Preschool Centers for Happy Little Campers
When your local preschool center closes for the holidays, you’re not always quite sure what to do with your children. Keeping busy young minds and curious little hands occupied can be a challenge for many parents. You need to be aware that it is important to keep your little one active and engaged during the spring break. Video games and television may seem like the perfect way for you to keep them occupied and still; but did you know that it is vitally important to development to get them out of the house and playing outdoors. Children should spend approximately an hour outdoors or engaged in a physical activity each and every day, doing a variety of exercises which will help strengthen their muscles and bones. They should also engage proactively with educational material – learning a little each day during spring break will ensure that their minds stay sharp.
If they have any assignments to finish during the holidays, ensure that they complete it as soon as possible. Holidays are seen as a time to be completely disconnected from school and they will not spend time finishing their work. Have fun with your children, if you make learning fun and turn exercise into play, in the same way preschool centers do; your children will be more likely to learn and exercise.
Try and keep your children actively focused, for example you can take them on outings to the park and teach them a little about local fauna and flora. Speak to your children’s teacher to find out what they have learnt during the term or will be learning once spring break ends. Coloring pages will not only help with children’s creative processes but will also allow them to express their own individuality through art while activity books will ensure that they are kept busy and their minds are engaged. You could also take trips to the zoo or short trips to the local museum. This will help them engage with their surroundings and encourage them to continue learning instead of letting what they’ve learnt fall away.
If you’ve been busy with work and unable to see your child often during the school week, make use of this break to find out what your child has been learning at school. This way you communicate and engage with your child. Especially if you ask them to tell you about what they have learnt – children are usually very enthusiastic to share new things that they have learnt.
Remember, just because you keep teaching your kids in fun and interactive ways during spring break, it does not mean that you have become their school teacher. Allow them to have days where it’s okay to go out and watch a movie or sit in-front of the television or have play dates with other kids in the area. Encourage your children, don’t force them. The more you encourage your children the more willing they will be to learn. As you plan for their spring break, make sure you include a mixture of fitness, learning, and fun into their schedules.