability to connect with others or feel empathy.

Changes to the Brain’s Gray Matter

Research has shown that those who spend a great deal of time in front of a screen experience loss of tissue volume in gray matter areas in the brain. This affects the areas of a child’s brain that control planning, organizing, and impulse control, which could severely limit your child’s development.

Screen Addiction

Kids could become addicted to screens if they use their tablets frequently. Research has shown that screen addiction is real. For instance, researchers have found that dopamine is released into the brain when kids play video games.

Weak Cognitive Muscles

When children listen to their parents reading a story, their brains must process every word and help them visualize what is going on. But, when they use a tablet, the words and pictures are right there, so they don’t have to exert as much effort into following the story. Over time, this may weaken their cognitive muscles and slow down their development.

Loss of Social Skills

Kids need to communicate face-to-face with parents, classmates, and teachers in order to develop strong social skills. But, the more time they spend on their tablets, the less time they will spend interacting with others. This could affect their ability to foster healthy relationships with other people in their adult lives.

Increased Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

People with metabolic syndrome may suffer from obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar, and are at a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Unfortunately, children who spend a lot of time in front of a screen are at a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome as they get older. These children remained in the high risk category even if they balanced their excessive screen time with moderate physical activity, which shows the only way to lower their risk would be to reduce screen time.

Aggressive Behavior

Kids often choose to play violent video games or watch violent shows on their tablets. This love for violence could translate into aggressive behavior as your child grows older.

Although there are many benefits to tablets, there are also downsides to using these devices. The next time your child reaches for a tablet, hand him or her a book instead!