The Holidays are here and it’s the time to have fun and share good memories with your family. Below are some fun holiday games and activities that you can play with your kids. Playing with kids is a great way to bond and create lasting memories as well as help them develop their creativity.
This holiday season, try a new holiday game to play with your family and share the laughter and love.
Choosing an early learning program for your child is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will ever make. This article will provide information about quality programs so you can find the best match for you and your child.
- Tall with Your Child. Use trips to the grocery store, dinnertime chats, and driving in the car as a time to introduce new words and talk about the world around us.
- Exchange Stories. Tell a great story, and have your child tell you one back! It’s a great way to build oral language and learn new words.
- Have fun with Rhymes. Sing rhyming songs, read rhyming books, and say tongue twisters with your child. This helps them lean1 new sounds in words.
- Talk About Letters. Help your child learn the names of the letters and the sounds the letters make. Turn it into a game! For example, you could say, “I’m thinking of a letter and it makes the sound sssssss.
- KeepBooKs Present. Your child will be more likely to pick up a book and read if they are out in the open and easy to find. Keep them readily available in the kitchen, car, and other locations where your child spends time.
- Read Every Day & Ask Questions. Reading together for 20 minutes each day, and talking about what you are reading helps children understand what they are reading.
- Take Advantage Of Available Help. Select books your child is most interested in reading. Talk with your child’s teacher or a local librarian to find the best books for your child. Visit the library for books, events, and programs like reading clubs.
- Be Creative with Writing. Writing grocery lists and notes or letters helps children connect spoken words to written words.
- Introduce Reading Apps. Your child can practice reading on your phone or tablet at home or on-the-go.
- Keep Reading. Creating a plan to spend quality time reading during school breaks and over the summer can help prevent children from falling behind and ensure they return to school ready to learn.
Many kids love Halloween for the costumes, parties and of course candy. However, Halloween doesn’t need to be so focused on the candy. Introducing your child to new Halloween games is a great way to develop their imagination, playful spirit and bring more memories to the holiday.
Parks’ Place happily recommends HappyFeet Soccer as a place for your little one to gain physical exercise and built team values.
HappyFeet offers age-appropriate child fitness soccer programs that are GREAT FUN for kids.
FAMILY TRAVEL HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE YOU WERE A KID. TRAVELING WITH KIDS-YES EVEN BABIES-HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER THAN IT IS TODAY. JOIN THE RANKS OF FAMILIES HIDING THE ROAD MORE OFTEN BY FOLLOWING THIS NEW, GAME-CHANGING ADVICE.
RULE 1: yes, you can
No, really, you can take small humans 011 a trip without it being equal parts stress and fun.
Traveling with young kids is becoming the norm, not the exception. It’s harder to raise eyebrows on planes, in restaurants, and at the hotel pool. Why? Because in recent years, the travel industry has been catering to young families like never before, and so you’d have to try really hard to wind up in a place where yours were the only kiddos in sight. Rather than treating children as an “add-on,” resorts today are all about the kids. Airlines offer families with young children priority boarding and stroller checking; rental car companies issue car seats.
RULE 2: take advantage of technology
Most of us remember dreading those long rides to get to our family’s vacation destination. But back then, options to make the hours pass were limited to counting license plates and putting gum in your sister’s hair. No more. Tech that keeps kids entertained on the road abounds such as the next-generation scavenger hunt: geocaching. This trending hoppy can be tried out at a rest stop along your driving route. Use your phone and a geocache app to find hidden treasures nearby. You can geocache virtually anywhere these days. Young children love to follow the app to find a surprise. The rule is that if you take something, you leave something. So make sure to bring along a few trinkets for the next family to find.
Rule 3: The more, the merrier
We don’t mean vacationing with your in-laws (though you could; see Rule 4). A growing trend is vacationing with your friends and their kids. With families and their kids. With families spread out over larger distances than in previous generations, friends with kids the same age have taken over as a support system. More young parents are deciding to travel as a group. It’s more fun for the kids, who have built-in playmates they already know, and for you as well, especially if you have a baby or toddler. Think about it: You and your bambino will have company at the kiddie pool for once, while your spouse takes the older kids to the diving board.
Rule 4: rethink what it means to “go home”
Visiting grandparents is a top reason for taking a family trip, and now it no longer means piling into your old bedroom with your own kids and feeling obliged to eat your favorite childhood pancakes – Every. Single. Morning. If you believe that home is the people you love, not necessarily a physical place, then this is the year to suggest going somewhere awesome as the annual family visit. Grandparents who don’t see their grandchildren that often may be only too happy to share a special experience with them. Private homes and resort rental services, such as Airbnb HomeAway and Vacatia, now make it possible to find comfy accommodation for a large group that, well, feel like a home.
Rule 5: Be spontaneous
Online booking has changed the travel game. Vacations no longer have to be planned months out. Now it’s simple to jump on a great hotel deal or a rock-bottom fare, gram the kids and go. The ease of comparing prices instantaneously can make it possible for those with a tight budget to take a trip that they thought was out of their reach. It also make much easier to take advantage of low-season travel dates. Many schools are closed on random days that apply only in that district, such as teacher development days. If you have school-age kids, you don’t need to be restricted to the pricey (and crowded) summer and spring break time frames. Unexpected day off from school a week from Friday? Grab your phone and make it an impromptu long weekend.
Rule 6 Mix Business with Pleasure
Work-family balance is a priority for most working parents. If you travel frequently for business, it can sometimes be hard not to feel guilty, or at least a little sad, about spending precious time away from your family. But like so much else in 2017, it’s time to rethink the business trip. It doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition. Why not bring your partner and kids along? If you all fit in one room, there’s no additional cost to your employer. While you’re out during the day, they can enjoy the local
attractions. No, it’s not a dream family vacation, but it’s a great way to grab quality time with your kids in a way that fits your life now.
Early learning centers may be licensed or license-exempt and are usually located in spaces adapted for early learning purposes. These include standalone centers and those located in businesses, apartment complexes, public schools, universities, hospitals and faith-based facilities. Prekindergarten programs (both school-based and non-school-based), Head Start programs, onsite employee early learning centers and faith-based centers are some of the types of centers that are available.
Read the continued post of Strengthening Families: The Six Protective Factors.
The protective factors help families increase the health and well-being of the children. This information is important making sure children are successful at home, in school and as adults later in life at work and in the community.
Be sure to make yourself aware of the available resources to assist families in North Florida.
Here is a thematic book list for reading to your little one this July 4th.
Summer is a great time for families. The days are longer and the weather is warmer giving us the opportunity to spend more time outdoors and get fresh air and exercise. When spending more time outside it’s important to teach kids how to stay safe and healthy when doing summer activities.
At Parks’ Place we understand that single parents have a lot of responsibilities. Read our insightful tips and know we have your back.
