Special Activities For Preschoolers During Summer Break

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Once kids hit school age, they are relatively easy to keep occupied in the summer. They are old enough to entertain themselves and hang out with friends. Honestly, the last thing they may want to do is spend time with Mom and Dad.

What about your preschooler, though? This is a fleeting time in your child’s life, and the time spent together with your little one at this stage is invaluable. You are their best friend and their favorite hero, and they want nothing more than your time and attention.

Avoid letting electronics seep into this time as a regular occurrence, whether that’s your cell phone, the computer, or a tablet or ipad. There is time enough for that when they are teenagers.. Take time and put some thought into how you and your little ones can spend your summer together while having fun, learning developmental skills, nurturing your relationship, and staying safe. Here is a compilation of ideas to help get you started.

Places to Go

There are many places in your community that cater to activities for preschoolers and their parents. Some of them are free, others may have a nominal fee, but regardless of cost, all can provide fun, educational, time-filling activities! One of the perks of getting out and about is encouraging and developing social skills, cooperation, and friendships. The camaraderie can be invaluable for stay-at-home parents, as well.

  • Public libraries have age-group based story times or mommy/daddy-and-me programs. Some include arts and crafts.
  • Check out a different local park every week. Play on the playgrounds, feed the ducks, explore the trails. Have a picnic.
  • Go to the zoo and explore learning about different animals. Some may offer educational programming, as well.
  • Research any local farms in your area. Inquire about do-it-yourself berry picking. Or, see if there are any garden co-ops around that let you pick your own veggies.
  • See if your local rec center or YMCA offers classes and activities for the preschooler set.
  • Take swim lessons at the local public pool or in your neighborhood.
  • Some home improvement stores offers craft classes for various ages. These are usually simple projects with the supplies provided.
  • Many movie theaters offer free children’s matinees mid-morning during the summer months. Check with your local theater.

Crafts to Create

At-home arts and crafts help develop fine motor skills, spark creativity, and bolster self-confidence. There is no wrong or right, only what inspires your toddler to create. Be as simple or involved as you would like.

  • Work together to build a birdfeeder. This can be made with wood and glue, or be more simplistic and natural with a pinecone and peanut butter. Hang them in your yard and watch the birds together.
  • Paint rocks. Big ones, little ones, whatever your child finds in the yard or neighborhood can become a piece of art. Display them in your garden or make patterns with them.
  • Make homemade playdough. Create keepsake garden stones or trinkets with stones and flowers and let them dry in the sun.
  • Ice paint. Using children’s paints, water, sticks or straws, and an ice cube tray, your child can become a Picasso while having a sensory experience.
  • Make cornstarch paint and get creative outside. Cornstarch is inexpensive and non-toxic. Simply mix it with water and food coloring, and use an old sheet as your canvas.
  • Make sun prints. Let the sun be a natural artist.
  • Make a sidewalk art gallery with sidewalk chalk. Or, practice writing their names. Draw hopscotch and teach them how to play.

Things to Do

These activities can help develop gross motor skills, encourage academic learning and problem solving, and teach children about the world around them.

  • Have a reading contest. See how many books you can read together. Talk about your favorite ones and why you like them.
  • Make ice cream in a bag. Google it and you’ll find simple recipes. Its guaranteed to bring smiles!
  • Play a water version of duck, duck, goose called drip, drip, splash.
  • Use pool noodles and hula hoops to create a backyard obstacle course.
  • Play sponge bullseye. This will keep them cool while building eye-hand coordination.
  • Build a fort. Use patio furniture, beach towels, and old sheets. Forts make great reading spots!
  • Pudding paint. Yes, finger paint with pudding! It’s messy, but there is no worry about the toxicity of the paint!
  • Go on a bug hunt and see how many different kinds of bugs you can find. See if you can identify them.
  • Organize a neighborhood parade. Create signs, decorate your bikes and wagons, and invite your neighbors to join you.
  • Plant a garden together.  Harvest the veggies and have them for dinner or pick flowers and make a bouquet to give a neighbor.
  • Put tape around your child’s wrist. Go on a walk, collect little items such as pebbles, flowers, and other small items, and make a nature bracelet. Use a magnifying glass to discover them up close and in detail.
  • Have an alphabet scavenger hunt. Try to find one item for each letter of the alphabet.
  • Make mudpies and stone soup. Be prepared to hose off before going inside!
  • Have fun with masking tape. Make a giant spider web and see what you can throw and catch in it. Or, make roads and and your little one can drive his matchbox cars all over town. End with a car wash. For that matter, let them help you wash your car.
  • Play with shaving cream. Practice writing letters and numbers.
  • Try to catch fireflies by flashlight.
  • Have a garage sale. Let your little one help sort and organize items to be sold. Teach them the names of the coins.
  • Arrange playdates with friends from preschool. This will help build friendships and help minimize separation anxiety from you when school starts back up.
  • Play with pipecleaners. They are easy to bend and manipulate and come in every color of the rainbow. Practice making letters and numbers, or create bugs, flowers, or anything else your child can create. Or, combine them with a colander with large openings, and your child will stay occupied indefinitely while pushing, pulling, and exploring, building fine motor skills all the while.

The ideas are endless. Be proactive and make some plans to take full advantage of your summer together. Otherwise, it will go by in the blink of an eye. This is a developmentally crucial time in your child’s, and there’s no better way to spend it than learning, exploring, and enjoying it together.

Spring-Break Ideas for Kids and Families

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Now that the major holidays are over, there are only a few more breaks before school is out for the summer. Depending on where you live, a Spring break may be headed your way. It’s important that parents and guardians provide ideas and encouragement when it comes to certain activities that children can do during their time off from school. Here are some suggestions for the upcoming spring break.

Hitting the Road

If you have the opportunity, traveling somewhere new can help broaden your child’s perception and understanding of the world around them. Visit a part of the country you’ve never seen or look for something new to do if you’re visiting a family favorite location. Traveling in general can be incredibly beneficial for children, especially when they are young. Exposing them to different places, people, cultures, climates, and other activities can help encourage their creativity as well as their ability to connect with different people, too.

Children’s museums are a great option that can help entertain the whole family while teaching you all a little something new, too. Museums geared towards children, or museums that offer special children’s tours, can help make learning fun and more interactive, while also providing a unique experience.

Even if you can’t afford an extravagant vacation, day trips are also a great option. Consider taking the kids to a nearby metropolitan area, museums as mentioned, looking for historic landmarks or even visiting any nearby National Parks or forests if the weather permits outdoor activities. Pick up a new skill, take a class, or even volunteer.

Staying Indoors

If you’re staying indoors then you may be thinking of other activities that are both wholesome and exciting to keep your child occupied.

Reading is a great way for kids to experience new things without necessarily having to go anywhere. The act of reading can help bolster cognitive function, abstract understanding, and communication skills while also helping your child develop other key skills that will help them academically. Reading can also help introduce your child to new ideas, expanding their imagination and their ability to empathize with others. Choose a book series you can explore during the break or consider some personalized books, from our website, that provides kids with a uniquely personal experience that they may not be able to experience otherwise if a trip or vacation is out of the question. Plus, plenty of libraries offer kid-centric activities year-round but especially during school breaks to help keep kids active or to help parents who may still have to work during the spring-break recess.

Get Creative and Make Memories with the Kids

Aside from exploring and discovering new stories and adventures through books, you can create some, too by getting creative with arts and crafts! Create a family adventure and write it down, complete with illustrations and scenes that you can act out together.

However, no matter what, family time should take priority during breaks like these, even if parents or guardians still have to work during the day. Make time to prep dinner together, creating lifelong memories. Making a point of eating dinner together is important for families no matter what time of the year or day of the week it is, but you can make the occasion extra special over the break by preparing a well-loved family meal, trying something new, or making a project out of it.

It’s also important not to underestimate the power of family movie night. There are hundreds of family friendly movies on subscription channels like Netflix or Hulu that you can tune into from the comfort of your own home, and plenty of family friendly and kid movies are released in the early spring as well. Make a small outing, get some snacks and hit the theater! Local libraries and community centers sometimes host movie nights or other events for kids and families to partake in, so those are worthy of considering as well.

A break from school may seem like a small vacation to some, but if you plan accordingly and explore your options, you and your kids can make the most of it before school is back in session!

5 Reasons to Buy Personalized Kids Gifts

Posted on | by KD Novelties

personalized kids gifts

Forget the Barbies and the Hot Wheels; personalized gifts are a wonderful way to show the kids in your life just how much you care. From an embroidered blanket to a children’s books, personalized presents are something a child can cherish for a lifetime–and here are a few reasons why:

Help Little Ones Learn Their Name

We all know that watching a baby begin to learn new things is an amazing sight. But did you know that a baby starts learning long before you see the signs of recognition? In fact, studies have shown that babies begin processing language as early as two days after they are born.

A personalized kids gift can help that little one come to understand his or her own name early in life. This can also help them process language and develop important social skills, ultimately making them smarter and more well-rounded kids! In this way, your personalized present will actually be an essential learning tool.

Builds A Connection

Children love things that share their name. When they are young, before they’ve developed a “thing” (you know, an interest or hobby they form their identity around), their name is the one thing that connects them to their identity. This is essentially why the personalized keychain trend persists through the years.

When you give a child something that bears their name, it creates a feeling of connection with the object or the activity, depending on the gift. This can be a truly wonderful thing–for example, who wouldn’t want to give their child the personalized book that sparked his or her love of reading?

personalized kids gifts

Makes Them Feel Special

Think about those personalized keychains I mentioned before for a moment. Why did you want once so badly as a kid? Part of the reason is that connection we just discussed, but there’s another reason, too – one you may be more familiar with: a personalized kids gift simply feels special.

Unlike your standard toys and gifts, personalized items feel more… well, personal. It reminds a child of his or her uniqueness, which can help build up their self-esteem. Any child will love a book, toy, or piece of clothing that features their name, and they’ll certainly love the person who gave it to them, too.

A Keepsake

When you buy a personalized kids gift, you aren’t giving him or her something that will wind up in next year’s garage sale. Instead, you’re giving them a keepsake. This kind of gift is something they can carry with them everywhere. It’s something that will remind them of their childhood – and of you.

Personalized gifts are a wonderful way to make a memory the child will always cherish. Whether you give them a book where they’re the star, an accessory that bears their name, or a toy that bears their likeness, you can be sure that your gift will last a lifetime.

It’s Fun!

This is probably the most important reason to buy a child a personalized present: they are so much fun! Personalized presents are truly unique, which sets them apart from all the usual toys a child may receive. Even when a personalized gift does feature a well-known character, the personal touch makes it even more special to a little one’s soul.

The next time your nieces, nephews, cousins, or grandkids celebrates their birthdays (or any other gift-giving holiday, for that matter), give them a gift as special as they are. Pick up a fun and original personalized present today!