Perhaps you are stumped as to why to use a home preschool curriculum. Or, maybe you just need that extra little push to begin your own Preschool Curriculum. At any rate, here are some reasons to start using a home preschool curriculum.

• Monitor what you are teaching them. When you send your child to a public preschool there is no way you can monitor everything the teachers are teaching your children. However, when you are teaching them at home you monitor everything…. after all, you are the one teaching your children.

• Teach children positive social skills. We all hear of children getting bullied and teased. And, unfortunately, it starts early…. as early as 3 or 4 years old. When you are homeschooling your children Preschool you will be setting up all their social activities. You will be there to monitor all of them and you will be able to observe when your child is having a difficult social situation and coach them through it.
• Children learn at their own pace. Not all children learn well by sitting at desks and listening to a teacher teach. Some children learn hands on better while other children learn visually. When you are teaching your child at home you can pick up on how your Preschooler finds it easier to learn and teach that way. Your child will have an easier time learning when you are teaching them with that method.
• Many Preschoolers still need one-on-one attention. Just like Preschoolers learn at their own pace as I mentioned above…. some also need one-on-one attention. If your Preschoolers is like this and needs the one-on-one attention then there will be no problems if you are homeschooling….. you will be there to offer the Preschooler plenty of one-on-one time.
• Preschool Years don’t last forever. The Preschool years will be gone before you know it. Why not spend as much time as you can with your Preschooler now before this time is gone. The nice thing about teaching your Preschooler at home is they will be spending this time with you instead of spending it with a teacher.

There you go…. 5 Reasons to Use a Home Preschool Curriculum. Hopefully, this is enough information to help you make a informative decision as to whether using a Home Preschool Curriculum is the right thing for you.

Top Image by jimmiehomeschoolmom

We have 5 senses

Here are some activities that you can do with your children so that
they can see that their senses are unique…. different than anyone else’s.

Teaching the Five Senses

In order to teach the five senses to your preschool age children you have to
be hands on…. there is no easy way to teach your children about their five
senses without having them touch, taste, hear, smell and see. So, that is exactly
what we are going to do.

Sense of Touch Activities

• My Hand Book – Help the children trace their hands on to
  paper…. these will be the pages of the book. On each page of the book have
  the children write what they like to do with their hands. You will probably
  have to help them with this project.
• Feely Box – Place different objects with different textures
  in a box or bag. Ask the children to reach in and describe what they feel.
  Can they figure out what you have in there?
• Playing in Sand – Put some sand in a box or a cake pan
  and have the kids play in it with their hands. Let them draw things in the
  sand. Have them describe what it felt like.
• Textured Finger painting – Mix some finger paints with
  sand. This creates a textured paint. Have the children paint with this textured
  finger paint concoction. What did it feel like? Did they like the way it felt?
• Being the Architect – Bring out all different types of
  material that have different textures… such as corrugated boxes, egg cartons,
  empty paper towel rolls, etc. Let the children use their imagination to build
  things.

Sense of Smell Activities

• Scratch and Sniff - Help the kids make their own Scratch
  and Sniff items. Simply spread flavored powered gelatin on a paper. Once it
  dries completely let the kids scratch and sniff them. Which one do they like
  the most? Which do they least like?
• Jars of Smells – Soak cotton balls in different flavorings
  such as peppermint, orange or lemon. Place each cotton ball in a baby food
  jar. Punch holes in the lid. Let the children smell each. Which one do they
  most like? Which do they least like?
• My Art Smells – Bring out some scented markers. Ask the
  children to draw pictures of things they love to smell…. such as flowers,
  meatloaf, shampoo, etc…
• Vote with your Nose – Using index cards spray different
  scents on each. Label each with a number and pass the cards around. Let the
  children vote on what they like most. Let them also vote what they least like.
• Potpourri - Help the children make their own Potpourri
  mixture. You can use spices such as cinnamon sticks and mint leaves. Use squares
  of netting that you can pick up at any craft store or even a discount store
  like Wal-Mart.

Sense of Taste Activities

• Look the Same / Taste Different - Provide items that look
  alike, but taste VERY different. Bring out vinegar and water, salt and sugar,
  and flour and baking soda. Let the children try each and describe the differences.
  Just a little dab on the end of the finger is good enough. What makes them
  so different even though they look similar? What are the kids’ thoughts?

Sense of Sight Activities

• My Art is BIG - Have the children draw pictures while looking
  through a magnifying glass. Is it hard or easier to draw this way? Why?
• Pin the Tail on the Donkey – This is a fun game to play
  when you are talking about the Sense of Sight. After playing the game with
  the children ask the kids if this task was difficult. Ask them why or why
  not. Listen to their detailed explanation. Talk about it.
• Look at the World Differently – Bring out different colored
  cellophane. Have the children look through each by placing a small piece of
  cellophane over the eyes (Do Not let them place the cellophane over their
  head!! This is a safety hazard). Ask the children to describe what they see
  when they look through the different color cellophane. What did they notice
  when they looked at something without the colored cellophane compared to with
  the cellophane? Which color cellophane was their favorite?
• Look at Those Eyes – Bring out pictures of human’s eyes
  and animal’s eyes. You can look for pictures online, in books, magazines or
  at a library. Show the kids all the different eyes you found? Are their any
  differences between a human eyes and an animals eyes? Discuss.

Sense of Sound Activities

• Rhythm – Help teach the children rhythm. Turn on some children’s
  music. Using instruments, sticks or even the children’s clapping hands see
  if they can find the beat. You start by discovering the beat and let them
  follow. Now, you stop…. can they continue keeping up with the rhythm?
• Make Musical Instruments - Bring out empty canisters….
  Empty Pringles cans work wonderfully for this. Fill up the canisters half-way
  with items that make different sounds. Make one musical canister with macaroni
  noodles, make the next with rice and maybe the next with pennies. They each
  should sound differently. Now, let them use their new instruments to follow
  the rhythm in a song.
• Can you Find the Sound? – Blindfold one of the children.
  Have another child make a noise. Ask the blindfolded child to point in the
  direction of the sound. Were they right? Was this a difficult task for the
  blindfolded child? Why or why not?
• Ring the Bell - Hang bells from the ceiling using yarn.
  Make sure the bells and yard are out of the way so children don’t get hurt.
  Give a child a bean bag and see if they can ring the bell. Pass the bean bag
  around and give everyone a chance to ring the bell.

In conclusion

There are so many activities that use our senses. As a matter of fact, we could
easily take our senses for granted because we use them so often. But, without
our sense our lives would be so much different. Talk to the children about this….
ask them what they think life would be like without one of our senses such as
hearing, seeing, tasting, touching or smelling.

After these activities your children should be very aware of their own senses.
There is no better way to teach children about their senses than just getting
right in and using them.

Top image by Nickster

Today I’m just going to get into projects that have to do with physical attributes.
Tomorrow I will get into the feelings and senses attributes.

But, the concept of "everyone is different" can
be hard to teach to a child without some hands-on projects. So, without further
ado…..

"All About Me" Preschool Activities

Me Puppets

In this project you will be assisting the children in Making "Me Puppets".
Me puppets will help you reinforce to the children that everyone is different
in the physical sense. You will need 6 inch paper plates to use as faces, popsicle
sticks or tongue depressors as the holders. Also, get out some yarn, markers,
crayons, child safety scissors and glue to finish off the "Me Puppet".
Let them put on a puppet show.

Self-Portraits

Give the kid some art supplies and let them draw pictures of themselves. Give
them a list of easy descriptive words and let them chose the words that most
describe themselves. You can even have pictures next to the descriptive words
to help them chose the words that best describe them. For example, for the word
“funny” you can have a person laughing so that they know that word is "funny".
And, for the word “smart” you can have a picture of a person with a light bulb
above their head. Those are just examples, but you get the idea. You want to
help your child pick descriptive words describing themselves.

Eye Color Graph

Make a color graph to show the different colors of eyes such as…. blue, green,
brown and hazel eyes. Let the children look in the mirror and decide what eye
color they have on their own. Did they chose the right color. Talk about that with them.

Thumbprints

This is a really cool project… a little messy, but cool. Bring out an ink
pad and let the kids place their thumb on the ink pad and then onto their own
pieces of blank paper. Give each of the children a magnifying glass and let
them determine what makes each thumbprint different. Do they notice the differences?
Explain to the children that no two fingerprints are alike…. pretty amazing,
huh?!

Body Tracing

Me Stories

Let the children create short stories about themselves. They can draw pictures
and make it a picture book or you can help them write a story using word and with the pictures
as well.

Felt Faces

Cover a coffee can with felt. Also, cut out different sizes and shapes of
felt cutouts. Tell the kids to make their faces using the different shaped felt
and the coffee can. Felt sticks onto felt pretty easily, so no other supplies
such as glue or tape is needed.

Growth Charts

Provide a measurement chart and scales for the children to measure their height
and weight. Explain to the children what these numbers mean.

In Conclusion

These projects should help you teach your children all about them in
the physical sense. Tomorrow we will continue the "About
Me" topic, but go into projects that help you teach them about
themselves using their feelings and their senses.

Top image by squacco

Keep in mind that any change in routine or structure can mess young toddlers
and preschoolers up. Children love structure. And structure gives your child
something they can count on.

This time doesn’t have to be full of anxiety. Here are some ways to make the
transition easier.

7 Ways to Make Transition Easier when Older Siblings Go Back to School

2. Start Preparing your Child Early – Yes, we know this time
   can be scary. But, what is even scarier for a child is not being prepared
   for change when it happens. So, start preparing the younger child for the
   fact that the older children will be starting school soon. Ask the child how
   he or she feels about it. Let the child know that everything will be okay
   and what your plans will be for the day when the older children are at school.
   Your child will find comfort in knowing what’s ahead.
3. Start your child taking Lessons that coincide with their older siblings
   going to school – One of the feelings that your youngest child might
   be feeling is jealousy. Your child might be jealous in the fact that the older
   children will be heading to school to learn. Why not have your youngest child
   start a class of his or her own. There are tons of lessons your little one
   can take. What does your little one want to learn? What are his or her interests?
   Check out your local YMCA, JCC or Community Center for Lessons. Your child
   will love the fact that they can learn something new too.
4. Do something daily just the two of you – One nice thing
   about having the older children away at school is that there is much more
   time for you and your little one. This is a great time to spend quality time
   together. One
   on one time with your child can really deepen your relationship with them.
   Let your child know that you are looking forward to doing something special
   together. Sit down with your youngest and come up with some ideas of how you
   are going to spend this time together. Don’t be surprised if your little one
   is no longer scared and sad about the older children going off to school…..
   but instead these feelings are replaced with excitement. Your younger child
   will probably be thrilled to have some alone time with you.
5. Realize the feelings that the child left behind might be feeling
   – There are a ton of feelings your youngest might be feeling about the older
   siblings going off to school. Be prepared for them and it will make this transition
   for you and the younger child easier. Some of the feelings your youngest might
   be feeling are…
   • Fear
   • Anxiety
   • Sadness
   • Excitement
   • Stress
   • Worry
   • Loneliness

   And these are just some of the many, many feelings your child might be
   feeling. Make the transition easier by talking with your youngest child
   about their older siblings going off to school. Let them know whatever feelings
   they are having about it are understandable and that they can always come
   to you with whatever they are feeling and you will help get them through
   it.

6. Plan the Days out for your Little one – Children love structure
   and don’t like change. When older children go to school and leave the littlest
   one at home that is a change of structure for your little one. It is very
   scary. Adding structure back into their life will help your little one feel
   more secure and less stressed during this transition. They love to know what
   they could expect next. So, plan away….. and include your youngest one in
   the planning process. It will get them more excited about the time to come.
7. Start a School for your Child at Home – Your child might
   feel left out when the older children go back to school. Why not start them
   in a school of their own as well. There are Preschool Curriculums out their
   that are perfect for teaching your young Preschooler at home. Just make sure
   to choose the right Preschool
   Curriculum for your Child. And, don’t forget to name the School. Giving
   your at home school a name will make it more official and special for your
   little one.

Yes, this time can be very stressful and sad for your little one, but it doesn’t
have to be. With a little planning and preparing it can be a happy and
exciting transition for your little one.

Top image by Pink
Sherbet

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2009/08/25/when-the-older-siblings-go-back-to-school/feed/ 0 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/11/07/educational-fall-activities/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/11/07/educational-fall-activities/#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:16:59 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/11/07/educational-fall-activities/

Fall may be a terrific time of year for fun crafts but you don’t want
to be so focused on the fun that you forget about the great educational opportunities
that the season presents. Sure, it’s great to carve pumpkins and make
Thanksgiving turkeys out of construction paper during these months. [...]]]>

Fall may be a terrific time of year for fun crafts but you don’t want
to be so focused on the fun that you forget about the great educational opportunities
that the season presents. Sure, it’s great to carve pumpkins and make
Thanksgiving turkeys out of construction paper during these months. But in addition
to these arts and crafts, you can come up with a number of different fall activities
which give your children great educational skills. In fact, there are fall activities
to cover all of the basic school subjects and then some.

Here are some educational fall activities for each subject:

Math Counting activities using fall themes. The “5 Little Pumpkins” song is just one example of a fall-themed counting activity that can be enjoyed by kids while they learn some new skills. Measuring and counting when making fall recipes. Use cooking activities during the fall to warm up the house or classroom and get the kids using math during daily activities.

Reading / Writing

• There are many different stories out there about fall.
  Look for those that are about the changing of seasons as well as those that
  relate to the fall holidays.
• Work on learning the alphabet by practicing with fall themes.
  For example, “P is for Pumpkin” is a good way to work on that
  particular letter.
• Make a fall story book. Paste leaves and other fall items
  into a scrapbook and then work with kids to write a story that relates to
  fall.

Science

• Go outside and observe the changing seasons with kids.
  Keep photo and written journals about these changes.
• Fall animals. Activities involving squirrels and acorns
  are great for teaching kids about animals and fall.

Social Studies

• Use the holidays such as Columbus Day and Thanksgiving to teach kids about
  history.
• Explore how different cultures explore holidays in different
  ways to teach kids about diversity.
• If you taught kids about Labor Day early in the season, you can reinforce
  these lessons by bringing them back up again. Point out that work
  and community are important educational areas at all times of the
  year.

Other subjects

• Music. Kids love music and they learn a lot from it so
  incorporate fall themes and music this season. One great activities making
  musical shakers out of gourds by cleaning them out and filling them with beans.
• Motor skills. The arts and crafts that are associated with
  fall themes are good lessons in and of themselves because they teach kids
  motor skills which are an important part of the rest of their education.
• Environmental lessons. Kids can learn environmental lessons
  during the fall months by getting out and exploring nature. Take kids hiking
  or camping before it gets too cold and use it as a way to teach them about
  how to treat the earth kindly and why that’s important.

Technorati Tags:educational, preschool, fall, autumn, activities, learning

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/11/07/educational-fall-activities/feed/ 1 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/28/how-to-explain-to-preschooler-if-it-is-autumn-or-fall/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/28/how-to-explain-to-preschooler-if-it-is-autumn-or-fall/#comments Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:22:58 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/28/how-to-explain-to-preschooler-if-it-is-autumn-or-fall/

Do you use the terms
“fall” and “autumn” interchangeably? If so, you are
just like most other people in America who agree that the two words are meant
to mean the same thing (the season that comes after summer and before winter).
But there is another school of thinking which [...]]]>

Do you use the terms
“fall” and “autumn” interchangeably? If so, you are
just like most other people in America who agree that the two words are meant
to mean the same thing (the season that comes after summer and before winter).
But there is another school of thinking which says that autumn and fall are
two subtly different seasons. How many people agree with this depends on where
in the country you are living. In some places, the seasonal shift between the
two is too subtle to warrant a difference in the name. But in other places,
such as New England, there is an obvious difference between autumn and
fall and people will tell you that this means there are five seasons
instead of four.

Before you can explain this difference to your preschooler, you’re going to have to make sure that you understand the difference yourself. Basically, autumn is the beginning of this season. It is the weeks during which the change happens after summer, when you can feel that crispness creep into the air and you know that the summer is over. It is the time of year where, in many places, the colors of the leaves are bright and eye-catching. And autumn is associated with excitement about this change. In contrast, fall is when the leaves have fallen off of the trees and are down on the ground. The air is cold all of the time so that the crispness isn’t so much refreshing as just standard. And instead of excitement about the season, most people are anticipating the winter holidays. But knowing this isn’t the same as being able to explain it to your youngster.

One of the
best ways to explain the difference between autumn and fall to your preschooler
is to use different crafts during each time to reiterate the important lessons
of that time. For example, since what’s most exciting about the autumn
weeks is the colorful leaves, you should enjoy lots of crafts that are related
to the leaves. Get outside with your preschooler and note the beauty of the
leaves and the changes that are taking place and how exciting it all is. Explain
that this feeling is related to autumn. Hiking and other activities which get
you outdoors are all a part of experiencing and enjoying autumn.

As the weeks go on, it will
get colder. Note the difference in the weather and explain that it’s fall.
One of the easiest ways for your preschooler to understand that it’s fall
is that you can point to the leaves now falling off of the trees. Your preschooler
is able to associate the fall of the leaves with the season fall. Point to this
difference to note the shift between the two time periods. You can also transition
to new crafts that don’t focus so much on the colorful leaves of fall.
Start planning for Halloween crafts and Thanksgiving crafts since these are
what you will mostly be doing during the fall. You will probably also spend
more time indoors which you can explain to your preschooler is something that
you do in fall and winter.

Of course, in most
places, people think of fall and autumn as the same season. If you think that
your child is too young to understand the subtle difference, you may not want
to harp on it. But if your child brings it up, asking about the difference since
you use both words, feel free to discuss it. Even if your preschooler
doesn’t quite understand the subtleties, looking for the differences is
a good exercise in observation.

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/28/how-to-explain-to-preschooler-if-it-is-autumn-or-fall/feed/ 4 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/21/leaf-crafts-for-kids/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/21/leaf-crafts-for-kids/#comments Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:40:45 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/21/leaf-crafts-for-kids/

Fall is a terrific
time to incorporate leaf crafts into kids’ daily activities.
You can take kids outside to get some fresh air and physical activity while
they collect the leaves. Then you can come indoors again and keep them busy
with the crafts. Leaf crafts are fun and they [...]]]>

Fall is a terrific
time to incorporate leaf crafts into kids’ daily activities.
You can take kids outside to get some fresh air and physical activity while
they collect the leaves. Then you can come indoors again and keep them busy
with the crafts. Leaf crafts are fun and they also help to build motor skills
in young children. Plus leaf crafts can be used in conjunction with learning
other lessons like how the seasons change.

There are many different
leaf crafts for kids and you can probably think up many more
on your own but here are a few to get you started:

Faux tree. Take brown construction paper to create the trunk of a tree. Then make the leaves of the tree with the leaves which you have collected from outside, gluing them on to the construction paper branches. You can hang this on the wall and write things on the trunk of the tree such as the birthdays that are happening in the fall months. Leaf photo frames. Pick up some cheap photo frames or create your own using construction paper. Have the kids glue or tape their leaves as decorations on the frame. Then, take some fun fall photos. Dress up like scarecrows or go pose by the trees outside. Kids can pick a favorite photo to stick in their fall photo frame.

• Leaf
  rubbings.
  Take a leaf and place it on a table or desk. Cover it with a blank piece of
  paper. Kids can use charcoal or crayons to rub over the paper and the impression
  of the leaf will come out. This will seem magical to young children who can
  then draw or decorate the new leaf. A variation on this is leaf tracing.
• Leaf
  scrapbook album.
  Use construction paper and yarn to create a scrapbook. Kids can glue their
  leaves to each page to create their own album. One variation on this is to
  create a fall story, writing the text underneath each leaf on the page. Another
  variation is to have children glue one leaf on each side and to describe what
  is the same and what is different between the two leaves that are facing each
  other.
• Leaf
  Strings.
  For this you’ll need string or yarn and the leaves as well as a hole
  puncher. Punch holes in the tops of the leaves and then string them to make
  a decoration. Eventually, the leaves will crumble and fall off; you can use
  this to reinforce lessons about the changing of seasons and the way leaves
  fall off of trees.
• Leaf
  Wreath.
  All you need for this one is the leaves, some glue or tape and a paper plate
  or other round shaped object. Have the kids glue or tape their leaves to the
  plate to create a wreath (cut out the center to make it more wreath-like).
  Add decorations such as ribbon, glitter or coloring. Variations on this leaf
  craft include the Thanksgiving Wreath in which you write “things you’re
  thankful for” on the leaves or on the center of the plate where there
  aren’t any leaves.

Technorati Tags:leaf crafts, children, kids, crafts, activities, fall, preschool

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/21/leaf-crafts-for-kids/feed/ 2 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/10/preschool-october-themes-as-fall-continues/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/10/preschool-october-themes-as-fall-continues/#comments Wed, 10 Oct 2007 04:03:18 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/10/preschool-october-themes-as-fall-continues/

October
just might be the most fun month there is as far as fall preschool themes go.
It’s early enough in the year that there are still plenty of outdoor activities
that can be done with preschoolers. It’s also early enough in the year
that you’re not suffering the stress [...]]]>

October
just might be the most fun month there is as far as fall preschool themes go.
It’s early enough in the year that there are still plenty of outdoor activities
that can be done with preschoolers. It’s also early enough in the year
that you’re not suffering the stress of the upcoming winter holidays so
you can relax some and really enjoy creative lessons with your kid(s). But it’s
a busy month with a lot of fun kid-oriented activities (mostly centering on
Halloween) so there are plenty of different things that you can incorporate
into the day to keep things fun and interesting.

Halloween
is the big October theme that you’ll probably spend a lot of
lessons focusing on. There are many fun things that you can do with this theme.
Art projects galore spring from Halloween. Witches’ hats and pirate swords
can be made from construction paper. Counting and coloring activities can be
done with pumpkins and goblins. Halloween songs are almost countless in number.
But there are also plenty of lesser-known things that you can teach kids using
this theme. For example, even though your kids are going to be eating lots of
candy during this time, you can teach them about the importance
of nutrition. This is where moderation comes in and kids can learn
that it’s okay to indulge sometimes but not to go overboard. Similarly,
haunted houses and scary Halloween themes can be used to teach kids about good
fear vs. bad fear. Think outside of the costume box when you’re
coming up with Halloween theme activities this October.

Another great October theme that’s related to Halloween is the celebration of other cultures. Certain other cultures celebrate Halloween in different ways from how we do in America. For example, Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos) is celebrated in Latin American cultures. Teaching kids about the different ways of celebrating the same holiday is great for giving them the basics of diversity and cultural awareness. Another great October theme for teaching that same lesson is Columbus Day. Halloween may be the big October holiday but this other October holiday is a good one for lessons that relate to history geography and those issues of diversity and cultural sensitivity. You can easily use these holidays to teach kids about the Latin American culture as well as the Native American culture.

October may be a
great month for holiday themes but that’s not all that’s going on
in October. In most places, the weather is changing dramatically with leaves
turning colors and falling off of the trees. This makes October
a terrific month for lessons about the weather, nature and seasons.
This is good for science lessons and can be incorporated into art activities
as well. If it’s warm enough to get outside with the kids, you can have
them do observations about the changing weather. Fall animal themes
are also great in October. For example, squirrels may still be seen
out and about which is great for lessons about how animals store food and how
some hibernate in the winter. This even lends itself well to lessons about how
our own bodies change in the winter.

As you can see,
October is a fun month that allows for many different preschool themes. Like
all other months, these themes are great for art, reading, writing and singing
activities. However, they are also great for teaching social studies and science
lessons. See what October lessons you can find out there and
then expand on them with your own creativity to make October a fun and
educational month for the kids.

Technorati Tags:preschool fall themes, october, seasons, themes, preschool, kids, children, activities

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/10/preschool-october-themes-as-fall-continues/feed/ 4 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/03/take-your-preschooler-on-a-hike/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/03/take-your-preschooler-on-a-hike/#comments Wed, 03 Oct 2007 04:36:20 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/03/take-your-preschooler-on-a-hike/

Fall is a great month
to take your preschooler on a hike.
Hikes are great because of the obvious physical exercise that they give to your
child. They are also a terrific way to teach kids about nature. Kids can learn
to interact appropriately with the plants and animals that [...]]]>

Fall is a great month
to take your preschooler on a hike.
Hikes are great because of the obvious physical exercise that they give to your
child. They are also a terrific way to teach kids about nature. Kids can learn
to interact appropriately with the plants and animals that live in your area
and can gain an appreciation for the world around them. Hikes can also be used
for many different lessons including teaching the skill of observation, learning
about the culture of people who once lived in the area where you are hiking
and starting to understand about the weather and terrain. Plus, taking
your preschooler on a hike is a great bonding experience.

The most obvious way that a hike benefits your preschooler is that it offers physical activity. We are increasingly aware of the importance of physical activity for kids of all ages. The earlier that kids find physical activities that they enjoy, the more likely they are to develop a positive attitude towards exercise. You just might be getting your child started on a lifelong love of hiking. Additionally, physical activities like hiking are a great time to talk to your kids about how their bodies work. This makes hikes with your preschooler a great learning experience.

In addition to learning about
their own bodies and the importance of physical fitness, kids can learn about
the world around them through hiking. When you take your preschooler on a hike,
you’re likely to run into a number of animals out in the wilderness. You
can teach your children about the birds, rodents and wildlife that you may see
on the hike. Additionally, you and your preschooler can study the plant life
in the area to learn more about that kind of nature. This will not only be a
great science education for your preschooler but will also teach him or her
to interact kindly with the earth. Hiking is a great time to teach your
kids about the environment. And of course fall is a great time for
other hiking lessons since the area is changing so much.

You can explore these changes
(such as the new colors the leaves) with your preschooler during a hike. Learning
to be observant is one of the key tools needed for studying science.
You can also use this experience as a springboard for other lessons. Watch the
weather changes. Do some research yourself about the native people who used
to live in the area so that you can teach your child about this. Study the terrain
and talk about the geology of the area. Kids love to collect rocks and leaves
to take home for art projects. Make a diorama about your hike to reinforce the
lessons that were learned. Alternatively, take a camera along with you when
you and your preschooler go hiking. Kids’ cameras give great motor skills
and encourage your children’s creativity.

And of course you’ll
be able to take pictures on the hike to capture the memories that you are making
while you are out there. Even if you aren’t actively using the
hike to teach your child specific lessons, you will be creating a special experience
between the two of you that will last a lifetime. Many great conversations
happen on hikes. This may be something that you can use to continue to build
and grow your relationship with your children over time.

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