‘Tis The Season To Have Some Fun With Candy Canes!

Candy Canes are a staple of the holiday season.

Check out this website with a alot of fun candy cane activities to keep you and your family busy this season.

Here is one of our favorite activities from the list to get you started!

Candy Cane Scented Playdough

It’s that time of year to make candy cane scented playdough! This activity can become YOUR family’s tradition to officially start off the holiday season.  Every time you and your kids make a new batch of this peppermint-scented playdough you will be amazed at how much more festive the holiday season becomes. Here are the ingredients to get you started:

Ingredients:

Let’s Find Out! Three Tips For Raising Curious Kids

Young children are naturally curious. They have an itch to explore their world and figure out how things work. And parents have compelling reasons to foster this inherent inquisitiveness.

Curiosity is tied to academic achievement, with research showing “unequivocally that when people are curious about something, they learn more, and better.”

For parents, children’s unending questions can challenge our knowledge—and our patience. But if we want to nurture their curiosity, perhaps the best response we can give is simply this: “Good question. Let’s find out.”

Here’s how that might look:

Let’s explore: Rather than squelching toddlers’ and preschoolers’ curiosity, redirect it if necessary: “You can’t do that, but you can do this!” If they want to know what it’s like to draw on walls, make some bathtub paint and set them loose in the tub. Take kids on nature walks and follow their pace—as they stop to dig in the dirt, look at bugs, pick up leaves and hunt for “treasure.” If you let them explore independently—particularly with open-ended toys such as blocks and “make believe” materials—they get curious and are more likely to find new, creative ways to play.

Let’s look it up: In the information age, the answer to many “Why?” questions is in our pocket. When kids stump you—as mine regularly do me—it’s easier than ever to say, “I don’t know. Let’s look it up!” But before going online or to the bookshelf, first ask your child, “What do you think?”

Let’s ask an expert: Help your curious child see that we are surrounded by experts who are willing to share their knowledge. Curiosity can drive connections. Start by thinking about your network of friends and family—and how they might be able to share their skills, hobbies, and life experiences with your kids.

Source:  http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2016/03/lets-find-three-tips-raising-curious-kids/

Hickory, Moyock and Northeastern North Carolina — Here We Come!

There’s excitement in the air at all five Apple Tree Learning Centers in Chesapeake and Suffolk. We are excited to announce the sixth Apple Tree Learning Center that will be opening soon in the Hickory section of Chesapeake! Located just past Great Bridge in the Hickory area of Chesapeake, this center will easily serve the Moyock and Northeastern North Carolina families as well. The new Hickory location will offer services to children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age. Before and after school care will be provided for students attending Southeastern and Hickory Elementary Schools.

“I advise anyone interested in registering for our new location to do so as soon as possible at any of our existing locations. I fully expect our Hickory Apple Tree will be full before we open in August.” says Heidi Riden, CEO of Apple Tree Learning Centers.

The growth of Apple Tree Learning Center has been phenomenal. “We’re not a franchise,” Heidi explains. “Apple Tree is a locally ownednot-for-profit business. Because we are non-profit, we have worked very hard to keep our tuition affordable. We are proud to provide a Christian based service that offers childcare, pre-school, an Academy for Kindergarten through 5th grade, and summer camp. We look upon our learning centers as a form of children’s ministry. Our children are taught ethical Christian values while receiving a basic and traditional academic education. We use both the ABeka and the Pinnacle Curriculums. In addition to providing excellent educational materials, these two curricula are among the most widely respected Christian-based programs in the United States.”

All of our Apple Tree Directors are happy to schedule a tour with a question and answer session for parents who would like their children to benefit from the programs and activities that Apple Tree Learning Centers offer. Apple Tree Learning Centers’ unprecedented growth and success is a direct result of the trust and confidence they have earned from parents throughout Hampton Roads. If you are or know of someone who is interested in this new Hickory location call the Corporate Office at (757) 410-1790 for more details. 

 

 

Summer — The Perfect Time To Exercise The Brain!

As summer break is upon us, it’s time to look for summer activities that are not only fun but also keep that brain working hard. Here are five fun ideas that are sure to entertain children of all ages AND build thinking skills on a lazy summer day:

Make homemade Bubble Solution and experiment with such unique Bubble-Blowing Tools as strings, milk containers, and garbage can lids.

Read aloud The Paper Crane by Molly Bang. Then introduce the art of paper folding by printing and following the instructions for How to Make an Origami Crane.

Turn plain white carnations into dramatic colored creations by Coloring Flowers. Using just food coloring and water, flowers can be changed from white to any tint, usually in just one day. Colors deepen over time, and kids will enjoy modifying the experiment to see what unique combinations they can make.

Start a family or neighborhood book club. Even a parent and child can form a book club, by reading the same book and chatting about it.

Put old wallpaper and magazine scraps to good use by using them to create Recycled Paper Beads. This easy activity requires very few common materials and keeps kids very busy on rainy days. When they’re finished, children can string their beads and give them as gifts or wear them for fun.

Playful and Educational Alphabet Garden!

It’s time to enjoy gardening with your little one! Here’s a craft that is fun and educational for all involved.
To cultivate your alphabet garden – you will need:

• a plastic tub filled with play sand,
• a pair of child-sized garden gloves,
• some gardening tools,
• a marker,
• a few plastic plant pots,
• a small watering can,
• and 26+ popsicle stick alphabet flowers and bugs.*
  *Download Alphabet Garden – print 1 or 2 copies

Now it’s time to play in the garden!

Step 1: Print 1 to 2 copies  of the Alphabet PDF.

Step 2: Cut out the alphabet flowers and bugs.

Step 3: Tape each flower and bug to the top of a popsicle stick.

Step 4: With the plastic pot and a marker, you (the parent) can write a word that describes gardening on the pot. For example:  dirt, water, worms, bugs, air, wind, sunshine, rain…and last but not least – your child’s name. Set the pots aside – near the plastic tub filled with sand.

Step 5: With their gardening gloves on their hands, have them begin scooping and filling the pots with sand.

Step 6: Ask your child to look at the word on the pot and begin picking out these letters from the popsicles sticks.  Once these are collected, it’s time to”plant” the flowers in each pot.

Step 7: Soon all the pots will be filled and your child will be amazed at all he has learned!

Source: http://onetimethrough.com/

 

Preschoolers Need To Say “No”

“NO!” The dreaded word has been spoken. You asked your child to do something reasonable, like put on sunscreen on a hot, sunny day. Wash his hands before a meal. Put his shoes on so you can get out of the house. Pick up the toys he left scattered in the living room. Brush his teeth before going to bed. Go to bed.

Yet your child—at a year, two, three, four or older—has a mind of his own. You love that mind of his, his growing independence and assertiveness, his desire to decide what he wants to do and when. But you wish he would be reasonable! You wish he would do, without so much fuss, what you want him to do.

“No” and “Why” become common words for young preschoolers. Saying “No” is a way a preschooler claims her space. Saying “Why” is a wish to understand the world around her. “Why” is also a word preschoolers use to question authority. Underneath the question, they are saying “Why do you have power over me when I want to feel autonomous?”

“For a preschooler sometimes ‘no’ is not meant to start a power struggle, it’s simply an expression of self. ‘NO let me do it alone. No, I do it.’ It’s important to remember that your child may simply be doing his job growing up, and saying ‘yes’ to himself, rather than ‘no’ to you.” – Susanna Neumann, Ph.D. – Child Psychoanalyst

Yes, it is okay that your child has started to say “no.”  Preschoolers learn that they can use specific words to say what they mean. They have long known their parents’ words have power over their lives and they are beginning to realize that their own words can make a difference as well. They create more powerful meanings using their growing vocabulary.

Changing our responses to our children’s “no” means, in part, letting go of the power we have over our children by relinquishing (or at least reducing) our own “no” to them. It means being willing to let go of our attachment to our strategies based on understanding our own and our children’s needs. It means focusing on the nature of the relationship we want to have with our children, what we want to teach them, and what kind of world we want to prepare them for.

We can use a “no” (from our children and ourselves) as the beginning of a rich dialogue that can bring all of us closer and move us in the direction of meeting all of our needs.

 

Vote For Us!

Please help us win the Virginia Pilot’s Best of Contest again by voting for us!

You can VOTE online at hamptonroads.com/bestof
or you can text 21333 with these codes:

CDDY (Chesapeake Child Development Center),

CDDZ (Chesapeake Daycare Center),

CDEA (Chesapeake Private School),

CDEC (Suffolk Child Development Center),

and CDED (Suffolk Daycare Center).

Be sure to vote for all locations.  Thank you so much for your support!

 

Learning Is A Lifelong Journey

Human beings were created with inquisitive minds and children are naturally wired to want to know more about everything. When it comes to learning, every parent wants their child to succeed in the classroom. But what about learning opportunities outside of the school environment?

Children will learn from their own experiences and from those around them. This is why the guidance from family members in the home can more be more helpful in preparing a child for the real world.

Make the time you spend with your child more meaningful. Here are some local spots that are fun and educational for you and your child to enjoy:

The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center – Virginia Beach

http://www.virginiaaquarium.com/

Discover the amazing underwater world of the Aquarium. Travel on an aquatic journey from the shore to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean and experience coastal habitats from around the world. Thousands of animals representing over 300 species, displayed in entertaining and educational exhibits, are ready to enchant, entertain and inspire you!

Childrens Museum of Virginia – Portsmouth

http://www.childrensmuseumva.com/

The largest children’s museum in Virginia with 72,000 sq. ft. of fun, interactive, hands-on things to keep kids bodies (and minds) entertained for hours.

Virginia Air and Space Center – Hampton

http://www.vasc.org/

Imaginations will soar at this hands-on, minds-on science center that features interactive exhibits, a five-story-high IMAX Theater and Cool Science every day!  Explore 100 years of flight with more than 30 aircraft, take the yoke at a number of flight simulators, and see awe-inspiring space-flight artifacts.

Winter Reading Challenge

When the winter chill surrounds you, there is nothing better than curling up with a great book. It doesn’t matter what age you are, the mind and imagination can come alive with a book whether you are reading the words yourself, or someone is sharing the journey of reading to you. Are you ready for a WINTER CHALLENGE in reading?

Take a look at this list of “specific types of books” for you to find in the library or on your bookshelves at home.

• Book with a color in the title
• Book by an author whose last name starts with “s”
• Non-fiction book about winter
• Book with a kid-friendly recipe
• Book that studies another culture
• Book about caring and sharing
• Book about a snowman
• Book about a family pet
• Book with no words but only pictures
• Book about a song that you can sing

Go down this list one by one, and you or your child read the book – be sure to cross it off the list! Once they are all crossed off, it’s time for the whole family use their imagination to create a WHOLE NEW list for the tropical breezes of summertime!

 

 

Colors Of Fall – Masterpiece

With the leaves around us changing colors, your child will have so much fun creating this gorgeous autumn tree with a dabs of paint on a q-tip!  It's easy for both the child and the parents...take a look:

Equipment Needed:

• 1 Pencil
• 1 Sheet of White Construction paper (any size)
• Acrylic Paint in Fall Colors - Orange, Brown, Yellow, Red, Green
• Egg carton to pour paint colors in - for easy reach
• Small paint brush
• Q-Tips
• Small paper or plastic cup (to hold the qtips)
• Old Tshirt or Paint Smock
• Plastic Tablecloth or Newspaper to protect painting surface
• Wet wipes to clean table and hands.

Step One: Depending on the age of the child, you may need to help them draw the trunk of the tree with a pencil. Draw two straight lines drawn vertically upward to mid page. Draw a large circle on top of the two lines for the tree top.

Step Two: Pour the paint into the egg cups.

Step Three: Using the small paint brush, using brown paint - paint the trunk.

Step Four: Using q-tips, dip the q-tip into a color (one at at time) - and start creating leaves inside the circle.  This is random and can be as full or sparse you like.

Step Five: If there is white space left in the tree top - use the brush or q-tips to create branches with the brown paint.

Step Six: Use q-tips to create leaves that are falling off the tree and even those that land into the ground.

Step Seven: Be sure to have your child sign their masterpiece either with a brush or q-tip or a simple finger print!