Early childhood educators know that children experience the world using their senses. Because of this, sensory play is very popular in classrooms and childcare centers. A simple Internet search for “sensory play activities” yields millions of results, many of them promising 20 or more ideas for sensory play in a single blog post or article. Summer (like any season) naturally lends itself to sensory experiences—there’s splashing water in a table or pool, hearing the tune of the ice cream truck and tasting sweet treats, smelling fresh cut grass and garden flowers, and seeing lightning bugs. Every environment has its unique scents, textures, tastes, sights, and sounds to appreciate. How can you support meaningful sensory play this summer? Read below to find out more. Continue reading
summer
Here Comes Summer! Activities for When You’re All Out of Ideas
Do you struggle finding things to do with children during the summer? Here’s a few ideas to add a little extra fun every week!
Share this:
Summer’s Winding Down…and I’m Exhausted.
by Katie Brazerol
The other morning as I was going past the living room, my daughter asked me for a snuggle. I gave her a quick hug and said, “Not now, I have to work.” That afternoon, she asked again. “I can’t sweetie. It’s time to take you to your art class.” While lying in bed that night, I realized I never did have the chance to give her that snuggle. How sad. It seems to be the recurring trend for my family this summer.
Like many parents, I try to fill my children’s summer days with playdates and various activities to combat the usual “I’m bored!” statements. However, I believe I may have fallen into the trap of over-scheduling. We’ve been running from activity to activity with hardly any time to converse, let alone spend time together. We finally had a day with nothing scheduled yesterday, and guess what I heard all day long. Yup! “I’m bored!” I soon realized that being bored isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Share this:
20 Things to Do before Summer Ends
by Katie Brazerol
I was approached by a child care provider in my neighborhood, and she said she’s been struggling this summer to find things to do to keep the children in her care, especially the older ones, from fighting and exclaiming, “I’m bored!”
Although most of us look forward to summer, the change in routine can be tough on children. The structure of the day is often more relaxed creating a challenge for children who become bored easily. Here is a list of 20 activities to try:
Share this:
Preventing Injuries
7 Summer Safety Tips
by Kelley Jilek
Summer is the most fun, but also the most dangerous, time of year for children. The majority of emergency room visits for kids take place during summer months when children have an increased amount of free time to spend in active play, much of it outdoors and often near water. Follow these tips to help prevent summer injuries:
FunShine Blog 