11 Ways to Make Errands Fun

By Samantha Cleaver

The idea of taking a young child along for an afternoon of errands can be daunting. But with a little preparation and a few fool-proof activities, errands can quickly become fun learning experiences. The key? Keeping kids engaged and participating the whole day through.

Dr. Lillian Katz, professor emerita with the University of Illinois Clearinghouse on Early Childhood and Parenting, says that parents should explain what they’re going to do before even leaving the house. Telling your child, “first we’re going to get gas, then we’re going to the grocery store, and last we’re going to the dry cleaners,” helps them develop an understanding of sequence.

In the Car

How to manage directions, traffic, and the uncomfortable, bored kid in the back seat? Make the car something to look forward to with songs and games.

• Stage a Sing-Along. Instead of buying CDs or cueing up the iPod, sing with your child as you drive from place to place. Spice up sing-alongs by leaving out the rhyming words for her to fill in, or letting her choose animals or people to insert into favorites like Old MacDonald or The Wheels on the Bus.
• How Many Do You See? Build your child’s number skills by counting trees, stop signs, intersections, or blue cars. Capitalize on your child’s natural interests by seeing how many of his favorite things (dump trucks, dogs, etc) he can find.
• Habitat BINGO. Make a BINGO card with pictures of different homes—apartments, big houses, small houses, nests, doghouses—for your child to find. As he checks them off, ask who lives there and why it might be a good place to live.
• Words in our World. As you travel around town, point out common words; stop, exit, open, closed, sale. First, tell your child what each word means. “Oh, I see S-T-O-P on this sign, that means stop. Do you see it?” After you’ve found the word a few times, ask him if he can read it.

In the Grocery Store

Every aisle of the grocery store (or any store) is a built-in lesson. Here are a few activities to keep your child busy.

• Weigh It. Ask your child to help you find the fruits and vegetables on your shopping list. Ask him to choose the best apples or peppers and weigh them. Once you have your produce, ask him to compare the items. Which is heavier? Which is heaviest? Lightest?
• Coupon Hide-and-Seek. Cut out a few coupons before you leave your house. As you shop, have your child find the items. Draw your child’s attention to how the store is organized. “Do you think we will find the milk in the same aisle as the yogurt?” It doesn’t matter if you buy it or not, the fun is in the finding.
• Check-Out I Spy. In the check-out aisle, ask your child to find items in your cart by describing characteristics. “I spy an item that goes in the freezer” or “I spy something red and round.”

At the Doctor’s Office

Whether you’re waiting for a pediatrician or a dentist, “you’re not going to teach your child how to wait,” says Jean Warren, publisher of PreschoolExpress.com, “but you can make waiting fun.”

• Hot or Cold? If you’re the only ones waiting, hide a small object around the waiting room and prompt your child to find it by telling him how hot or cold he is as he moves around the room. Then, let him hide it and direct you to find it.
• Measure It. Stock your purse with a measuring tape and measure chairs, magazines, tables, or anything that sits still long enough! Talk about which things are long, short, tall, and wide.

Waiting in Line

Maximize waiting time by building language skills.

• In Their Place. Waiting in line is the perfect time to introduce the idea of ordinal numbers. First, count the people in line using words (first, second, third, etc). Then, describe a person (“I see a person with a red hat and a big brown box to mail”) and ask your child to tell you their place in line.
• Story Builder. Any waiting time is a good time to start a story. Choose a starter, “Once upon a time” or “There once was a pirate.” Then, take turns adding sentences until you come to a natural "The End."

Errands can be an exciting excursion for young children. The key, though, is getting the involved at every moment, so make sure to leave the house prepared and you’ll be in for a productive—and fun—day around town!

Samantha Cleaver is a special education teacher in Illinois.

School Pictures

Wednesday March 9th, 2011 is school picture day. A Representative from Tasher Studio's will be here to take both individual and class pictures.

Please make sure that you fill out the envelope accurately and completely to ensure that you get the proper package. Pictures are paid for in advance. You can put either cash or a check in the envelope. Checks are made payable to Tasher Studio.

If you have any questions about picture day please call the office at 781-270-1808.

Wash, Brush, Comb! Developing Preschool Hygiene Habits

By Pamela Wingerden M.Sp.Ed.

“Wash your hands. Brush your teeth. Did you use soap?” These are just a few of the phrases preschool parents repeat like a broken record. It's a fact: children and germs go hand in hand. Each day parents watch their children play in the sand at the park, stick fingers in their noses and mouths, pick up slimy creatures, and reach eagerly for food that's fallen on the ground.

Getting preschoolers to take over the brushing, scrubbing and rinsing themselves is an important step in the development of a preschooler's independence. Not only does it give parents a welcome break and help ditch the dirt in the short term, but teaching basic hygiene concepts to children at a young age will form the groundwork of a healthy lifestyle in the future.

Proper Hygiene

Just as you teach your child the steps to ride a bike or play a game, it's important for you to teach your child proper hygiene habits. Personal hygiene can include such skills as how to properly wash hands, take a bath, brush teeth and hair, and follow proper toilet training skills. “The most common health issues that come up is from preschoolers playing with unsanitary things and then touching their mouths and other kids before washing hands," says pediatrician Carol-Lynn Barsky. "At this age, it is primarily hand washing that will keep them healthy.”

Get in the Habit

Help train your child to get in the habit of washing his hands after certain activities such as using the bathroom, playing at the park, and being at a friend’s house. Keep a regular schedule for taking baths and help your child brush teeth and hair in the morning and before bedtime everyday. If your child gets in the habit of regular hand washing, brushing teeth, and bathing, it will become more natural and reminders from parents will be less necessary. One of the most effective ways to teach consistency in good hygiene is to set a good example as a parent by washing your hands, and brushing your teeth and hair in front of your child regularly.

What about Germs?

It's important to gently explain the idea of germs to your child, without scaring him. You want your child to feel free to make mud pies and pick up insects, without the fear of germs. “I teach the children that not all germs are bad, but that some germs can make us sick," says preschool teacher Shannon Johst. "I talk to them about how fast germs can spread, and that washing hands will keep them safe.” The key is to focus on what your child can do for his body to stay healthy rather than focusing solely on germs.

Make Teaching Hygiene Fun

Learning to take care of his body should be fun for your child and not a chore. Here are some ideas to be creative:

• Pretend to be a “germ detective” and use a magnifying glass to examine your child’s hands and teeth. Give him a “secret mission” to wash his hands or brush his teeth.
• Give your child a "buddy" to wash while he washes his hands, such as a rubber ducky, plastic figure or toy car. Ask if his buddy used soap, rather than asking your child about his own hands.
• Let your child pick out a special soap and toothpaste at the store that he'll use to wash his hands and body and to brush his teeth. There are many "cool" soaps out there, such as soaps in the shapes of animals and scented foam soaps. When your child is involved in the selection of products to use, he will feel that he has ownership of the hygiene process.
• Use a “puppet helper.” Have your child choose a puppet that will be a washing buddy in the bath or remind him to wash hands when he gets home. Talk in a funny voice with the puppet to differentiate the puppet from the parent. Being "helped" by a puppet and being nagged by a parent will get different results from your child.
• Teach your child how to bathe different body parts by using a favorite doll as an example in the bathtub.
• Keep a laminated “body check” chart in the bathroom to have your child check off what parts of the body he has taken care of that day; teeth, hair, arms, legs, hands.

Establishing good hygiene habits with your preschooler is the best defense against the germs that live everywhere in your child’s environment. Enjoy being creative with your child and setting good examples, and you'll be left with a clean, happy and healthy child

Block Play Constructs a Math Mind (ages 2-4)

Here is an interesting article on how playing with blocks develops math skills. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Block Play Constructs a Math Mind (ages 2-4)

Tips To Stop Your Preschooler From Interrupting

How to Stop Your Preschooler From Interrupting

Tips To Stop Your Preschooler From Interrupting

By Jennifer Margulis

Ask a parent what tries patience most in raising a preschooler and you'll find that being constantly interrupted tops the list. With a preschooler in the house, it's very difficult to have an adult conversation, talk on the phone, or even do a simple task like paying the bills without being interrupted.

But your child is not trying to annoy you or be rude. According to neuroscientist Lise Eliot, Ph.D., author of "What's Going on in There: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life," young children have very immature frontal lobes (and actually resemble adults with frontal-lobe brain damage!), which is the slowest part of a child's brain to develop.

This means that physiologically preschoolers have a poor understanding of time, a very short attention span, and a lack of self-control. Unlike adults, their short-term memory is underdeveloped and they might not be capable of holding onto a thought while waiting for an adult to finish what he is doing.

Does this mean you should allow a preschooler to interrupt? No. But it should help to know that as their frontal lobes develop and they gain social experience and maturity, children will interrupt much less frequently.

Tips to Get a Word in Edgewise

• It's Mommy's Turn: When your child starts to interrupt, stop him and say: "It's Mommy's turn to talk now. Then it will be your turn." While it's hard for preschoolers to understand interrupting, they're usually pretty good at turn taking and this technique will get them to let you finish your thought.
• Ignore the Interruption: For example, if someone asks you for directions and your child starts screaming from his car seat, trying to interrupt you, simply ignore it. The less attention he gets for interrupting, the less likely it is he'll do it.
• Plan Ahead: If you know you need a certain amount of time to make a phone call or balance the check book, give your preschooler an activity that will take the same amount of time. Have him listen to a book on tape, or do an easy craft project (one that doesn't need adult help) so you can have your 15 minutes of uninterrupted peace.
• Catch Him Doing Something Right: When your child waits patiently without interrupting, be sure to notice and praise him for it! We all like to be caught acting good.