Some Tips for Educational Toys That Will Stimulate and Also Teach Your Young Preschooler

When a child is very young, their minds are very impressionable, they learn by what they see and touch. This is why children must be taught correctly at a very young age in order to give them the advantage they will need when they arrive at school age.

From the time your child is born, their minds are like clay and must be molded and taught correctly and you can do this with educational toys for an infant to six months old. These types of toys are made with an infant in mind. They are made of bright colors so that they will catch their eyes and gain their interest. They also sport large buttons and handles so that an infant can easily grasp and push them. These types of toys generally teach simple things like animal sounds, counting, and simple spelling. They are made of child safe materials because we all know how infants like to put things in their mouths!

From six to eighteen months the educational toys start to get a little more complicated and are not only geared towards teaching your child sounds and spelling but they are also geared towards getting your child's motor functions established like walking, talking, pushing, and riding. The toys at this stage are still very colorful and large to grab the child's interest while making them easy to handle and safe.

At eighteen to thirty six months, educational toys now start to get a little more compact as the child's motor skills should now be improving. While yet still colorful, the toys get a bit more complicated with more gadgets and smaller buttons. Electronic and video learning games are available at this stage. These games are geared towards teaching the child how to spell simple words and to do easy math, getting your child ready for preschool. Toys at this stage start to mimic gadgets that are used in everyday life.

At three to five years of age and older, these toys are now mostly electronic and are geared towards making sure your child is ready for school. Most of them are designed around cartoon and action characters to keep the child's interest. At this stage as the child should be speaking, the toys are now geared towards having the child spell simple words and put together simple sentences, these could be simple toys that just spell words or a reading book that teaches the child to spell and read at the same time. There are also toys that teach the child simple adding and subtracting using objects. There are also toys that will spur the creative side of your child like children's digital cameras that will allow your child to explore their creative side by taking pictures and movies that they can upload to the computer and web to share with friends and family.

It is essential that educational toys are made available to young children. While they teach them, they also allow them to grow and establish their own personality and explore their own worlds. These types of toys are what starts an infant off and enables them to become self-starters and well rounded adults. A child who is deprived of these types of toys is only destined for a life of hardship because their minds have not been developed, as they should have been. So give your child the head start that they deserve so very much. Purchase them some educational toys from vtech toys and get them started on their way!

Teaching Sight Words - Quick Tips for Parents Helping Their Children Learn to Read

Reading is one of the critical development skills that children are expected to learn as they grow. In many schools, children are expected to be able to read with basic competency by the end of the second grade. For this reason, many parents are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to the topic of how to teach a child to read. Parents are reading to their children, playing rhyming and word games, teaching the alphabet and even the basics of phonetics.

That is a fantastic start, but one more thing you can do as a parent is try to familiarize your child with a group of words called sight words. What are they? They are a group of basic, common English words that children are expected to recognize "by sight" (hence the name) even if they do not yet know the meaning. These words actually comprise 50-70% of written and spoken language. They are words such as "the," "and", and "it." Sight words also include the pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, and certain nouns, adverbs, adjectives and verbs.

Children are encouraged to recognize sight words without use of phonetics, but matters become tricky when you think of how to teach a child to read these words. A lot of these words cannot be deciphered phonetically. Another problem is that you cannot draw a picture for most of them to describe the meaning. Thus, memorization appears to be the most efficient way to learn these words.

Start by giving your child just a few sight words to learn each week. Make memorization fun by turning it into a game like Memory or Word Search. Have your child circle each sight word they recognize in magazines and books- luckily, there's a plethora to be found on each page. Say and repeat sight words with your child. Even better, say or write sentences to make the words memorable. Lots of sight words are in song phrases, so if it helps, sing that line of song to your child; it certainly makes it easier to remember.

Lastly, to help ensure your child learns the essential sight words, look to proven teaching programs. A good program to try is the Fat Brain Phonics system. This was developed by a parent who has a young child who was having trouble learning to read. It has many proven methods of teaching sight words, and a list of 101 of the highest frequency ones. In addition, there are effective phonetic lessons that you can go through with your child.

Learning sight words is essential to a child's reading and learning development. Luckily, as a concerned parent there are many ways for you to become involved in ensuring your child learns these critical words. Rather than telling a stranger to "help my child read," you can take matters in your own hands. With creative word play games and a supplemental learning program such as Fat Brain Phonics, your child can learn to read in a fun, productive way.

This article is copyright © Jasmine Newhart

Parenting Curriculum

A curriculum relies on specific goals and objectives that should be achieved within a certain timeline. When it comes to parenting I find the results of this stilted and mundane. Our children are not products; they are autonomous beings who need to be in connection with their parents. When I threw out the curriculum and simply created a safe place for collaboration, wonderful changes occurred within my family. Having expectations for a child to achieve certain goals and objectives by a certain time is just setting them (and us) up for failure. I needed a way to reframe the curriculum that I had started out with and this is the best way I can put it into words.

I started to look at it like a musician entering a jam session. I am one person who has learned how to play my instrument who is in collaboration with the other people in my family all bringing their gifts and talents to our jam session. Together we share ideas on how we want our song to sound and then we just start playing. What flows in that moment is what matters, not the preconceived notions about what we thought the song should sound like. The art of this jam session is that we meet on common ground, which is the wellbeing of the family, then we improvise and see what we can come up with. The tune often sounds nothing like the original preconceived idea...that is the art of living without a curriculum.

I use the word art purposefully, no two families are exactly alike, just like a painting or sculpture. In a family jam session standard activities like meal time, watching TV, personal hygiene or deciding what to do that day, provide the setting for this type of improv. The skills and knowledge we have at our fingertips are not employed according to plan, we (parents) are not the boss or even the lead player, and we let things unfold naturally using our "expertise" only when we are asked. We are like the drummer who supports the other artists and keeps the rhythm going. The magic happens during the interactions, in the space between the participants, no one member can take the credit.

Parenting without a curriculum means looking at life with our family as a philosophy of experiential learning, one that downplays the intellectual tendency to predict and control. Integrating spiritual principles like "leads by following", "finding perfection in things as they are and not as we think they should be", these are principles a conscious parent will live by. It is an experience, NOT a script or a bundle of dogma! The idea is to live moment by moment, being true to you.

Christian Childcare: Spiritually Good Child Care Centres

One of the greatest concerns parents have in bringing their child into a child care centre is safety. Would their kids be in safe hands? Would the childcare centres really promote the good of their kid? What would their kids learn from their playmates and teacher? Let's admit it. Parents tend to be very protective and conservative about their child. That is why, as much as possible, some parents keep their kids in the comforts of their home. Providing all the toys and educational materials a pre-school age kid in his or her strong formative years needs. However, parents can't lock up their kids at home forever. Every kid needs to mingle with his or her peers. Putting kids into a daycare is also necessary to prepare them to a more challenging and crucial world of a formal school. For parents who really can't let go of their concerns then a Christian preschool should be the fitting option.

Christian childcare is like any other preschool or kindergarten around offering child rearing and child development services. What makes it unique is that a Christian Church or group and charitable institutions run most of these day care centres. Thus, child rearing and child development goals are geared towards spirituality and good moral values. Nuns or passionate Christian group members, who would surely not harm your kid, usually staff a Christian child care centre. Since good Christian values would be taught or inculcated to the young kids from respecting God to being kind and loving to other people, your child will surely be mingling with good playmates as well. So a Christian child care centre would surely erase all those worries away.

What makes Christian day care great is most of these charge almost no fees! Most of these child care centres operate on donations. So if you're a parent who can't afford costly and expensive day care centre, a Christian daycare would surely be a blessing to you. Facilities at a Christian childcare are also at par with regular childcare centres that charge exorbitant fees. There you can also find valuable toys and recreational equipment, educational materials, and highly trained staff or teachers to look after your child.

One can find hundreds of Christian childcare centres on the Internet. There are privately and publicly run Christian centres that cater to different kinds of market segment. So to put your mind to a rest whether your kid would be in safe and good hands in a daycare, choose Christian child care centres that would help you raise an intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually smart kid.

Lessons From the Playground

One of the more enjoyable activities I was assigned when I taught was that of supervising pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners on the play ground. Now some people might find that strange. After all who wants to be out there on cold windy days or on hot stifling days with all those kids?

I found that I learned a lot about children and their development on the playground. This unstructured time was a golden opportunity to observe how well children could problem solve, be imaginative, be accepting of children who were different than they and how well they could handle the social emotional demands of being in a group of children.

To me, social emotional development is a key component to a child's ability to succeed in the early years of school and beyond. While some people might believe it is their ability to learn to read or do math problem solving, I would strongly disagree.

Social emotional development is a strong indicator of a child's ability to sustain attention and compete with his peers. A child should to be growing adequately in this area so they can succeed. Now what does social emotional development have to do with a child's success? Plenty.

Social emotional development is the ability of a child to relate with his peers and the adults in his life. While this area is looked at as one domain of development, it is actually divided into two key parts - social and emotional development. A child who is able to express himself in an appropriate manner emotionally will be able to get his needs more fully met. Basic emotions of happiness, sadness, anger and fear and learning to express and regulate these emotions can determine how well a child is accepted by his peers and teachers. When children are not able to express themselves in an appropriate manner the consequences can be dire. If a child is working on a group project and someone does not let him have is way, the child might react adversely - sometimes with anger. Or the child who is not able to regulate emotions of excitement and happiness may have problems transitioning from the playground to classroom. When this happens, he is at risk for not being able to absorb key information the teacher may be presenting right after recess. This puts him behind his peers. So regulation of emotions, which develops with age, becomes a problem.

Socially, a child who is developing normally will be able to establish relationships with peers and teachers. These relationships will enable him to grow and learn. A child who can successfully interact with peers and adults feels comfortable asking questions, expressing opinions and getting information he needs to understand what is being taught. When observing children in kindergarten classrooms, the level of inquisitiveness is so exciting! But the child who is not socially able to keep up with his peers begins to lag behind in getting his needs met and learning important information.

Children of kindergarten age can be so open to others, showing empathy for companions and even strangers. When children are able to comprehend empathy and relationships, they are able to learn better in the classroom. Children who have developed these skills can relate to characters in books, to others during play time and characters in story problems with ease. After all, relating to a character's emotions in a story helps us to understand what that character may be feeling or even how he will solve a problem.

The skills in the area of social emotional development are interdependent. Children who have difficulty with these, especially in the early years, are put at a disadvantage when competing with their peers. If they are not at the same level in this development, they run the threat of being isolated and developing behaviors that put them at risk in later years.

What can parents to do to help in this area of development? It is important for parents to recognize that this area is as critical as the academic areas. Too often the emphasis is placed on academics rather than looking at the child as a whole. Research has indicated that children develop in this area very rapidly through the preschool years. These social emotional skills are learned in good quality group programs such as preschool and pre-kindergarten programs. Observe your child in play situations. Look to see if he is ready to compete with others his age in this key area of development.

Preschool Teacher Care - Teachers UNPLUG!

Summer is coming! Really, it is! Many teachers work in programs which close for the summer months. Many of you work in a center that runs year long. Regardless of the program, summer is the time for you to unplug and recharge, both in your classroom (if you teach during the summer) and, especially, at home.

The school year can be pretty intense with all the programs for family days, Christmas programming, Art Shows, Open Houses, Field Trips, etc.

If you teach during the summer, you will still need to write curriculum and plans but, for most, this is a time to investigate and explore those themes and activities that can only happen in the summer! You will still need to have a consistent schedule for your preschoolers but, for the most part, your room will have a more laid back, camp type feel.

What about at home---for YOU? As one who cares for children with passion and concern, you most likely forget to care for yourself! This can be the main reason many early childhood professionals burn out. Don't let that happen to you!

This summer, commit to planning some events that are just for you! Are there hobbies or activities that you enjoy but put aside during the school year? Make it a point to focus on one or several of them! For example, when is the last time you read a book or magazine that was not focused on children, early childhood or curriculum planning?

Perhaps you enjoy crocheting, knitting, jewelry making, bowling, gardening, just hanging out with friends and family, etc. For me, I love walking and especially taking my dog for walks. However, I get so caught up in the administrative piece of the preschool when I get home that I'm still on preschool mode and my dog's walk with me happens after dinner rather than late afternoon.

I now use that walk as a way to leave preschool mode! And Cammy, our adorable Corgi, KNOWS that it is walk time. He's waiting at the door when I get home, very excited to go on his daily jaunt! It is a great way for me to leave that "preschool mode" and be Cheryl again instead of Miss Cheryl!

So, what's your thing? You decide what it is that you have not done enough of that you enjoy this past school year. The motto of Preschool Plan-It's website can be your steps to personal planning as well. Search it, Find it, Plan it! Here's how:

1. Search it!

Choose the hobby or activity you want to do more of.

2. Find it!

Find out when that event or activity can happen. For example, is there a book club that meets on specific days or evenings? A summer bowling league that is just forming? A How-To class starting on something you want to learn how to do?

3. Plan it!

Make the phone call and plan it! Sign up for that class or book club! Book a weekly night with friends or bi-monthly cookout.

Follow through is key. Do not let "writing those lesson plans" become the reason you do not do something for yourself. You need to find a balance!

The scientist-Versus-Play Debate

Children are active, concrete, experiential education students to acquire information and knowledge with all your senses. Studies have shown that:

* The movement is the child's preferred mode of learning.

* Classes that are physically experienced, have more immediate and more lasting effect.

* The integration of body systems provides optimal learning can take place.

* The senses most used in the learning process, the more information stored.

* Play is offlineto be more creative and problem solving skills, improving reading skills and higher IQ scores.

* There is a strong correlation between the time the children are the most playful and the time when the brain is the most connections.

Given all this, it seems pretty clear that there is no debate: the game is much more suited for a child's first experience of formal academic school. Yet, despite this information, the educational efforts of groups like the NationalAssociation for the education of children, and the fact that for years educators have stressed the importance of educating the "whole child", children of preschool age are now required to do their homework more and more. This includes producing worksheets that purport to demonstrate their learning and the curriculum originally designed for kindergarten and first graders too.

Why are schools dedicated to making children simply sit quietly and learn? Part of the explanation comesanchored by the company has long been convinced that the functions of the brain are the most important functions of the body. In addition, we have worked for years under the mistaken idea that mind and body are separate entities. So schools have insisted on the minds of formation on the eyes and ears only.

In the past, based on what they knew of and observed in young children, early childhood teachers develop their programs to meet their development needs of students. Play and activeLearning were considered important tools to meet those needs and facilitate the education of children. Typical activities include:

* Sorting and stacking blocks and other devices (mathematics).
* Singing and dancing, or acting out a story (emergent literacy).
* Growing plants from seed, air, and the study of sand and water tables (science).
* Trying on different roles and interact with each other in home economics and otherdramatic play centers (social studies).

Today, this kind of lessons are constantly disappearing as the "first-is-better" syndrome attacks affecting the critical early experiences with formal education. Today, the curriculum is appropriate for a time, as the first and second grades, children are taught in kindergarten, nursery school and the curriculum is in children who are not pushed under the age of five.

Even through the nurserythird grade students should be doing less work and more active learning class, seen as evolutionary, they are more like pre-school children of upper elementary as their counterparts. But instead of actively experiencing a higher proportion of primary-quality classrooms, but we make the early training of less developmentally appropriate for each, starting in preschool.

Recent brain research confirms what many educators have always believed: the mind andBody are not separate entities. Eric Jensen, author of Brain-Based Learning: The Science of Teaching and Training, confirms not only that children learn by doing, but also that physical activity activates the brain is much more to do than work in silence. During the session, increases fatigue and reduces the concentration, movement, oxygen, water and glucose to the brain, optimizing performance. Moreover, learning by doing creates more neural networks in the brain and throughout the body, so thatthe whole body is a tool for learning. Active learning is more fun for kids.

Parents should not worry about being left behind if the child in a nursery school, play and discovery stressed members. Studies have found that children who are enrolled in kindergartens oriented game are not disadvantaged compared to those who are enrolled in nursery schools with a focus on academics early. A study has shown, in fact, that it benefits neither short nor long term of the firstAcademics and play, and that there is no discernable difference from the first grade. The only difference was that children who experienced early scholars more anxious and less creative than their peers who were in traditional games based on nursery - a distinct disadvantage. In another study, fourth graders, play-oriented kindergartens, where children often start their activities have taken part, had better performance than those who had attended universityacademically oriented kindergartens.

Turning Off the TV to Refocus My Family

When my two boys both dropped their naps, a moderate amount of television became part of their rest-time routine. As a stay-at-home mom, I also relished the break and the quiet time to make dinner and return some phone calls. I was always careful to keep their viewing time within the recommended guidelines of no more than two hours of screen time and my children still had ample outside playtime, activities outside of the home, rainy day cooking and art projects, and playtime with their toys. I did not feel that television interfered with their lives in any way.

My two boys, spaced just 22 months apart, argued with each other. This peaked at the ages of 4 and 6. Their fighting rarely escalated into any real violence that would cause any injury. Their fighting was also not constant-only over certain, favorite toys. Everyone, including my husband, told me it was all within the normal range of sibling rivalry. As an only child, I had no frame of reference for this and found it extremely difficult to tolerate. I read the books, read the articles, and tried numerous strategies, but the fighting would break out regardless of my efforts.

Part of the issue lay in their different personalities, or so I thought. My oldest son was very imaginative and would create endless stories with his toys where my younger son was more physical and wanted to instead move everything around. My youngest son did not have the attention span to focus on entertaining himself and relied on my oldest to lead the way during playtime. He would follow the oldest around and do exactly what he did and this really could be quite annoying.

I decided that I needed to maximize the amount of time they spent playing together if they were to ever figure out a way to work things out. My oldest son is in full-day kindergarten and that left little time for play once we went to the playground, ate dinner, bathed, did homework and made it to bed at an age-appropriate, early hour. Something had to go and that something was that one show I allowed them to watch while I made dinner and the one show they watched in the morning if they got dressed quickly.

I went cold turkey with the weekday television viewing. They asked for a show each day and each day I would tell them no for some reason or another. Playtime at home was extended and so was the fighting. I told myself that things had to get worse before they got better. There were moments that I just wanted to turn on the TV and be able to make dinner in peace, but I held my ground. I decided I would do this experiment for a few weeks and then if there were no improvements in their fighting, I would go back to my usual routine.

Within just two short weeks, things got better. They did not get better by a small amount. Our entire lives got better by leaps and bounds. My youngest son who I was convinced lacked the ability to self-entertain and lacked creativity made an entire village for his Disney Seven Dwarfs collection out of bowls, tissue, paper, tape, the dried beans he found in the cabinet, and an egg carton. He then played with it the next day for over an hour while I cleaned the kitchen and packed lunches.

My oldest son was doing wonderfully in school both socially and academically, but was at times moody at home and prone to getting easily angry. He was always quick to loose his temper with his brother. Within a week of reduced television time and increased quiet playtime with toys, he slowly figured out a way to work things out with his brother. His moodiness eased and his patience for his brother grew. Their bickering was reduced and I heard them talking over ways to play together and coming up with compromises and solutions.

The television remained off limits during the week and only given as a break in the day on the weekends and then kept to no more than an hour. After awhile, they stopped asking. They knew that if it was not a weekend, there was no TV. Within two months, I had two happy, creative children who could entertain themselves and get along for longer and longer periods of time.

What about time to get things done as a stay-at-home mom? Yes, it takes me longer to get them settled into an activity before I can slip away. Yes, it takes more effort to think of more projects or suggest different playthings or toys when they are having trouble finding something to do. However, the time almost always comes when they are content, playing, and I can do the things that I need to around the house. The sound of them laughing and not the theme song to a children's TV show has my spirits lifted enormously.

My sons have friends with video games. They enjoy playing with them when they are at these friend's houses and even ask if they can have one. However, these same kids come over to our house where the TV does not get turned on and there are no high-tech video games and do not want to leave. They rediscover their love of train tables, play with musical instruments, and happily use the toys we have in our small basement and never once ask for the television to be turned on.

Perhaps even what is now considered moderate television viewing and the Academy of Pediatrics two-hour television limit is too much. Perhaps entire days or weeks at a time should be set aside where it is not turned on. Yes, television can teach our children how their ABC's and counting at earlier ages, but is this really necessary? Isn't kindergarten early enough for that? Is even educational, non-violent television taking away from these formative years when so much social development is based on play? A simple experiment in giving my kids more time together answered all these questions for me. The television went off in my house and my kids became kids again, their imaginations turned on, and the family I always wanted came into focus.

Everything You Need to Know About Marketing, You Learned in Kindergarten

Studies show that we do 90% of our learning in the first 5 years of life. That means we spend the rest of our lives trying to learn that last 10%...and marketing professionals step into the field already knowing 90% of what they need to know to hit a home run right out of the gate!

How do they know? They learned it in Kindergarten.

What Kindergarten Teaches Us About Marketing, Business and Success

The number of self-made business success stories is growing by the day. Now, I ask you, how is that possible when everyone knows you have to have a degree in business to know how to run a business?

We're back to that 90/10 rule again. By the time you become an adult you already know 90% of the techniques and information you need to grow your business and kick off an amazing marketing campaign. And you learned it all before you started the first grade.

Here's a look at what Kindergarten teaches us about business, marketing and success:

If you don't get excited, no one else will either.
To catch someone's interest, show them your toys. To make a friend for life, let them play too.
Don't be afraid to ask "why?" as often as possible.
People will like you better if you're not afraid to get dirty.
Bright colors are always more fun.
Don't hesitate to make mistakes.
If you don't know how to do something, find someone that does.
If you do know how to do something, teach everyone else.
It's always more interesting when you work as a group.
Leave plenty of time to play.
Be the first to say hello.
You can never have too many friends.
Any picture worth drawing is worth drawing right.
If you have something cool in your pocket, tell everyone. As often as possible.
Don't be serious all the time. That makes you boring.
Always use your good manners.
Smile. Other people will smile back.
If you were wrong, say you're sorry.
Stand up for what you believe in.
Put all of your effort into everything you do.

How to Survive the First 8 Months - Living With Your Teething Puppy!

The first thing you should know is, your puppy is in serious and constant discomfort. He is not gnawing on your arm because it's fun...well it is, but that's not the primary reason. They do it because they are in pain! It helps release the pressure of their teeth tearing though their gums!

What they are experiencing is nothing different than a baby when they are teething. We don't get angry with the baby...we sympathize. We shouldn't get angry at the puppy. It's nature taking its course. They call it growing pains.

As everyone who has ever known or loved a puppy will attest, those "baby teeth" are like razor blades! Just imagine what your puppy must be going through.

Here's how teething works.
· At birth your puppy has no teeth.
· At 3-4 weeks, the long teeth in the front, commonly known as canine, pop through.
· At 4-6 weeks the incisors (teeth in the front) and pre-molars (teeth on the sides) push their way out.
· At 8 weeks, your puppy now has 28 razor sharp teeth in his or her mouth.
· At 4-5 months your puppy starts shedding their "baby" teeth.
· By 8 months, most puppies have shed all their "baby" teeth. They now have the 42 adult teeth they will use for the rest of their life.

So what happens to all the "baby" teeth? Sometimes you may get lucky and find one on the floor, in their bedding or stuck in a chew toy. Some may get swallowed and passed without any problems. Others fall out in the yard...lost to the ages!

Why your puppy gnaws on anything and everything is because chewing:
· Chewing relieves the discomfort.
· Gums are swollen, sore and or bleeding.
· Relieves boredom.
· It's a way to explore...remember puppies have only their mouths and noses to explore their new world.
· Is how they played with their littermates...that had thicker skin, and a lot more hair than we do!

If your puppy is using you or your clothes as a chew toy, here is what you need to do:
· Give a high-pitched "YELP!" That is exactly what a littermate being used as a chew toy would do!
· Tuck your hands under your armpits,
· Turn your back to your puppy,
· Walk away from him or her,
· Ignore your puppy for a minute or two - they HATE being invisible!
· Then, give them an appropriate chew toy.
· DO NOT GET ANGRY! They are not doing this to hurt you. They are doing it because it feels good to them; it relieves their discomfort.

If your puppy is going to be left unsupervised and you don't want to find everything in the house gnawed on:
· Crate them with appropriate safe items to chew or
· Limit their access to only a small-designated area, with safe, appropriate items, to chew.

Suggestions to help you and your puppy survive the blood letting associated with teething
· Ice...lots of ice...big ones, little ones.
· Frozen fruit or freeze fruit in ice cubes.
· Frozen ice cubes with their favorite treat "locked" inside.
· Frozen ice cubes flavored with cream cheese, Gatorade, broth, or peanut butter
· Frozen ice cubes of yogurt.
· Large, hard, dog biscuits.
· Frozen toys - wet, squeeze out and then freeze their favorite toys. Gnawing on cold toys helps relieve the discomfort.
· Quality chewable toys...lots of them! Do not give them anything that will break off or shred. Rotate the toys daily; it will keep your puppy interested.
· Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!-Tire your puppy out! A pooped pooch is too exhausted to gnaw on anything. A trip to a dog park will keep them busy, they can gnaw on their new friends, and they will sleep for an hour or two when they get home.
· Teach them to control their chew urge, by praising and rewarding them when they are calm.
· Puppy Kindergarten, where they will learn to associate what "NO!", "ENOUGH!"
and "LEAVE IT!" mean. It's also a great way to tire them out!

Never give your teething pup a sock or old shoe to gnaw on. They won't know the difference between your old running shoe and the one you just spent a couple hundred dollars on last week.

Bottom line: Be patient. Be consistent. You and your puppy will survive this trying period of their young life. In the blink of an eye, he or she will be an adult dog. This will all be history.

Remember, it's stressful and painful time for your puppy. You know why...they don't.

My Preschooler Cries About Everything!

Today's advice-for-parents.com question comes from Lisa, who asked, "What should I do with my preschooler who cries about everything?"

Some preschoolers are a bit more tender than others. They have a harder time with transitions, take social interactions very personally, and seem to need a lot more attention. They are easily overwhelmed by changes in routine, and once they are overwhelmed, they have a very hard time calming themselves down. Often they will continue spiraling emotionally out of control until they receive the help of a calm and caring adult.

This is where it gets tricky! We adults often find ourselves becoming impatient and exasperated when the crying and whining goes on and on. The more upset our child is, the more strain we feel on our own nervous systems. The more we want them to stop crying, the harder it is to provide the calm and caring presence that could help bring it to an end.

So here's what to do. When your child is crying, and you feel the tension building in yourself, take a deep, slow breath. Calm yourself down first.

Then, get down to your child's level, look at her, and ask her if she wants you to hold her. If she nods, go ahead and bring her into your lap and comfort her.

If she doesn't want to be held, just sit yourself nearby and be with her. While you are holding her or not, speak some guesses as to what might be going on for her. "Oh, you weren't quite ready to leave yet." "You wanted more." "You wanted that toy." This is not an endorsement, it's simply an acknowledgement of her feelings. Kids start to calm down very quickly after they feel understood.

You might be thinking, "Yeah, right, that's sounds nice and everything, but I have things to do!!" Which of course is true, but let's think about that for a second. Which takes longer and costs more of our energy - trying to move on ahead with our schedules while dragging around a crying child, or investing a moment now to have a cooperative and willing helper for the rest of the errand?

Until she has calmed down, her emotional state will prohibit any kind of reasonable conversation. A crying child needs to be comforted before any learning will take place. Current brain research tells us that learning is simply not occurring while a child is in a state of emotional distress. Period.

So job one is to comfort the child. When she feels understood, you'll see her start to relax a bit, and the storm will start to subside. Sometimes, just this release of energy will be enough to allow you to continue with your activity - stimulation just builds up in the nervous system and needs to vent through crying in order to return to manageable levels.

Other times, after your child calms down, you can talk a little bit about what might have triggered the blow up, and troubleshoot ways to avoid it. For example, you may decide your child needs more warning before a transition, or that it works better to run errands after naptime, or that an earlier lunch might head off a blood sugar crash.

In any case, you'll be able to think much more clearly about all this after the crying has stopped, so don't put pressure on yourself to figure it out on the spot. Simply take a deep breath, soothe your child by holding her (or sitting nearby) and see if you can understand where she's coming from. Later, when things are calm, you can make some changes to her routine if necessary.

copyright 2007 Karen Alonge

Preschool Activity - Toy Book

If your child is constantly crabby and misbehaving, consider your household environment. Too much choice can sometimes overwhelm a child, as can too much noise. Consider "retiring" some of the noisiest toys you have for a week or two and see if there is any change in your child's behavior. By doing this you will have reduced both the number of choices available to your child for a play thing as well as the amount of noise made while playing. If your child seems more calm, make noise level a factor future toy purchases. You can also have a special box that toys get rotated into and out of. This will keep the same-old playthings more exciting, while cutting down on the overwhelming pile of toys that tend to gather in the living room.

FUN PRESCHOOL ACTIVITY: MY TOY BOOK

TEACHING OBJECTIVE/BEFORE YOU BEGIN:

Making My Toy Book is a fun way to help your child begin to recognize words as you help him prepare for a more formal reading program. Making his own books with your help makes learning to recognize sight words easy. Of course, the more frequently he reads his books the better his word recognition will be. A word of caution; listen to him read his book often to be sure he is reading the word that is written on the page.

You can use these "one word to a page" books to help him learn the sounds of letters, also. Once he knows the names of the letters in a word, demonstrate the sound the first letter makes and ask him to repeat it to you. Soon he'll be able to sound out many words after practicing with his own book. If you encourage him to make many such books he'll gradually develop his own library of books that interest him. Here are a few suggestions of books he might like to make with your help.

A book about his house could contain pictures of doors, windows, curtains, furniture, etc. You might use photographs of family members for a book about his family or pictures you took of friends for his Book of Friends. Food I Like might be another good book to make. Talk with your child about what he would like to make his books about. You may be surprised at his creativity as well at how many sight words he masters through making and reading his own books.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Newspaper or magazine ads depicting various toys
Scissors
Glue
81/2"x11" sheets of paper
One piece of construction paper
Stapler
A marking pen

ACTIVITY STEPS:

1. Cut out a number of familiar pictures of toys such as a ball, a car, a doll, etc.
2. Glue each picture on a separate piece of paper.
3. Print the name of each toy under its picture.
4. Fold the piece of construction paper in half to make covers for your book.
5. Put all the pages inside the covers.
6. Staple the book together.
7. Print MY TOY BOOK BY (YOUR CHILD'S NAME) on the cover.
8. Read the new book together.

Teaching Spanish for Kids

Spanish for Kids has become a popular second language that parents want to teach their children. It is one of the biggest languages in the world and many employees are expecting their employees to have at least a basic understanding of the language. If you can't afford to send your child to a private school to learn Spanish, don't be dismayed. You will have other opportunities to teach your children Spanish. We will discuss a couple of simple ways Spanish for kids can be taught.

1. Employ a DVD

Baby companies that are experts in teaching children second languages are creating DVDs that focus specifically on teaching your children the basic words and phrases from a specific language. Make sure that you find a DVD company that has experience and a lot of positive reviews. Most companies will charge fourteen to fifteen pounds depending on the DVD. The DVD should be geared towards children from the age of one to five. It is at those times that children pick up a second language much easier.

2. Use music and movies

Start looking around for free Spanish music and movies online. If you can't find them for free, make a budget so that you can slowly start purchasing them. You need to expose your child to the Spanish language much more often then just sitting them occasionally with an educational DVD. Immerse your child in the sounds, words of Spanish and they will more likely catch onto the language. Once they get older, start using Spanish subtitles in English movies, so that they are constantly exposed to the second language.

3. Start learning basic Spanish yourself

Even if you're not bilingual this is the perfect opportunity to start teaching yourself and your child Spanish. If you're able to speak a bit of Spanish and understand and respond to what your child is saying, they will more likely catch onto a second language much quicker. If you have the time available, spend an hour or two a day studying more advanced Spanish.

4. Use Spanish Games

You can either buy Spanish games or find free Spanish games online. Instead of just letting your child play English games, purchase a mixture of the two. This can be an exciting and fun way for them to learn more Spanish.

Teaching Sight Words - Quick Tips for parents to help their children learn to read,

Reading is a critical development of skills that children should learn as they grow. In many schools, children are required to read the situation, basic skills at the end of the second class. For this reason, many parents take matters into their own hands when it comes to the issue of how a child is to teach reading. Parents are their children reading, word games and rhymes, teaching the alphabet and the basics of phonetics.

This is afantastic start, but another thing you can do as parents is to try to get your child with a group of words familiar sight words. What are they? They are a group of basic, common English words, expect to see the children "on demand" (hence the name), even if you do not know the meaning. These words actually make up 50-70% of the spoken and written language. They are words like "the", "e", and "it". sight words, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions andsome nouns, adverbs, adjectives and verbs.

Children are encouraged to recognize sight words without the use of phonetics, but things get complicated when you think about how to teach a child to read these words. Many of these items can not be decoded phonetically. Another problem is that you can draw a picture for most of them to describe their meaning. This is like storing most effective way to learn these words.

Start by having your child just a few words for eyeslearn every week. Make saving fun by turning it into a game like searching for a word or memory. Have your child circle each word they see the eyes of magazines and books, fortunately there are plenty to find on every page. Say and repeat sight words with your child. Even better, say or write sentences to the memorable words. Many words are in the eyes of song phrases, so if it helps to sing the vocal line to your child, makes it easier to remember.

Finally, to ensureYour child will learn basic sight words, trying to establish educational programs. A good program to try Fat Brain Phonics system. This was developed by the parents of a child who has difficulty learning to read is. It has many proven methods of teaching sight words, and a list of more than 101 high frequency. In addition, there are lessons in phonetics effective you can walk with your child.

necessarily teaching sight words a child reading and learningDevelopment. Fortunately, as a concerned parent there are many ways for you interest in ensuring your child to learn these critical words. Instead of telling a stranger "to help my child to read," you can take matters into their own hands. With games creative wordplay, and a program of additional training as a Fat Brain Phonics, the child can learn to read in a fun and productive.

This article is copyright © Jasmine Newhart

Turn off the TV my family Redefine

When my two boys, both had their nap, it was a moderate amount of television, part of their routine rest-time. As a stay-at-home mom, I also enjoyed the quiet time to pause and prepare for dinner and return some phone calls. I've always been fond of airtime within the recommended guidelines take no more than two hours of screen and my children are still in time to play outside, outdoor activities, cooking and art projects rainy day and season with plenty ofToys>. I do not think that television is their life disrupted in any way.

My two boys, only 22 months away, arguing with each other. This reached the age of 4 and 6. Their struggles rarely in any real violence, would have caused the damage escalates. Their struggle has not been maintained only with a particular favorite toy. Everybody, including my husband told me it was all in accordance with sibling rivalry. As an only child, I had no frame of reference forthis and found it extremely difficult to bear. I read books, read the articles and tried many strategies, but the conflict would break out, despite my efforts.

Part of the problem lies in their different personalities, or so I thought. My son was very imaginative and create endless stories about his toys, where my youngest son was more physical and would instead move around. My youngest son did not have the attention span to focus onfun and left on the road during my greatest time to play. That would follow the oldest around and do exactly what he did and that could be really annoying.

I decided that I spent too much time playing together, if you ever need to maximize things always have been processed. My son is in full day kindergarten and had little time to play when we went to the playground, dinner eaten, bathed, homework and have done so to bedan age-appropriate, early. Something had to go and something to show that I watch while I made dinner and allows them to show he saw in the morning, when he moved quickly in itself.

I went cold turkey with the television on weekdays. They asked for a show every day and every day, I would tell them, for one reason or another. The time was extended to house and so was the fight. I told myself that things will get worse before she got better. There wasMoments that I wanted to turn on the TV and can only make dinner in peace, but I held my ground. I decided to do this experiment for a couple of weeks and there would be no improvement in their struggle, I return to my normal routine.

In just two short weeks, things are better. They have most of a small amount. All our lives better by leaps and bounds. My youngest son, who I thought lacked the capacity for self-enjoyment and creativity that was missinga whole village for his collection of Disney Seven Dwarfs bowls, textiles, paper, adhesive tape, dried beans in the private office and found a carton of eggs. He then played with her the next day for more than an hour while I cleaned the kitchen and lunch.

My son was doing wonderfully in school, both socially and scientifically, but is sometimes moody and upset at home for vulnerable always be easy. He was always ready to lose his temper with his brother. Within a week, reduced televisionThe increase in the time and quiet time to play with toys, he slowly found a way to draw things together with his brother. His mood is relaxed and raised his patience for his brother. Their argument has been reduced and I heard them talking about ways to work together to find compromises and solutions.

The television was taboo during the week and only as a break during the day on weekends, where, and then stored for no longer than an hour. After a while, 'have stopped asking. They knewthat if there is a weekend, there was no television. Within two months I have had two happy, creative children, who talk among themselves and can survive longer and longer periods.

What is the time to do things as a stay-at-home mom? Yes, it takes longer for me settled in a job before I can slip away. Yes, it takes more effort to think more projects or propose different toys or toy, if they find something to do with the problems. However,time is almost always when they are happy to play and I can the things I need to do the house. The sound of their laughter, and not the theme song of television show for children has greatly raised my spirit.

My kids were playing video games. They love to play with them, though in that case also a friend and ask if they can get one. However, these same children in our home where the TV can not get shot and there are video games growing high-techand do not want to leave. They discover their love for the train tables, play musical instruments and happy with the toys we have in our little basement and has not been asked to be switched on the television.

Perhaps what is now called moderate two-hour television and the TV Academy of Pediatrics limit is too much. Perhaps for days or weeks at a time set aside where it is deactivated. Yes, television can teach our children how their ABCand counting in the past, but is it really necessary? It is not soon enough for kindergarten? Is also educational, non-violent television taken away from those formative years, when the game is very much based on social development? A simple experiment in giving my children more time together to answer these questions for me. The TV went into my house and my children were children once again turned to his imagination, and the family I always wanted to come into focus.

It's learning toy live up to the hype?

In a world that is increasingly competitive, parents turn to educational toys for their children's hands and give them the upper. However, there is a large separation in believers and nonbelievers. Many parents believe that educational toys have no purpose what so ever, but other parents swear. The question we try to meet the learning toys for this post is to work with that?

All kinds of educational toys that are developedCreated by a team of experts. These are the professionals, education seasoned when it comes to early childhood education are. You know how children react to the information and how to maximize the natural ability of the child. If this decision is explained if you have your toys or your purchase, you must think about what you get from home.

The experts, these are toys that have poured thousands of hours in the combinedProduct. Each product is so that your child made to a particular topic or Excel. The books and toys have a specific purpose when it comes to your children educated.

Another reason for educational toys are so popular because kids love them - and they are learning from. There are many colors and images that makes it extremely designed for children with stimulants. Educational toys can come in many forms. Purchase booksAnd electronic toys, cards, DVD and even wooden toys, which are used for educational purposes.

In an educational effort for parents to have a better reputation among toys, there are studies in order to be worthy of her. The truth is that the studies are completed, around the world consistently show that early education toys a great help in improving the mental condition of the child.

Through the use of educational toys, parents arethe foundation of life education for their children. They create a positive learning habits for life, it is up to adults. The parents before starting work with their habits of early learning of their children and their first learning experiences of children benefit more from this draw later in life.

If you wish to give your child a head start in life with educational games. They are affordable and have a value ofits weight in gold.

It's Time Preschool

The parents of a child are unsurpassed source for training before school. Research shows that the more time and effort of parents, guardians or teachers in schools to give the child, the more a preschool child is able to adapt their environment.

An important part of pre-school learning is to read and write. Children can learn early in life, and why it is so important that they have the best learning experience. AlAge of four years, the practice of vocabulary and grammar begins has become important. The first impression is long with the children, and how they perceive their day in preschool learning their perspectives and openness to learning that affect their lives. A variety of learning experiences are designed to meet the needs of children in different areas of development needs.

For four and five years, the average vocabulary range 1500-2000 words. In this age group,The curriculum should focus on the past of the words and pronouns. Most children this age are able to count to twenty, and this is simple addition and subtraction. science projects easy to get to preschool children to seek answers and find them.

In essence, the pre-school education is an extremely important part of life for children, because it is the first experience of basic training they have, and so it is essentially the first truly social setting and the experience that theyhave as well. Young children have an extraordinary ability to absorb information and accumulate knowledge, provided that all such information submitted found in age-appropriate way. Preschool is an exciting time for children the way for a long time for learning the structure view.

Why You May Need a Child Care Worker

When children are growing they need extra care when we are not around and we often taken them to day care centers or kindergarten. It is in these centers that they meet the child care worker who cares and teachers the child's development in expressing themselves socially. However there will be a difference in the education a child receives from these centers and a well regulated day care center.

There are no set rules on the qualifications of a Child care worker though it being a very profitable career in the job market many of the care providers will make their mark by their way of teaching methodologies, and past experience.

It is therefore of paramount importance that parents be keen on the teaching style and methods the care giver provides as this will help shape your child's life at this tender age. The difference between the trained and non trained child Care worker is that the trained one is apparent. The child care provider is required to work at certain set hours by aid of a time table which also helps the child in knowing that certain things will happen at a given allotted time.

The care worker is responsible for feeding the child at certain given meal times, watch the children as they play and teach them how to play with each other and toys that will attract the child's attention and curiosity. The child will also learn how to sit quietly during story time and develop mental interest in learning whereby they will also ask questions.

7 Secrets to Success in Kindergarten

The success in kindergarten is not difficult but it takes a lot of effort on the part of the people who are involved in the child's learning process. Here are 7 secrets to success in kindergarten:

1. Teamwork. Success is not only the achievement of the child; but also the other major players: the school, the teacher and the parents. These major players do not play against each other but they play on the same team.

2. Communication. The communication lines open between team members. Parents should encourage their children to talk about their concerns and inform the teacher in the school on matters affecting the child at home that might influence their behavior. The communication between the teacher and the child must be open forever. And the parents to dialogue with other parents and school authorities.

3. Quality. Parents should spend time with their children. The bond between them is to motivate the child to do his best>kindergarten. Parents must have time to be actively involved with the child's activities.

4. Cooperation. Cooperate in all school activities. Join the PTA or other organizations for parents. Be available for meetings, conferences and parent-teacher forums.

5. Show appreciation. Be appreciative of the skills your child has acquired. Make him feel that you are proud of his achievements. Also give the teacher praise and good words for all her effort in teaching your kid.

6. Be a positive thinker. Always look for and expect the best from your child. Accept his achievements as the best and praise him. Do not push him, encourage him.

7. No comparison. Never compare children with each other, especially with their classmates or siblings. Each child is unique and has his own talent and ability.

What parents do at home to the child is just as important as what is done in school. Do your duty at home by preparing your child for school. Above all, love your Child and not be ashamed to show it. Love is the best motivation for success and the antidote to many ills happening to our young people today. This is an important part in the secret of success in kindergarten.

Crafts For Kindergarten - Everything You Need to Know

Children around the age of 2 to 6 are considered to be in the pre-schooling age. This is the time when basic information and skills are learned to prepare them for elementary school. At this age, kids are usually taught the alphabet and numbers and to make learning more fun for them, they often need to be exposed to crafts for kindergarten age.

There is a great variety of crafts for kindergarten a teacher, moderator or parent can use. These crafts are not limited to be done in school; most of which can also be done at home to help enrich the children's minds of their potential. Creativity is a key factor to successful crafts, children, especially in this age does not need a detailed set of instructions. Most of them work better when they are only given the general concept of what needs to be done and given the choice of how they wish to make it. Most people find it hard to believe that children can be critical thinkers; they actually are.

They tend to think about something - picture their desired results and begin putting it in to play. The more fun a child has, the more productive they become. What is most important to them is not really how well it stands out from the crowd but how well they feel about their work. This is why constant praise is needed for children; they strive dearly on the rewards system where even when they just hear the words "nice work" can turn them ecstatic with a sense of achievement. This is also the secret to prevent children from eventually having a feeling of inferiority as they grow up.

Discover The Truth About Learning Educational Toys

One would have to assume that developmental or educational toys are based on cognitive development. There is more than one theory of cognitive development, however, Piagets theory seems to be the most accepted. Using this theory, let us take a look at toys that are best suited through the stages of development. Continue reading and discover the truth about learning educational toys.

Even Piaget admitted that each child develops differently and that the theory was flawed based on how smoothly some of the transitions were. Some of the challenges to the theory have been based on the beliefs that a child's economical, family, and social influences all effect cognitive development. Keep all of this in mind when deciding on toys that will best help the development of a particular child.

According to the theory there are four distinct stages of development. The first is the sensorimotor stage; lasting from birth to approximately two years of age. During this stage, the child will learn coordination between hands and eyes, learn the result from a repeated occurrence, plan an activity on their own, try new things, and creativity and insight begin to develop. By the end of this stage the most important goal is for the child to have learned object permanence.

Toys that can be grabbed in the hands and pulled, will be the favorites in the beginning of this stage, while later in the stage puzzles made of large shapes and memory games will develop abilities. DVDs are available for even these young ones to assist with developing language skills.

The preoperational stage begins after two and ends at approximately seven. In this stage curiosity and reasoning are developing. At this time the child begins to act out fantasy stories of play and develop magical worlds. They still are unable to associate another persons point of view with their own.

The type of toys for this stage could be puppets, dolls, any type of toy that the child can create an adventure with. You may even want to make a trunk of dress up clothes and allow them to act out plays to develop their self esteem. There are a variety of good computer games as well as other games to encourage healthy role play.

The third stage is the concrete operational stage, and last between the ages of seven and eleven. Many important changes take place in this stage of development such as, sorting objects, relationship recognition, classification of sets of objects, problem solving that involves multiple issues, the ability to comprehend that things can be changed and then put back in the same way, and conservation.

Any type of games that promote logic skills at this stage would be excellent toys. Many of the computer games available are specifically designed for this. Word and math puzzles are also great to keep in the car for trips and when you have to wait in waiting rooms.

The formal operational stage is from eleven until adulthood. Abstract thinking begins at this point. They are able to draw their own conclusions from different occurrences and apply information as they have learned it. They can now make a plan to solve a problem, and they are capable of experiencing and understanding love.

There is no shame in the old fashioned board game that encourages family activity. Children that are encouraged to participate in family activities will develop a greater sense of self esteem. Any type of toy that deters a child from isolation is the best kind for this age group. Sports equipment with family involvement, or learning to play chess is an excellent idea.

How Toys and Play Aid Young Development

The first few years of a child's life are the most important developmentally. The toys that a child plays with during this time can have a direct impact on his or her learning capacity as he or she gets older.

Toys Impact Learning from Infancy

There are toys that can help with a child's development when the child is as young as two weeks old. Infant's eyes are not fully developed when they are first born. They can't discern separate objects very distinctly. The addition of a black and white mobile over a baby's bed or a stuffed toy that has a high level of colour contrast can help an infant learn to follow objects with their eyes, which can lead to better comprehension of the world around them. High contrast toys also help an infant learn to focus on one item for short periods of time.

Early Learning Toys Enhance Spatial Understanding

Toddlers can gain quite a lot from playing with blocks and other spatial manipulation toys. The best toys for spatial recognition are the ones that require children to put differently shaped objects through the right holes. The child has to recognize the shape, and then find the corresponding hole to poke the object through. Spatial understanding is a fundamental skill that will aid in the child's ability to learn as he or she gets older.

Developing Hand-Eye Coordination

Small cobbler benches and workshops with oversized plastic tools can help a child develop better hand-eye coordination. The toy requires that the child find the right tool and then apply it properly to turn screws, hammer large nails, and perform other tasks that require fine motor skills. Any toy that allows the child to see something and then react to it with some form of action helps the child learn how to better control physical functions. Older children will benefit from games that require a more detailed sense of dexterity, like mazes or puzzle books.

Reading Aids for Young Children

The right books can seem like a toy rather than a strict learning aid. Some books have electronic elements that read portions of the text for the child or play a sound that correlates with certain sections of the story. These interactive books help children become more comfortable with reading as a fun activity. They also provide ways for children to associate the sound with certain pages of the book, which can lead to a better understanding of how the words on the page relate tell the story.

Learning Social Skills Through Play

Educational Toys That Keep Things Exciting

When it comes to finding your children toys that are not only exciting to them, but educational it can be hard. Educational toys that may seem fun to you might at first be boring to kids. Over the years toys have taken a huge turn in design and functionality. A large amount of them are focusing on the technical side of our economies, which can be beneficial in some aspects, but not it others.

Finding educational toys that keep things exciting doesn't have to become a stressful task any longer though. There are numerous amounts of options available that allow you to find toys that match the educational requirements of any age group and intelligence level. This means you can find toys that make the educational needs of a newborn ranging all the way up to a teenager.

What Toys Should You Get?

For those that are not fully aware as to what educational toys would work best for your children, consider their level of abilities and try expanding their weaknesses. Many parents are known to focus on the things their children are good at, but you should actually not do this. You want to strengthen every learning ability that they have so that they can be strong in all learning aspects.

If you've yet to start broadening their learning skills, start with the basics and continue on to each level of expertise. Some of the best educational toys to start with are the child's motor skills. There are hundreds of different toys that encourage the use of every part of their body, and once the child master these you can continue on to the next steps.

Can Children Learn Without Toys Meant to Teach?

Of course they can! Do not feel that you have to go spend hundreds of dollars on educational toys if you do not want too. Keep in mind though, toys interest children greatly and they'll be much more satisfied to sit and play with a colorful, exciting toy for extended periods of time, then sitting doing nothing. Toys can be lots of fun, and a good educational experience if you find the right ones.

Where Can I Find Affordable Educational Toys?

Over the years, the amount of educational toys have increased drastically. The range of options is much more thorough. Whether you are looking for puzzles, building blocks, sensory toys, imagination toys or any other educational toy, there is guaranteed an option available for you. A child's mind is something you should expand each and every day, and with the help of toys you can make it a lot of fun for everyone.

Make your child's education expand each day with some interesting, creative educational toys, at a price every parent will love!

Side Story: our son can't live without his Nintendo DS, however after much pleading we got him to try scrabble. Since he loves numbers, this was the perfect solution to getting him off electronics and rejoin the family! What does your child love that will help get them away from a PC or handheld? Sometimes the simplest items make the best toys. Start with blocks and go from there. You'd be surprised what happens when you open the door just slightly.

Leapster Games - Great Education Toys For Preschoolers

If you are looking for training, the toy is on preparing the child for kindergarten? Leapfrog is a toy that is exactly the so-called Leapster set to 2. This electronic toy is designed for children 4-8 and has over 40 different games that can be played on it, providing years of fun and learning.

Leapster games are the age and a wide range of educational benefits. For preschoolers, there are a fun way of learning, theirABC's, numbers, colors and matching/memory skills. There are also games and gift packs that introduce reading basics for this age group.

A wide variety of recognizable characters are used in the games allowing kids to interact with their favorite characters, such as TinkerBell, Dr. Seuss, Scooby Doo, Winnie the Pooh, and Curious George.

Games are created to adjust to each individual players pace. The same game can be played different ways based on the selections made while using it. Children navigate through the games via the interactive touch screen and stylus, which promotes hand to eye coordination and writing skills.

The handheld unit is 10 x 13 inches in size, weighing 1.6 pounds. It comes in two bright color combination's that kids love, Green/Blue and Pink/Purple. The small size makes it very portable; ideal for bringing in the car or over to a friends house.

A unique feature of the Leapster 2 and its games is that the handheld unit itself can be connected to the Leapfrog website using a home PC and a free product called Leapfrog Connect. Once connected, new games can be tried out and downloaded. Children can also earn reward points while playing.

Another free service that Leapfrog offers is called the Learning Path, a wonderful tool for parents. When the handheld is connected to the Leapfrog website, information can be uploaded and translated into a fun, graphical representation of the child's progress, what skills they have been working on, and additional activities for the skills the child is working on.

The Leapster 2 and games are a perfect gift for any preschooler and will grow with the child as they progress from grade to grade. More advanced games can be added as needed or desired.

There are many education toys on the market, but the large number of games available and free on-line features offered by Leapfrog make this one unique!

Preschool Activities - How to Make Simple Musical Instruments Your Kids Will Love

Preschool Activities: How To Make Musical Instruments In The Household

Preschool activities can be limitless. Often times there are several great preschool activities ideas and fun right in your own home. Using preschool activities help children and preschoolers to learn and explore new areas of development through creating and through participation. It's no surprise that children love music. As a result of this well known fact, a fitting child activity for kids would be to make some musical instruments for them to make their own 'music' or to play along with music that may be playing at home or in the classroom. Music helps kids to learn to keep rhythm. They may dance and move to the beat of the music or at least try to. Music can also help stimulate their minds, physical & mental development and co-ordination skills. Below are a few great preschool activities & kids activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

How To Make a Musical Shaker: Musical instruments are fun to make for your children or preschoolers. Kids will love to make their own special musical instrument. This activity makes it fun for kids to play along with music and learn about keeping beat, or rhythm. Requirements For This Preschool/Kindergarten Activity include the following items below.

1 small or medium sized plastic bottle (*do not use glass for safety reasons) A variety of small containers could be used. Some Rice, soy beans or other similar non-perishable type of beans or rice. A glue gun (*always supervise when working with hot appliances like this), Colored construction paper, (Optional) some glitter

PreK/Kindergarten Musical Instrument Activity: What to Do: Take the water bottle, strip off any old labeling etc. Take a small amount of rice or soybeans and use a funnel or pour carefully into the bottle for your desired sound. Take the hot glue gun and glue on the cap with a few dabs of hot glue on the 'threading' of the cap. Twist cap on tight and let dry. You can then use the construction paper to cut out small stars and shapes etc.to glue on the bottle to decorate. You may also want to use glitter or other things to decorate the bottle or have the children decorate their bottle shakers.

** Keep in mind, different sized containers, different types of plastic and different contents will produce different sounds. Have Fun with Your Water Bottle Shaker: Play some fun kids music and let your children shake their new musical bottle shaker to the beat. You can help to tell kids when to shake their musical shakers. Try to explain to them when the beat takes place or let them just 'shake' away!

We hope you enjoy this preschool activity and kindergarten activity for kids.

Grandma Shops For Toys For Christmas 2009

Toys have always been a love of mine. When I was a little girl I was thrilled with the mystery and surprise of receiving a new toy. Later with children of my own I was once again able to visit the world of toys. I even considered owning a toy shop.

Christmas is once again almost upon us and many of us are combing the stores, scratching our heads, or searching online for toys to buy. I now have five wonderful grandchildren. They age from five months to age six. I am excited to be searching for toys for them. In the last couple of years I have done this search almost exclusively online. I find there are copious amounts of information about the toys that are available and the prices are excellent.

For the babies on my list I am considering:

Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper - This toy was at my Granddaughter's daycare and all the very small children loved it. They loved putting the balls in the spiral track and they never seemed to tire of the balls popping out the top. I am not sure if any of them figured out why the balls were popping out but it did produce lots of giggles and amusement.

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table - One of the nice things about this musical table is that baby can play with it if it is flat on the floor. Then when they begin to pull themselves up baby can hold onto it and push the various activity buttons for sounds and music. I like this toy because it is suitable for children 6 months to 3 years.

Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo - Nothing baby likes better than to jump. Once a baby is able to hold their head well this is a great toy for trying out those legs without putting any weight on them. There are toys all around it. Some of them will make sounds when the baby jumps. Other are great for grasping or batting. The seat swivels 360 degrees. It is very portable and can be stored easily.

Fisher-Price Amazing Animals Sing and Go Choo Choo - This is a wonderful train. E 'suitable for children crawling. is one of the wonderful things about it have come down from the train tracks. The colors of the train and the animals are beautiful. With the task of baby animals in the engine to get a song. The lights of the train, plays music and makes sounds.

For small children on my list I'm watching:

Fisher-PriceGo Baby Go! Bounce & Spin Zebra - This comes either as a zebra or a pony. It is great for toddlers that can climb up on it and rock away. It is low to the ground so any spills will not harm the child. As well as rocking the child can spin on it. It helps with balance and the beginning of coordination. It is a fun toy.

LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Set - This magnetic game can be placed on any metal surface like the refrigerator at the best height for baby. The animals are big enough not to be choking hazards. Initially baby will delight in pushing the buttons to activate the sounds. As baby grows and matures a bit they will start to match the body parts of the animals and equate the animal to the sounds. Even if they mismatch them they get a silly name for the animal. It is portable so children can play with it on the floor out of the way of dinner preparations.

Melissa and Doug Deluxe Standing Easel - I think an Stand is a necessary part of every child. Once a child can stand and hold a pencil, a tripod will allow them hours of fun and creativity. This stand is sturdy and allows special paint, chalk, pens, dry erase.

Fisher-Price Musical Tea Set - This is a color favored by the courts play in beautiful pastel colors. What child does not want the adults in their lives and emulate them serve food? Made of sturdy plastic, will be those occasions whenthe tea just drops from little hands. The teapot is darling and plays "I am a little teapot."

Tonka Toughest Mighty Truck - Children need trucks in their lives and no one makes them better than Tonka. I am sure we had this same truck when our children were young. It is rugged and stands up to lots of abuse. We have always restricted these bigger Tonka toys to outdoors but they can be used indoors with supervision.

For the four to five year olds on my list I am considering:

LeapFrog Text and Learn - By this age children want to do everything that the adults in their lives do. With everyone running around with Blackberries and I Phones this gives this age group their own hand held device. It also allows them to begin to explore words and start to spell.

LEGO Duplo 5380 Building Set - Like Tonka, Lego has survived and improved over the decades. It remains a favorite with boys and girls. One of the benefits of buying Lego is that you can add to it at a birthday or next Christmas.

Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera - Again just like Mum and Dad children adore taking their own pictures. They don't worry about composition they just snap away. They are thrilled to have their pictures uploaded to the computer with everyone else's pictures. These cameras are almost indestructible and reasonably waterproof. A kindergarten teacher uses them in her class room and the kids love it.

Baby Alive Learns to Potty - This doll has the most enormous engaging blue eyes. She eats, she pees and she poops. She also talks and has phrases like "oh oh I did a stinky" that put children into gales of laughter. It is possible to introduce her earlier than age four when children are being trained themselves. At the earlier age the child playing with her needs supervision. She is delightful.

Barbie and the Three Musketeers - After 50 years, Barbie is still a popular item searched. Barbie and the Three Musketeers series of dolls and accessories are this year's version. The concept is the theory that the girls can put anything, do they think they built - be musketeers! In addition to dolls, there is a magic castle and coach. What fairy tale would be complete without them?

to include our six to eight years of my list;

Transformers - action figures, thealso three dimensional puzzles delight the boys that own them. Even small boys who have no knowledge of the comics or movies entertain themselves with their own adventures. The top selling ones are Optimus Prime, Ultimate Bumblebee, Devastator and Megatron.

Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid - While adults scratch their heads in wonderment, small boys engage with these marble like spheres. This is an extension of the Japanese game Bakugan in which warriors are pitted against each other. I think the fascinating thing about these magnetic marble like warriors is that small boys who have no knowledge of the strategy game can invent their own way of playing with them. I like this game as it will last as the players get older and more interested in learning the game.

Mindflex Game - Without question this is the #1 selling game this year. Since its introduction earlier this year it has intrigued players looking for something other than mind games. This out of the future game has players wearing sensors and by their abilities to concentrate controlling the speed of the fans in the console. Many customers who have already purchased it report increased ability to concentrate in their youngsters. It is recommended for age 8 and up.

Nintendo DS Lite - This video game system is great for quiet times and for travelling. There seems to be endless games that can be played on it. It has the ability to wirelessly connect so players can pit their skills with others all over the world. One of the very popular applications for this hand held device is the Mario Kart DS.

LeapFrog Tag Reading System - I see my grandchildren in this age bracket really interested in learning to read for themselves. This is another great product from LeapFrog to help them do this. This system has won many awards for the over 17 learning activities that it has.

These are some of my selection that I think fit the criteria of durable, lasting and fun.

Early Education in Preparation for Kindergarten

It's back to school time! While many children and parents scramble to purchase new school clothes and school supplies, parents of younger children have a much bigger issue to consider. Kindergarten is a major milestone in a child's life. Whether you are a working parent or not, it is very important to ensure your child gets the appropriate preparation for kindergarten. Parents can become involved in their toddler's development through doing a few simple things. Parents should focus on their child's social life, boost his self awareness, expand his mind, surround him with words, encourage nimbleness, and finally tour his school beforehand. Parents should focus on their child's social development through enrolling their child in some kind of daycare, preschool, or an extracurricular activity such as dance or gymnastics. If these activities are unavailable, playgroups or even independent outdoor community activities are vital to a child's social development. These types of activities and educational games and educational games to help teach a child how to share toys with other children in joint activities.

Parents can help their child's self-confidence issues children about themselves and their demographics, body parts, etc. This also opens up a world of words for the child. Sending letters and words as well as educational toys with letters and words to the child's environment, evenhelps the child to learn words, letters, numbers, colors, and sounds. If your child is in a daycare or preschool setting, make sure they have educational toys and help expand your child's mind through everyday activities such as counting objects, making distinctions between concepts, and establishing an understanding of comparison of objects. Educational workbooks are also useful in both childcare settings or in a home setting. When looking for birthday or holiday gifts, parents should look for educational toys instead of video games or movies.

The importance of an early education via preschool or the right childcare setting for your child has been proven. These types of settings can help develop your child's social, cognitive, and physical skills in preparation for kindergarten. Research shows that an appropriate preschool or childcare setting provides much needed nurture to prepare a child for kindergarten. Parents and childcare providers should also encourage nimbleness through activities which develop fine motor skills such as drawing and handling child sized tools and other objects to strengthen arms, fingers, shoulders, etc. Finally, touring your child's school and classroom whenever possible is an important step. Parents can reduce kindergarten stress by becoming familiar with the classroom and school grounds prior to the start of school. They can also reassure their child and show their child the school at different times of day, while students participate in various activities. If your child is ready, they feel less pressure and less stress and more confident at the beginning of kindergarten and for the duration of his school.

Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten

As your child approaches school age, you may be wondering if he has the necessary skills to pass his kindergarten screening. There are several things that you can do to prepare your child to enter the school environment.

To interest your child in reading, you should read aloud to them often. This activity will help your child to understand that the printed words represent the spoken words. By asking the child questions about the story, you can help to build up his Reading comprehension. You can also teach him the words that rhyme and show him how many of these word spellings are similar. As you read, you should remember, explain unfamiliar words and their meanings build his vocabulary.

You can take your child to read in the library. Many of these institutions have programs designed specifically for preschoolers. They often have story times, puppet shows and other activities to foster love for reading in these children.These excursions are also the perfect opportunity for your child, even with the design of the building, so that it is older, you will feel comfortable to read books and do research for school on their own.

You should also print the child's name often so that it can begin to learn as it appears in print, and how to spell. You can associate the letters of your child's name to help certain letters with certain sounds. You canindividual letters of your child's names and help him finds words that have the same letters in them. This is also a good time for your child to start to practice writing his name.

To help your child prepare for kindergarten math, you should make sure that he is familiar with shapes and colors. He should also have the ability to at least count to ten (preferably twenty). You can practice his shapes with him by drawing or finding objects for each shape and have your child identify them. You can help your child with his counting skills by using various items, placing them in a group, and have him count the total number. You can also practice his problem-solving skills by adding and taking shapes away from the group and having him recount the new total. This will establish a foundation for addition and subtraction. You can play board games with him that requires your child to roll a pair of dice and move a certain amount of spaces. This is good counting practice and a chance to spend some quality time with him as well.

Many children need to develop their fine motor skills when preparing to enter school. You can build these skills by having your child practice cutting straight and wavy lines with child scissors. You can also encourage him to draw pictures with little details in them. Stringing beads on a piece of thread is another way to build up your child's coordination.

If you practice all the skills that he will need to start kindergarten, your child should pass his kindergarten tests with flying colors.

Trying to decide on computer games for children?

When children are in Kindergarten their parents minds often turn to their future. Will they be a doctor, lawyer or earn some real money and become an internet marketer (that last bit there was a joke). But seriously, education is a life-long experience and invariably the more people enjoy their learning, the more they will learn.

Games have always been one of the most reliable ways to teach new skills, right from early times to the pre-computer era games have taught many things including social skills, literacy and numeracy. In contemporary society computers are so prevalent that it is accepted that children will learn how to interact with them, and invariably be better more adept with computers than their parents. Introducing kids to computers via educational pc games is a great way for them to learn about computers and learn from computers.

Good software teaches familiarity with computer hardware, such as keyboard and mouse, while providing a friendly and engaging environment to learn other traditional scholarly skills. Even at this early age, kindergarten computer games should address concepts that are recommended for aptitude at this level.

Such concepts include:

o Pre-reading Readiness
o Simple Word Identification
o Basic Vocabulary
o Shapes
o Colors
o Rhyming concepts
o Counting 1-10
o Ordering and Sequencing
o Telling the time

Like any other educational software, kindergarten computer games should also have the ability to adjust the learning level of the program to suit your child. While the above concepts are a guide, not all children learn the same things at the same time and no child should ever be made to feel like they are "failing" if they cannot understand a concept that is "meant" to be learnt at their level. Children are not carbon copies of each other and intelligence comes in many forms, great learning software should reflect this.

If you are unsure of where to start, take a look at software from companies like Jumpstart and The Learning Company. They have been in the business for a long time and have refined their programs to make them user-friendly and informative.

The Role of Toys in Learning

Toy recall was part of human existence for as long as most people, in fact, are so deeply rooted in society that would be difficult to imagine any kind of childhood without them. Many children are eager to expand its collection every holiday season, and with equal passion, look for adults to benefit from a collection of toys and models for them. But toys are more fun than a lot of things and the time on long summerdays. They can also serve as something to help educate.

Adulthood is not an easy thing to deal with, but it can prove to be even harder to deal with if a person is ill-prepared on the matter. However, when a child is given something to play with, this can help lessen that problem. If they are given learning toys, chances are good that they will be ready for what comes later in life. Household appliances, cars and so on, are all shadowed from actual parts of adult life. Exposing them to such things at a young age makes it feel less overwhelming; in fact, they will be too busy having fun to pay much mind to the fact that they are being taught something.

As any parent could attest, proper early development is very important for the overall mental and physical health of a young person. To help in the success of this, learning toys play a notable part. It does not matter if these educational toys come in the form of a puzzle consisting of colourful shapes, a towel puppet for bath time or something that makes sounds; each of these items force the child to pay attention and use their brain. On top of this, through exposure to said items they can also learn to tap into their imagination. That towel puppet becomes an unrivalled hero, and those puzzle pieces prove to be formidable hurtles for the hero to overcome.

Many children are shy and choose not to socialize with others their age, if not anyone they come across. To help discourage this, educational toys can demand that more than one person use them in order for them to function properly. When this happens, no matter how reluctant, the child will end up interacting with others. Through exposure, they can get used to socializing and become less afraid of the idea. Though it is not a guaranteed result, few would claim that it should not be attempted.

Toys play a role in learning, no matter what they are or when they are used. They prove to be crucial in early development, and can even help a child harness their imagination, something that few could picture their lives without. Without toys, some parts of adult life would be almost foreign or scary, and playing can prepare the child for what will inevitably have to be dealt with. The form of these toys may change as the years and generations pass, but their purpose will remain the same.

Discipline your child and prevent Bad behavior

It is the behavior of your child embarrass you and make you afraid to go out in public?

Any behavioral problems to be resolved immediately, before it is too late. If your child is young it has an impact on their lives. The oldest are in their minimal influence at best, now is the time for the control and discipline to take the baby to prevent bad behavior.

I know I have not given up, because if you must have read at this time. So let's look at what can be donediscipline your child and prevent bad behavior.

I found an audio course, you learn with your child in a way that a huge difference in how the child reacts to report that we do, it is possible.

You can not have this thought, but if you think it will be obvious. Behavior is not guided by emotion choices of children to act as it did because of their attitude or emotional state. When children refuse to go to bed, because they associateBedtime with something unpleasant.

Do not make the mistake of trying to use logic to solve the problem, because the works of logic. You must change the emotional state of the child and that is what the course teaches you sound. How can you change the verbal and body language of someone's emotional state, attitude or behavior.

I think if you seriously want to learn how to prevent your child is to discipline and bad behavior is no better way.

Is your child ready for kindergarten?

Most parents have concerns about their child or for the nursery is not ready. You want to start your child on time. If it is too early, it is a difficult experience. If it's too late, the child has to do with school-age much later. There are some things to try to ensure that your child may be ready for kindergarten.

Allow your child to socialize with other children? If the child has not been around other children, you should work onthis. You need to know your child will be with other children and an understanding of basic respect. This is usually done based on the type of day care centers, church functions, nursery school or other activities where the child learned to other children.

If the child is emotionally mature enough to be next to you? If the child is affectionate and has strong emotional ties to you, you may have to wait another year.

Can your child learn the basic skills? If your child ready to learn thingsABC's numbers, and this is a good sign that they are willing to learn in a classroom. While your baby does not need all that stuff for asylum before entering, it is certainly not help.

Can your child concentrate? If your child is little attention to something, the school will be difficult for him or her.

Is your child interested in learning? If you notice that your child asks, and seems naturally curious about the world, this is theideal time to enter kindergarten. This gives your child's learning, they are seeking.

If your child is easier to talk with the teachers there. They will be more information about whether your son or daughter is ready for the next grade level intellectually and emotionally. Do not miss out on this board.