20 Ways to Spice Up Your Kids Lunchbox

 

Providing lunch for your children can be a challenge. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches quickly get old and they are not the most healthy option. Packaged lunch alternatives often contain additives and preservatives as well as unnecessary amounts of trans-fats, salt and sugar. So, as a health-conscious parent who is attempting to provide a fun, unique lunch for their child, what can you do? You could spend the whole day researching ideas. However, in this article, we have saved you the trouble. Below are twenty ideas for spicing up your children’s lunches they are sure to love and will not want to trade to their friends.

 

Celery Stick Paintbrushes

Veggies are not generally something any child wants in their lunch. However, they will soon change their tune with these celery paintbrushes. Take celery sticks. Cut the ends so they flare out like paint brushes. Then include tiny cups of mayo, mustard and ketchup to serve as the paint. Also include a classic ham or turkey sandwich, allowing your little artists to paint designs on their sandwiches before they eat them.

 

Carrot Pencils

To get your children to eat carrots, simply trim down one end, shaping the carrot into the shape of a pencil. These would also be wonderful to include along with the celery paint brushes as another artistic medium for your sandwich topping artists.

 

Octopus Weenies

Octopus weenies are a favorite of both children and adults alike in Japan and they will be a favorite of your little ones too, especially if they love sea life. Start with a cocktail weenie. Cut little slits in the weenie till they are about halfway up. These become little dangling legs. Fry the weenies and the legs will curl up, giving you a perfect octopus.

 

Pigs in a Blanket

Pigs in a blanket are not generally considered the most healthy lunchtime choice, but children love them. To make your pigs in a blanket more healthy, use turkey sausages or cocktail weenies. Cut down on the amount of cheese the recipe calls for. Serve these sparingly and they become a lunchtime treat your child will be delighted to see in their lunchbox.

 

Pizza Pocket Puffs

These alliteratively-named snacks are a wonderful treat. Simply roll out filo dough or crescent roll dough into thin sheets. Then put a bit of cheese, some mini pepperoni, or your child’s pizza toppings of choice inside. Fold into a little pocket, crimp the edges and bake. These are just like having pizza for lunch, but with none of the mess!

 

Kebabs

Everything is more fun on a stick. So why not pack your children fruit skewers or meat and veggie kebabs on small, flat skewers. They are quick and easy to make, easy to eat and mess-free and even better, they are not the typical sandwich.

 

Quesadillas

Most children love cheese. Instead of packing your child a grilled cheese for lunch, why not pack a quesadilla? Your children will be happy you did.

 

Spring Rolls

Children and adults in Asia often eat spring rolls. You can make these delicious rolled up meals using rice paper wrappers or lettuce leaves. Fill them with grilled pork, chicken or shrimp and vegetables for a well-balanced lunch.

 

International Lunches

Help your children learn about the cuisine of other countries by preparing international foods for their lunch box. Start on Monday, and prepare a simple dish from a country of the child’s choice. Each day of the week, pick another country.

 

Cookie-cutter Sandwiches

If you have to make a classic sandwich, do something special with it. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes into the sandwich. This way your child can punch out the shapes. For more fun, make the shapes fit a theme, and see if your child can guess what the theme is.

 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Apples

Why make a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich when you can do the same thing with a delicious, crunchy apple. Cut the apple in half, carefully remove the core, and then fill with delicious peanut butter and jelly.

 

Ants on a Log

While not an entire meal in itself, ants on a log is still a good way to spice up your child’s lunch box. A celery stick is your log, to which raisin “ants” are attached with peanut butter.

 

Roll-ups

If you have to use lunch meat in your child’s lunch, why not make a roll-up? Take deli turkey or ham. Then put a slice of cheese on it. Then put a lettuce leaf in the middle and roll tightly. Your children will never think of lunch meat the same again.

 

Miniature Hamburgers

Hamburgers are always a favorite. Grill small hamburger patties on an indoor grill the night before, and then pop them together the next morning. Your little ones will love it. You could also make baked French fries to go with it.

 

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Slices

Instead of including boring old apple slices in your kid’s lunch, why not give them cinnamon sugar apple slices instead? Simply put a bit of cinnamon and sugar in a baggie. Add apple slices and shake to coat.

 

Ocean Lunch

An ocean lunch is easy to make. Start with fish sticks. To accompany these, give your children blue Jell-o. Add gummy sea creatures for the ocean look.

 

Holiday-themed Foods

Is there a big holiday coming up? If so, holiday-themed foods are a great way to get the kids excited. Be creative! Boiled eggs with dyed shells are a great idea for Easter, for example.

 

 Sports Lunch

If your child loves sports, use that to your advantage. Make them a stadium-themed lunch. Turkey hot dogs, homemade nacho dip and tortilla chips for dipping make a perfect lunch.

 

Tortilla Stars

Instead of serving your child boring old tortilla chips, make tortilla stars instead. Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut two or three-inch star shapes from a tortilla. Top with cheese and spices. Bake cheese side down on a baking rack till golden.

 

Vegan Lunch

For those of you with children who are vegan/vegetarian, tofu nuggets are an excellent option. Include a few small cups of your children’s favorite dipping sauce, some carrot sticks and a healthy drink option, and you are good to go.

 

School lunches do not have to be boring. In fact, they can be quite unique, as the list above proves. Use your creativity and imagination, and the sky is the limit.

The Benefits of Playdates for Autistic Children

For children with autism, it can be a challenge to make social connections with peers. For their parents, helping these children learn to play with others well is a common challenge. But like most things in life, children with autism can improve their skills for playing and socializing with practice.

Which is a wonderful thing, because learning to play does more than keep a child busy for an hour or two. In fact, play helps children build important skills that will help them succeed and thrive throughout their lives.

What are these skills that we can build through play? Here’s a look at some of the ways autistic children benefit from play dates.

Play is a “safety zone.”
Playtime is a place where children can try out different things, such as life roles, without consequence. This lets them explore what they see in the world around them.

Boosts confidence.
Autistic and typical children alike gain confidence through play. Because they have worked things out in this “safe zone,” they are able to more confidently engage in real-world situations.

Improves ability to interact with new people.
Warming up to new people can be especially challenging for kids with autism, but play dates provide a great way to help your child start getting to know new people regularly. With time, this has been shown to make meeting new people easier for autistic children.

Practices important social skills.
This includes social expectations such as sharing and taking turns, which are instilled early but can be challenging for kids with autism to act on.

Helps identify social skill deficits.
When your child has play dates, observe how the children interact. Notice where your child seems to struggle, get stressed, or have trouble interacting appropriately. This can be a great way to learn how to help your child grow even more.

When arranging play dates, plan ahead to give your child time with many different kinds of peers, both autistic or other special needs, and typical kids. Engaging with typically abled children is important for learning age-appropriate social skills.

You can help your child prepare for play dates by talk about what to expect several days in advance, and again shortly before the other child arrives. Put away any toys that your child may not be ready to share so they don’t cause an issue, and to start, stick to activities your child knows well and enjoys—s/he is already doing on new thing! Shorter play dates are better to start, even just 30 minutes or shorter, to help your child adjust.

Over time, your child will become more comfortable in play dates, and be able to do more. Along the way, they’ll build important skills that will help them make friends, adjust socially, and live happy, full lives.

Using Devices in Elementary Years

When you think of children in the classroom, it is likely that your mind turns to studious heads bent low over notebooks, textbooks and worksheet handouts. It is likely you think of children turning in handwritten assignments, and if they are very young, learning to read and write like you did as a child. It is unlikely, however, that you think of those same children leaning over tablets and computers, playing educational games and sending in assignments that are typed, but this very picture is becoming a reality in a lot of classrooms around the country. Tablets and computers in the classroom offer some very distinct advantages to the elementary school student beyond just the novelty of using a computer in class. Electronic devices such as computers and tablets really are the way forward. Keep reading to learn why this is.

 

Interactivity

Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom are quite interactive. They allow students to write, publish and edit which are important workforce skills. Students are also encouraged to collaborate with other learners who may have different learning styles. This builds teamwork skills, as well as helping students become effective communicators with a wide variety of other students in classrooms across the country. This exercise also encourages problem-solving as students may have to work around such issues as language barriers and accessibility needs of others they come into contact with. Furthermore, this increased interactivity allows students to have an authentic learning experience in a way that is difficult to reproduce in physical space.

 

Accommodating Differentiated Learning

Not all students learn in the same manner. Computers and tablets in the classroom can help every student, based on learning style. Education no longer has to be simply a matter of writing and memorizing facts. Students can be shown how things happen, and in some cases they can actually have a chance to do things hands-on, even virtually. Also, for those students who have English as a second language, or those with learning disabilities there are podcasts and vodcasts, which allow students to have the content read aloud to them, and also to go back and study content which they have previously had difficulty with at any time.

 

The STEM Subjects and Digital Literacy

STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. These skills are all very important if a student plans on entering the job market later in life. It is important to start teaching children these necessary tasks even in the early elementary years. Furthermore, an increase in digital literacy early on means that children, by the time they are ready to find a job, will already be  familiar with computers and tablets, and will not have to take classes on basic computer use before seeking that first job or college education, as many college classes also have a computer component.

 

Learning early use of computers is overall an important skillset for students, and what better place to learn than in the classroom? Computer-aided curricula allow students to become better problem solvers. They also learn to more effectively manage as team players, to anticipate and work with the needs of others, and to positively collaborate with children who may be quite different than themselves. Further, technology in the classroom allows for the lesson materials to be tailored to a child’s individual learning style. Computer-aided lessons also allow for a hands-on experience and incorporation of the STEM subjects into the curriculum. Therefore, having computers in the classroom really is the way to proceed.

How to Handle Bullying Situations In School

According to DoSomething.org, a whopping 3.2 million students are bullied each year. Most teachers want to help, but we can’t always prevent bullying situations from occurring, but we can be prepared to handle bullying properly when it does take place.

Here are some tips to handle bullying situations involving your students:

 

Responding to Acts of Bullying:

  • If you witness bullying taking place, act immediately and stay calm. If necessary, get a second adult to help.
  • However, don’t call out other students to publicly state what they saw, and don’t question the students involved in front of other kids. Don’t force the students involved to make up on the spot.
  • Instead, separate the students involved. Before anything else, check to make sure that they are all safe and uninjured. Don’t try to sort out the facts from the students on the spot, and don’t talk to the two students involved together.
  • Address any medical or mental health needs, and get the police or medical professionals involved immediately if there was a weapon involved, any kind of hate-motivated violence such as racism or homophobia, or sexual abuse.
  • Also involve the police if there were threats of violence or accusations of any kind of illegal act, such as a theft.
  • As you deal with the students involved, model the kind of behavior you want students to emulate. Stay calm, and listen without blaming. Speak to each student involved, keeping the involved parties separate.
  • Don’t call the act “bullying” while you are still collecting information about what happened.
  • Whatever you do, don’t ignore the situation—bullying is not something students will work out on their own.

 

Dealing With a Student Who Was Bullied

  • Assure the student it is not their fault. Focus on the student to understand what the situation is, and show them you want to help.
  • Ask the student what would make them feel safe—but keep changes to their routine at minimal as possible, as the bullied student should not be singled out or penalized for being a victim. Work with schools, parents, and other relevant organizations to create a plan to ensure the student’s safety.
  • Never tell a student to just ignore a bully, and don’t blame the student for being bullied.
  • Children who are bullied sometimes struggle to talk about it, and may do better if referred to a mental health professional.

 

Dealing With a Bully

  • When addressing a bully, be clear about what the problem behavior is—and that bullying will not be tolerated.
  • Appropriate consequences for bullying behaviors focus on building empathy. For example, have the student lead a class discussion about how to be a good friend, or read a book about bullying.
  • It can also be beneficial to involve the student in making amends with the student who was bullied. This can include writing a letter apologizing, or paying for any property damaged. And of course, adhere to any guidelines in your school district’s code of conduct.
  • However, avoid using “zero tolerance” or “three strikes” approaches—witnesses to bullying tend to be less likely to report it if suspension or expulsion is the consequence.
  • Group treatment and peer mediation don’t work, either. Bullies tend to encourage bad behaviors in each other in groups, while mediation is only appropriate for parties who share equal blame.

 

Working for Safer Schools

A teacher can’t always prevent a bullying situation from occurring, but how you respond to one can be the difference between ongoing harassment and a brief incident. When adults act quickly and consistently to bullying, students get the message that this behavior is not acceptable, and research shows that this significantly reduces bullying behavior over time.

And remember, be persistent. Bullying is not likely to stop immediately, but by being diligent and working together with others at the school, you can create a safe environment for all students.

Bullying: Advice for Parents and Teachers

What is Bullying?

Put simply, bullying is when one child picks on another child. Bullying is defined as any unwanted, aggressive behavior from one or more children, toward another child or children. Bullying is often not an isolated event, but rather is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated.

Bullying can happen in various ways – physically, verbally or socially. It can take place anywhere – at school, on the bus, over the internet or even via texting. Bullying often involves an imbalance of power – whether it is real or perceived – leaving the victim feeling intimidated and inferior.

 

There are three main types of bullying which occur:

 

Verbal

This can include teasing, name-calling, taunting, making inappropriate comments or verbally threatening. This can occur orally or through written messages on the internet or via mobile phones

 

Social

Social bullying relates to bullying which affects a child’s social relationships. This might include attempts at damaging a child’s reputation by spreading rumours, leaving someone out in an attempt to isolate them or making public attempts to embarrass them.

 

Physical

Physical bullying relates to hurting a child physically, or even hurting their possessions. Physical bullies may use aggressive physical behavior such as hitting or kicking to hurt a child, they might try and induce physical harm by tripping someone or pulling their chair out etc., or may simply use rude hand gestures toward them.

 

National studies show that almost 30 percent of children are bullied, with cyberbullying becoming the fastest growing method of delivering the bullying behavior. Children who are bullied as well as children who bully are both at risk for very serious, lasting problems. Whether your child or student is being bullied or they are doing the bullying, it is a serious issue which needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

 

 

When Your Child or Student Is Bullied

Children who are bullied often feel vulnerable and powerless to their situations. If the bullying has been happening for some time they are often conditioned to feel different and alone.
Children who are bullied are often unable to stand up for themselves because the power imbalance that occurs in bullying can leave them feeling that they are not as powerful as the bully. Victims of bullying often exhibit behaviors such as appearing anxious or nervous, feeling sick or not doing as well at school as they usually do. If your child or student is acting differently, try and find out if they are being bullied. If they are, make sure the school and teachers are aware of the problems, and try the following tips in order to help the child deal with the situation:

 

·        Ask what he or she needs to feel safe and be clear that you are there to help
·        Teach the child to respond by looking the bully in the eye, standing tall and remaining calm. Teach them to walk away with their head held high.
·        Teach the child how to address the bully in a firm voice. Saying things like “I don’t like that” and “Please do not speak to me like that” can be helpful in confronting the bully about his or her behavior.
·        Ensure that the child knows who they can speak to about being bullied – trusted adults, teachers etc.
·        Develop a plan of action – be sure to communicate openly with the school and plan some steps that can be taken in order to resolve the situation. Consider what changes could be made to help (rearranging the classroom, switching bus route etc.)

 

Most importantly, be sure you support the child who is being bullied. Listen to what has been happening and focus on how the child is feeling. Assure the child that what has been happening is not their fault and that they are not alone – lots of other children have struggled with this problem. If your child is not willing to talk about it or is having difficulty opening up, think about who else might be able to speak with them about it – consider a school counsellor or other mental health service.

 

Don’t forget to be persistent – the issue may not resolve itself overnight. You will need to commit to ensuring that the bullying stops and support the child until it does.

 

When Your Child Is the Bully

Kids can exhibit bullying behavior for a number of reasons. This may include copying friends or trying to look ‘cool’, bullying in order to make themselves feel better or more powerful than the child they are bullying or even as a reaction to other circumstances in their lives such as problems at home. Whatever the reason – bullying is never acceptable. Studies have shown that children who bully often encounter problems as adults, including substance abuse, getting into fights and leaving school early.
If your child or student is responsible for bullying, it is important to address it right away – for the good of the child being bullied, and the bully. Here are some tips for addressing bullying with the child who is carrying out the bullying behavior:

 

·         Ensure that the child knows what it is they are doing wrong. In some cases, children don’t even realise how what they are doing is wrong or how it hurts people. Be specific – point out why it’s wrong and how it affects the child being bullied.
·         Be serious. Bullying is not a joking matter – make sure your child or student knows that you are taking the issue very seriously and that any continuation of the behavior will not be tolerated.
·         Speak with the child and try to get to the bottom of why he or she might be doing the bullying. Consider whether he or she might need some additional support from the school counsellor or another outside organisation.
·         Let the punishment fit the crime. Children who bully should not simply be let away with it – use consequences but ensure that they are appropriate and help the child to learn about bullying (you might consider having the child make an anti-bullying poster to paste around the school, or write a story about the effects of bullying on other children).
·         Make sure the child who bullied is involved in repairing the situation they have caused. This might mean writing a letter of apology or replacing any property that was damaged.

 

When Your Child Is a Bystander

If your child or student is merely a witness to bullying, there are still things to be aware of. Children who witness bullying may feel helpless or worried for another child’s safety, or their own. They may start to join in the bullying or they may not tell anyone about the bullying if they are feeling anxious that they will be bullied. Encourage children who are bystanders to tell an adult as soon as possible about the bullying and to help support bullied children.

Even being a bystander to bullying can affect children very negatively. Make sure they know that it is okay to speak out.

Family Literacy Day

Every year on January 27, Canada celebrates Family Literary Day. This annual awareness event was created by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1992 with the mission of spreading word about the importance of reading and engaging in literacy-related activities as a family.

Literacy levels in Canada have become a serious issue. Here are some literacy awareness facts:

  • Increasing the literacy rate by 1 percent would generate $18 billion in economic growth annually
  • 42 percent of Canadian adults have a literacy level too low to keep up with the increasing information demands of modern life
  • In Ontario alone, only 61 percent of adults with the lowest literacy levels are employed
  • Meanwhile, 82 percent of those with the highest literacy levels are employed, but only make up 20 percent of the population
  • Seniors, native people, prisoners, people with disabilities, minorities and the long-term unemployed are more likely to have low literacy levels, and to be living in poverty

The fight to improve literacy throughout Canada starts in your own home. In honor of Family Literacy Day, take the pledge to engage your kids in “15 Minutes of Fun” every day and do an activity together that encourages reading, learning and creativity.

These activities can range from researching your favorite foods online to see if you can make them at home, to singing a conversation to the tune of your favorite song. See the full list of example activities here.

Sources: Canadian Library & Learning Network, The Excellence in Literacy Foundation, Literacy and Policing Project, Literacy Council

Fun & Healthy Lunchbox Ideas for Kids

Many studies have proven that children need to eat a nutritious breakfast in order to perform well at school, but what most parents don’t realise is that having a healthy, balanced lunch is just as important.

Children need a nutritious meal in the middle of the day to re-boost their concentration and give them the energy they need to power through the mid-afternoon slump and get the school day finished.

 

School Provided Food

Most schools regularly send home information about what food or meal plans are offered through the cafeteria. Look through the material with your children and plan on the days when your child will eat from the school’s menu, and what days he or she will take a packed lunch. If your child would like to purchase his or her lunch from a school vending machine, be sure to check that they stock healthy choices your child can choose from such as yoghurt, fresh fruit and water.

 

Packed Lunches

Providing a packed lunch for your child can be a fine balancing act. Parents who prepare their children’s lunches realise that they are playing an important role in their child’s diet, and overall health.

Studies have shown that children who are healthy and eat well balanced meals tend to out-perform those who do not, particularly in school. This means that it is important to ensure that each lunch is healthy and filling, providing an opportunity for your child to do their best at school.

A nutritionally balanced diet should contain a mixture of the following:

 

  • A filling, starchy food such as bread, rice, pasta
  • A food high in protein such as egg, meat or beans
  • One or two serves of fruit or vegetables
  • A low fat dairy item such as cheese of yoghurt

 

These items can be made fresh, or can even be made up from leftovers. Whatever you use, make sure you add variety – mot children do not enjoy eating the same things every day so play around with the following ideas and introduce them to some healthy new foods:

  • Carrot or celery sticks with hummus
  • Trail mixes
  • Wholegrain pretzel sticks with herbed cream cheese
  • Granola bars
  • Fruit salad
  • Cheese cubes
  • Fruit and nut quinoa
  • Beef jerky
  • Tapioca pudding
  • Fresh fruit and yoghurt
  • A few small squares of dark chocolate
  • Homemade sushi
  • Roasted chickpeas
  • Air popped popcorn
  • Sugar snap peas and sour cream dip
  • Fruit or vegetable kebabs
  • Pickles with tzatziki dip
  • Mini muffins
  • English muffin pizzas
  • Pasta salad
  • Unsweetened apple sauce
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Apple slices with peanut butter
  • Mini pancakes with honey
  • Filled pita bread
  • Sliced bell pepper and salsa
  • Rice salad
  • Meat roll ups

These simple, healthy ideas will boost your child for an active afternoon and will fuel their bodies to support their learning.

 

If you are providing a packed lunch, be sure to also keep these tips in mind:

  • Always pack lunches the night before – that way you won’t be tempted to quickly add packets of processed foods because you are rushing.
  • Ensure that your child’s lunch box or bag is clearly named in case it gets lost.
  • Involve your kids in the lunch-making process. Having your child help you will help to teach them about making healthy choices and will increase the likelihood that they eat their lunch, since they helped put it together themselves.
  • Think about what packaging you will use. Most schools now prefer ‘rubbish-free’ lunches which means using small reusable containers. Just make sure they can open them independently, and that they are secure and won’t leak.
  • Don’t give into peer pressure. Children are masters at telling parents what the other children are having in their lunch. Only you know what is right for your child – go with your gut.
  • Be creative! Kids love tiny portions, fun shapes and variety! Experiment with cookie cutters, toothpicks and make sure the lunchbox contains a variety of color to keep them interested.

22 Fun Activities for Summer

We all know that the novelty of not going to school wears off after a few days, before the ‘bored’ whining sets in, so be prepared with some great ideas for outdoor activities to keep boredom at bay, and raise your children’s Vitamin D levels!

Outdoor activities don’t have to be expensive or elaborate. From nice messy projects that kids will love to get stuck into, to more structured projects that will produce something useful, you will be sure to find lots of fun in this imaginative list of activities kids will love! Make this summer the best ever by setting aside some time for outdoor lessons and activities that will provide great entertainment for the whole family.

Get the most out of this summer by…..

 

  1. Going on a Picnic

An oldie, but a goodie! Combining the simple pleasures of fresh air, sunshine and good food never seems to get old. Picnics are the perfect activity for those days when you just want to get away from the house and make an afternoon of it. Pack lots of heat tolerant finger foods and pick a spot that will provide a relaxed setting where the kids can play safely and the adults can unwind.

 

  1. Bug Hunting

Bug hunting is a fantastic way to connect kids to the natural world and is a great activity for days when you don’t want to leave the house. Exploring their own backyard will encourage inquisitiveness and imagination in your children and will keep them busy for hours! Grab some tweezers, a magnifying glass and some clean containers and set about seeing what you can find. A good place to start is by turning over rocks, and looking around the base of trees.

 

  1. Running Through a Sprinkler

Setting up a backyard sprinkler is a great way to cool the kids off without all the rigmarole of taking them to the pool. If you don’t have a sprinkler, poke some holes in a large soda bottle and tape it to the hose.

 

  1. Sun-Melting Crayons

Melting crayons and making a piece of artwork or new crayons is a great way to teach children about the power of the sun, as well as creating something new. To make a piece of artwork, lay some crayon pieces on a piece of tinfoil or canvas, and let the sun do the rest. To make new crayons, lay some cookie cutters on a piece of tin foil and fill with crayon pieces.  Once the sun has done its job turning the solid pieces to liquid, bring the whole thing inside to cool and set.

 

  1. Making a Water Table

Water tables are a deceptively simple way of keeping the kids entertained for hours, and the water that will inevitably get splashed everywhere, will also keep them cool in the summer heat. Change things up by using cold water, warm water, ice, adding a squirt of detergent for bubbles or even food coloring. The best part is that in the winter months you can transform the table by filling it with sand or dried beans and keep the fun going all year round!

 

  1. Painting Rocks

This is a simple but fantastic activity because it teaches your children about art as well as geology. Clean the rocks first and let them dry completely, then outline the design in marker before getting creative with paint! Seal the rock with a 50/50 mix of water and white glue and you’re done! These also make excellent paper-weight gifts for grandparents and teachers!

 

  1. Washing the Car

Kids love this, and adults do too – because it gets the car clean! Let the kids fill the buckets with water and soap, and get them to do the pre-rinse with the hose. Brush any bugs or tar off yourself before they start, and then let them get crazy with the lathering! Once you’ve done the final rinse, make sure you ‘accidentally’ rinse the kids a bit as well…they’ll love it!

 

  1. Going Foraging

Foraging is a great way to teach children about where food comes from, as well as using surplus resources in your area. Take a walk around your neighbourhood and see if you can spot fruiting trees that need some relief, or go a bit more ‘bush’ and look for things like chickweed, watercress and nettles. Just be sure you do your homework first!

 

  1. Slipping ‘n’ Sliding

Easy to create, and fun for the whole family, the quintessential slip ‘n’ slide is a must have for this summer’s calendar. Put down a tarpaulin, or some painter’s plastic on a piece of backyard that offers a slight gradient, and let the fun begin! Hang the hose over a tree branch or the clothesline for ‘hands-free’ convenience and be sure to use some inexpensive dish detergent to get just the right amount of ‘slip’.

 

  1. Creating a Stepping Stone for Your Garden

A quick search of this will bring up some great ways you can create these using easy mix concrete and moulds but the easiest way by far is to go and buy some cheap pavers (you can even find them free on places like Craiglist) and paint them up with some exterior paint. Give the kids one each to decorate and create a beautiful path through your garden, that will add character and charm to any yard.

 

  1. Going Hiking

This can be done with children of all ages, but takes a bit of preparation, and a lot of patience. Be sure to start with short distances, and be willing to travel at the pace of the youngest in the family. Take plenty of snacks, don’t go too far from home and remember – hiking doesn’t have to be in the woods. Try hiking around your city, taking in the sites and the atmosphere!

 

  1. Coloring the Driveway or Patio

Sidewalk chalk is a great activity for those days when you might not have the energy yourself for a vigorous activity. Get the kids to trace each other’s body outlines, play tic tac toe, or design them a hopscotch or foursquare grid. Once they’ve done those, let them get creative and produce the most colourful artwork they can. If you don’t have any chalk you can create the same effect by making your own paint using water, food coloring and corn-starch. Be sure to take photos before the rain has a chance to was it all away!

 

  1. Playing Catch

Old-fashioned fun still has a place on our list! Get out there with your children, the dog and a ball (or water-filled balloons!) and waste the afternoon away.

 

  1. Participating in a Mini Olympics

Get everyone up, outside and moving by hosting an Olympics Game in your own yard! Plan a variety of challenges and make sure you work to everybody’s strengths so that everyone will have a chance at a medal. To make it more educational, ask your children to select a country to represent and have them make a flag to use in the parade. Make your own medals or pick some up at a dollar store, and award them at the end of the day.

 

  1. Going on a Nature Scavenger Hunt

This one is as fun to plan as it is to carry out. Draw up a checklist for your children to complete, ticking off each one as they have gathered the item. Keep items simple, using things like ‘two yellow flowers’, ‘a small rock’ and ‘a feather’. Have a ‘prize’ for the first person to complete the scavenger hunt with all the correct items, then spend the afternoon talking about the objects, feeling the textures and looking at what makes them unique.

 

  1. Making Homemade Bird Feeders

Fill your garden with birds this summer by inviting them in for a meal. Use whatever you have around the house – pinecones, old teacups or even cut oranges in half and scoop the rind out before filling them with seed. The birds will appreciate the snack as they pass through your garden, and the kids will enjoy watching them!

 

  1. Reading Books Outside

Get some extra Vitamin D by taking reading time outside. If it’s too hot you can sit in the shade, and you may even want to grab some nature books and talk about the things you see around you.

 

  1. Having a Water Fight

No matter how old one gets, if the weather is hot enough, water fights always seem like a good idea. Grab whatever you can find and get the kids wet. In fact, the wetter, the better! So grab your sponges, water guns or just set the hose on the kids and watch them run.

 

  1. Starting a Garden

Plant learning in the minds of your children this summer. It’s good for kids to learn that food comes from the ground, rather than the store, and there’s no better way to teach them than to start your own garden. Involve your children as much as you can – give them a space in the garden or a pot to call their own, offer them a choice in plants, and show them how to weed, water and collect seeds at the end of the season. The lessons learnt over a garden will foster a life-long love of growing and cultivating their own food.

 

  1. Running a Lemonade Stand

Lemonade stands take a bit of advance planning, but are a fantastic way to teach kids about earning money. Be sure to plan out the day in advance including what ingredients you will need, where the best location will be (think hot playgrounds, sports fields or in your front yard), what flyers or announcements you might want and when you will make the lemonade. Once the plan is in place enlist your children to help make a sign with a clearly visible price, and you’re in business!

 

  1. Making Wind Chimes

DIY wind chimes are a simple but fun activity that can be done indoors or out, and can be done with materials found around the home. Try using old cutlery, keys, beads or bottle caps. If you have time, you could even take the kids to the beach to collect sea shells and driftwood for a seaside themed wind chime.

 

  1. Playing Parachute

Even summer has the occasional rainy day, or lazy day where you just don’t want to venture outside. This makes the perfect occasion for playing ‘parachute’ like they do in elementary school. Grab a large sheet, move the furniture back in the living room and play some mini games – try getting the kids to throw cottonballs onto the parachute and watching them bounce when the parachute is shaken, or play ‘tag’ by calling out two names and having the children swap places while the sheet is in the air.

Help Your Special Needs Children Get Back to School

The back-to-school season can be a rough transition for any child—especially when they’re headed for a new school. But when your child has special needs, a new environment can cause extra anxiety.

Fortunately, there’s plenty you can do to prepare your special needs child for a new school now to lessen your child’s stress when that first class bell rings.

Talk About It
It’s important to discuss the new school and any feelings caused by the change with your child. Let them know they’re not alone—it’s normal to feel nervous when making a big change like this, and even to feel sad if there are old friends they won’t see every day anymore.

But also talk about the positive opportunities ahead—a new school is an opportunity to learn new things and meet new friends. By focusing on the positive, you can help your child ease anxieties and get excited.

Get Teachers On Board
It’s also a good idea to talk to the teachers and support team that will help your child at the school, if possible. Take advantage of these conversations to make expectations and needs for your child clear up front, and establish a line of two-way communication to remain open throughout the year, so that you can your child’s teachers can work together for your child’s interests throughout the year.

Explore Early And Often
Do all you can to familiarize your child with the new environment early – play on the playground, walk the halls, and spend time in the classroom if possible. Return to these spaces frequently in the weeks before school starts so they become familiar for your child.

Much less overwhelming when the halls are crowded and bustling that first day if they already know how to get from their locker to home room.

Get On Schedule
If the new school’s schedule will require significant changes to what he or she is used to—such as getting up significantly earlier—why not transition to that schedule a few weeks ahead of time? By reducing the amount of change he or she faces on that first day of school, you can make the overall experience easier.

The anticipation of a new school can be intimidating for anyone, and for special needs children in particular. But there’s a lot you and your child can do before the year starts to reduce the challenges and stress. Take these proactive steps now and help your special needs child take on their new environment more confidently.