Happy New Year!

Some of Academy friends came to say....HAPPY NEW YEAR'S DAY! 

NYE!

Although preschoolers are a wee bit too young for most New Year's Eve activities, they love festivities as much as older kids and adults. Many young kids won’t make it to midnight and many New Year’s activities are reserved for the much older, but they don’t have to miss out on the fun! Our friends in Toddler 4 had a blast making New Year's fireworks!

Show and Tell!

Show and Tell has numerous benefits for young children. The early language experiences show and tell entails helps build effective communication and listening skills that are essential for preschoolers. It also encourages emotional development in a child, as he or she shares their interests, home lives, and joys and struggles with peers. This socially rewarding experience also helps solidify important home-school connections, particularly when Show and Tell is aligned with our curriculum.
Our Pre K 1 friends absolutely love Show and Tell Fridays!

YELLOW SLIME!

Slime is a gelatinous and mushy substance that is a non-toxic toy for children and perfect for growing preschoolers. It is nourishing to play with slime as it involves sensory amusement, and allows preschoolers to explore the world of inventiveness in them. Slime is also science and introduces kids to the scientific concepts of polymers, non-Newtonian fluids, viscosity and more. Slime is a problem solving exercise that illustrates math and ratios. It is messy, tactile, and a great sensory play item for older and younger kids.

Matching!

Matching is an important early childhood math skill that helps in classification of objects. Matching is identification of same or similar objects based on their common properties. And this skill keeps recurring through out schooling life in different  forms. Important early matching skills that a young child needs to develop are matching by shape, size, and color. 

Wash Your Hands

 

According to the CDC, handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
• After handling pet food or pet treats
• After touching garbage

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.
Follow these five steps every time.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Gardening In Infant 4

People of all ages can enjoy gardening, but children in particular will have lots of fun and gain special benefits. Gardening is educational and develops new skills including:

• Responsibility – from caring for plants
• Understanding – as they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants)
• Self-confidence – from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown
• Love of nature – a chance to learn about the outdoor environment in a safe and pleasant place
• Reasoning and discovery – learning about the science of plants, animals, weather, the environment, nutrition and simple construction
• Physical activity – doing something fun and productive
• Cooperation – including shared play activity and teamwork
• Creativity – finding new and exciting ways to grow food
• Nutrition – learning about where fresh food comes from.

Taking the time to teach kids how to care for plants gives kids skills to enjoy gardening and growing plants for their whole life!