Parenting Tips - How to Help Your Child Get Used to Preschool

The transition to preschool is one of the first social milestones for your three year old. How to help your child get used to preschool is significant to a successful time for you and your preschooler. The concept of playing with other children, learning new things, and having fun are the most important. I definitely suggest you talk about preschool with your child but do not overload the topic and create anxiety!

For your own checklist, think about your child's experiences. Has he spent time away from you? Does she separate from you easily when you go out? Do you spend time reading with your child because often preschool has a time when the teacher reads to her students. Your preschooler will need to be able to sit and listen for short periods of time.

It is helpful if you plan a 10-15 minute reading time with your child so that they get used to this. It helps them with their listening skills. If your child has a favorite book that they request over and over again, they may have memorized it. If that is the case, ask them to "read" it to you. This enhances their sense of self esteem as well!

There are so many things you can introduce at home to help them with some of the skills that will help them in preschool. Have an art time when you work together with paints, clay, play dough, crayons, etc. Encourage them to create as much as they wish. This is providing a basis for fine motor skills that they will need later on to learn to print and write.

To help your child get used to preschool, plan a visit to the preschool at least 3-4 weeks before it starts. If you know ahead of time when other children will be there, ask if you can visit then so that your child can see other children having fun in this setting.

If your child has not had much experience playing with other children, plan some play dates so that they can go to another child's house to play and then have that child to their house. You are providing the beginning foundation for social skills that they will need in life. If you are new to an area or don't know other families with children, you can ask the teacher where your child will attend if you can have a class list. This will allow you to introduce your preschooler to a few of his/her classmates ahead of time and there will be a familiar face on the first day!

Listening skills are important for both you and your child to learn. For your preschooler play games at home. Try giving a list of 1-3 things to do in order and then see if they can do them. You can start with something simple such as Simon Says. For you as the parent, listen to your child's comments about fears or concerns they may have about preschool. It is important to let them talk about these fears. Do not tell them NOT TO WORRY; they have already voiced their concern and you need to talk about it and not belittle it. All of us have concerns and fears in new situations and your preschooler is no different!

There are so many books to read to your child about going to preschool. One of my favorites is Franklin Goes to School by Paulette Bourgeois. Another classic is Grover Goes to School, A Sesame Street book by Dan Elliot.

How to help your child get used to preschool will differ for each parent and child. These are general guidelines to use and to modify to your own needs to help your child with this first big social step.

Outside Preschool Homeschooling Textbooks - Learning About Special Events

For parents of school children at home with preschool children, special days and events provide opportunities for the education of their children adapt and expand their knowledge in new ways. Home Schooling textbooks provide a sound basis in many cases, it is also a good time to bring the learning of the page. This makes education fun, but also acts as a very effective way for the children of many honorable traits of the heroes and ideas that have shaped our learningworld.

Local Activities

Just because preschool homeschool children take their lessons at home doesn't mean they can't enjoy the opportunities offered by the local community. The library provides you and your child with a great supplement for homeschooling textbooks. They often hold reading groups that cover age-appropriate books on specific subjects. Puppet shows, crafts, and other activities may also be organized to coordinate with the special day.

Libraries aren't the only source of supplemental activities. Community groups and other organizations will also hold various events throughout the year. If nothing exists in your local area about a specific day or event, you can certainly make something happen. If it is Easter, for example, design a special egg hunt, or have your child go on a treasure hunt that involves items you can use to tell the story.

The Internet

For a preschool child, the internet acts as a comprehensive resource. So much information exists it is often more a matter of selecting what you would like to use, and sifting through what is available. For example, educational and specific sites such as YouTube hold videos of various events and occurrences. Coloring pages, simple games, craft ideas, and other simple activities offered also compliment homeschooling textbooks. You and your child can choose the ones you would like to do, making their education about the event or occurrence more personal.

Additional Resources

In some instances, it can be difficult to find the additional resources you need to compliment homeschooling textbooks. You just need to be a little creative to find what you need. Other preschool homeschool families are often a great place to start. They will have likely already faced the situation, and have come up with solutions, or the group of you will be able to come up with suitable solutions that all of the kids can enjoy. Homeschool suppliers frequently carry more than just the basic supplies. Be sure to check with them to see what they have available.

If nothing currently exists that will help your child learn more about special events, make something that does. Design crafts or games that add to your kid's understanding. These activities are also helpful in getting everyone into a creative groove. Your children will also have great ideas of what to do, or where he or she would like to start!

Preschool Valentine Games - Will You Be Mine, Valentine?

Valentine's Day is a favorite for children since it provides an opportunity to express their love for the important people in their lives as well as a clever excuse to eat candy. It's also a great time of the year to incorporate some preschool valentine games into the lesson plan to reinforce the central theme of love.

Most of these games focus on the theme or image of the heart, which is central to Valentine's Day festivities. Also, since Valentine's Day is a non-secular holiday, parents won't raise any objections to these preschool valentine games.

While the most obvious of the preschool valentine games is the making of and distribution of decorated or store-bought valentines, don't be afraid to move beyond this classic activity. A great variation of the valentine making game is to have each child make a valentine for their family using paper, paint, glitter, stickers, and whatever other art supplies are on hand.

Once the valentine is completed, place it in an envelope and help each child write their address on the envelope. If time and the weather permits, take a short field trip with the children to the post office so that they can mail the valentines to their families.

Heart Numbers

Some preschool valentine games allow children to work on their sorting and matching skills. For example this game called "Heart Numbers", has children matching numbers with the corresponding amount of dots or hearts. Cut out a number of large heart shapes from construction paper or cardstock.

Next, cut each of the hearts in half length-wise. Write a number on the left side of the heart, and draw that many dots or small hearts on the other side. Next, mix up the halves and try to see if the children can match the numbers with the correct amount of dots or hearts.

Here's a fun game that has children identifying pictures on a heart shape. Cut out one heart for each child in the class. Next, have the children go through magazines to look for interesting pictures of animals, people, flowers, or anything else they find intriguing. Once they've decided on a picture, they cut it from the magazine and paste it to the heart.

After all the children have finished, gather the hearts and place them in a bag. One at a time, children pull a heart from the bag and identify the picture on the heart. They can also try to guess whose heart it is.

Yummy Sorting Game!

Last but most certainly not least for these preschool valentine games is one that uses little candy hearts to help children with their sorting and matching skills. Place a small amount of candy hearts in a bowl and have children sort them based on color or words. Try to see if they can find two identical hearts. Once the game is over, the clean up is simple- children get to eat the hearts!

Simple Guidelines For Choosing Baby Toys

Toys and kids seem to go together and for a new parent it is a chance to indulge in some very cool toys like those that you had when you were young, or that you wish you had as a child.

For very young children toys can help begin the process of lifelong learning by stimulating their hand eye co-ordination and sense of touch. Toys like Lamaze baby toys can help young children awaken their senses and start to discover the world in gentle and colourful ways.

Newborn babies cannot see very far at all but can hear very well so the best baby toys have bright, contrasting colors and noticeable but not obnoxious noises. For example a toy designed for use at this early stage may have black and white, contrasting stripes or checks and have an element that makes a crinkling sound when squeezed.

If you have a newborn you will know that one of the ways they experience the world is with their mouth so learning toys also factor this in. They may have numerous elements that have different textures on them, all designed to be felt with the mouth but without the danger of being swallowed.

The best learning toy is one that does all these things to encourage your child to reach out and explore the world and experience it with touch, sight and sound but also is compact, light and, let's face it, looks good.

Lastly, there is no use having a great toy that does all these things if it looks like something a cow burped up.

Your child won't mind if it looks bad, as mentioned earlier their eyesight is not that great early on. Luckily toys for this age group are designed with both mother and child in mind. They have an element of the cute factor that mothers are generally drawn to, it reminds us of our own childhood or how we would have liked it to be.

And after all it's going to be featured in lots of photos so make it one that appeals to you too!

Easy Homemade Halloween Preschool Crafts and Children Halloween Games

Why do you need some easy, homemade Halloween preschool crafts and fun children Halloween games ideas? Moms, you know how difficult it can be to keep your preschoolers occupied in the weeks before Halloween. Excitement is high for these youngsters. They can only think about wearing their costume and going out to Trick or Treat. It seems like years away for them. That is why you've got to check out our easy, homemade Halloween Preschool Crafts and our fun Halloween game ideas pages. You can find cheap, easy and fun crafts, games and activities for young kids.

You can find at least 10 craft ideas and activities to keep your youngsters happy and busy all on one web page. You will get a list of the materials you will need, directions to make each Halloween craft idea and there will also be some pictures so you can see what this kids craft is going to look like when you are done. You can also find sources of crafting supplies that you do not already have.

Fun and easy homemade kids craft ideas perfect for Halloween when they are combined with a fun kids game like how to make a Pin the Hat on the Scarecrow or pin the Wart on the Witch game. It's a simple, classic, fun kids game with a Halloween twist. It is the perfect Halloween game to play at a party, at school or at home during family game night.

How about making some Green Slime? Find the instructions to making your own homemade batch of gooey green slime in an easy recipe form. There are also lots of fun kids games with a Halloween theme. Just one example is a game called, Mr. Skeleton, Where's Your Bones?

What would Halloween be with out some Magic Witch Potion? Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire, burn; and cauldron, bubble. Your kids are going to think you are a genius or perhaps, since it is Halloween time, they will think that you are an amazingly powerful witch. They just might believe that you went to school with Hermione and Harry Potter at Hogwarts. This makes for the perfect homemade Halloween crafts idea.

More children Halloween games like Push the Pumpkin, Witch Hunt and Eyeball Race are all well suited for a kids Halloween party at home, or at school. They are also perfect to keep your children out of the Halloween candy!

Fun craft ideas for the early weeks of October include Handprint Spiders, Footprint Ghosts and Glitter Ghosts. Ghost craft ideas are very popular around Halloween! Then, of course, there's also Witch Hat, Halloween Bat, Spider Webs and Egg Carton Bats. You can use egg cartons for tons of different craft ideas for kids, so be sure to keep some around for future craft ideas. Holidays are more fun when you share the gift of imagination and time together with your kids! Be sure to keep your family happy and having fun with these free and easy homemade Halloween preschool crafts and these fun children Halloween games.

Preschool Learning Activity: Stimulating Children's Minds

It is important for those who work with preschoolers to choose a preschool learning activity carefully. Teaching preschoolers is a rewarding experience and young children are like pliable putty in their preschool teacher's hands. Those who teach children, especially preschoolers, experience one of the finest joys that life has to offer. If you have ever watched a young child's eyes widen in amazement as they see a new creature emerge before their sight - as with a science-based preschool learning activity, then you understand the true rewards of teaching children.

Choosing the best preschool learning activity for young children will enhance their skills, prepare them for kindergarten, and help them develop important emergent skills. Some skills that are critical to early childhood development include:

o Language Arts/ Literacy

o Mathematics

o Science

o Social Studies/ Character Building

o Physical Education/Health

You should make sure that any preschool learning activity that you select will enhance the child's understanding and awareness of these core skills and developmental areas. Language skills are critical for developing an understanding of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and communicating. Some simple Language activities may include listening games, rhyming, and following oral directions.

Mathematics is essential for the early learner's awareness of numbers, spatial concepts, patterns, and how mathematics pertains to their daily environment. Mathematical preschool activities may include counting, estimating, reading books that focus on numbers, and using items such as toy cash registers and number based puzzles.

Science and Social Studies skills are essential for children to develop an understanding and awareness of the world around them. It is important to teach children how to draw conclusion, ask questions, and observe the world that they live in.

Teaching children the importance of health and physical fitness through play is not only fun, but it is also vital to develop their sense of self. Activities should promote safety, hygiene skills, and health through proper nutrition.

Free Home School Resources Online for Preschool and Kindergarten

Children between four to six years of age are referred to as kindergarten and preschoolers. During this stage of development, children learn and absorb information quickly. In fact this is the time when your child loves to explore the world around her. They enjoy communicating their interest and attraction in every new discovery. Notice a kid that sees the rainbow in the sky for the first time. Notice how her expression changes. Since this is something new to her, she easily gets fascinated by the wonderful colors of the rainbow. What parents can do is to encourage the child to express her feelings. Talk to the child in a normal manner. Explain to the child the wonderful thing that she sees in a simple and understandable manner. That is actually how parents should teach their children. Introduce the world to the child slowly so that the child would better appreciate the world they are living in.

Homeschooling Education for Preschool and Kindergarten

Homeschooling education has been accepted and adapted by many families across the globe. Our home is actually a good training ground to start teaching kids principles that they will certainly use in life. Many parents opt to have their young child educated at home because they believe that with online education resources and homeschool programs, they can supervise their child better.

The good thing about homeschooling education, the curriculum focuses on the individual learning needs of a child. The good thing about home school curriculum is the flexibility of the schedule. It allows the child to spend more time with their family. Moreover, in homeschooling education, life principles and basic foundation are taught to a child in a fun and loving manner.

Free Online Home School Resources

At home, there are many ways to teach a young child. Parents should bear in mind that kindergarten is an enjoyable time. It should be a memorable time for parents and child alike. They can utilize education resources at home like text books or worksheets, coloring books, clay, colorful paper and so much more. In view of the fact that parents are becoming more innovative and creative in teaching their preschooler, they utilize various home school resources from different websites that offer homeschool education. Online educational activity ebooks and worksheets and kindergarten programs are customized to help parents and children in the learning process.

Cited below are the core values found in Preschool Home school Resources:

- Communication skills - which includes learning the ABC's, sign language, talking and listening development
- Knowledge and basic concept of the world
- Creativity: Colors and Drawings
- Simple Mathematics: Counting and Shapes
- Physical development: Exercise and Games
- Self-help skills: Learning the basic how to's like dressing, eating and bathing
- Children Bible Books: Stories about Creation, Jesus' miracles, salvation

In summary, there are lots of enjoyable web pages that provide remarkable learning activity ideas appropriate for young children. On the other hand, parents should not limit their teachings and depend only with online education resources. In teaching young minds, parents should be creative and innovative. It is a God-given responsibility that they attend to the physical, intellectual and spiritual needs of their children. For parents, do not over stress yourselves; make the learning experience a fun time for you and your kids!