Shop UK Site 
Back in School: Creating a Homework Central Station
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Jul 27, 2017 | Social-Emotional Learning
This is a demo store. No orders will be fulfilled.
5 - 7 Years SEL
The Dos and Don'ts of Summer Camp
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Mar 16, 2017 | Social-Emotional Learning
The time is upon us. Before the leaves even bud on the trees, Mom and Dad need to decide how their children’s summer months will be spent. All day? Half day? Sleep away? Trying to navigate summer camp options can be unnerving. Take a few deep breaths and read the advice below.
The Dos
Do take your time to pour over the flyers and websites of different camps. Getting familiar with what’s out there is worth the effort. And it’s not just your local park district or private camps offering up options this summer. Check places of worship, your child’s school, local play spaces, libraries, or even museums for their seasonal offerings.Do be sure to find a camp that fits your child’s interests. Is your child more interested in the visual arts? Find a sculpting or painting camp. Does your child love building and experimenting? There are more STEM-based camp offerings than ever. There are also theater, dance, sports camps and more! Thankfully, there are plenty of specialized opportunities for your camper.Do familiarize yourself with the before- and after-care options of day camp. If camp is only offered from 9 a.m. to noon, what options do you have after camp is over? Some day camps even offer bus rides to and from camp.Do research payment terms. Writing a big check in January for camp can feel unsettling for an event that’s still six months away. Explore payment installment options, sibling discounts, or vacations rebates for the camp you’ve chosen.Do make sure you know the camp’s safety parameters. If the program you’ve selected includes a lake or pool option, find out if campers must pass a swimming test to go in. What is the ratio of campers to counselors? How often do campers stop to reapply sunscreen? When it comes to your child, there are no over-precautions.The Dont's
Don’t wait. While it’s daunting to decide in the cold months how your child will spend their summer, scrambling at the last minute feels much worse. Educate yourself on the options and cross it off your list.Don’t try to coordinate camp with your child’s friends, especially when they are in first grade or under. If their friends’ schedules work out, terrific. If it doesn’t, your child will toddle of to the camp and make new friends. Trying to synchronize calendars with their besties can be nearly impossible.Don’t spring a brand new activity or sport on your child for camp. Sure, a weeklong golf camp sounds awesome, but what if day one is a disaster? Stick to your child’s interests.Don’t schedule every second in the summer. As they say, its summertime and the livin’ is easy. Try not to forget that your child has worked hard all school year and deserves some downtime. If your work allows for summer hours on Fridays, make sure your child isn’t at camp at the same time. Searching for sticks and running through the sprinkler in the backyard is good old-fashioned fun your child has earned.Doing all of these things will help your little camper enjoy their summer months!
The Dos and Don'ts of Summer Camp
The time is upon us. Before the leaves even bud on the trees, Mom and Dad need to decide how their children’s summer months will be spent. All day? Half day? Sleep away? Trying to navigate summer camp options can be unnerving. Take a few deep breaths and read the advice below.
The Dos
Do take your time to pour over the flyers and websites of different camps. Getting familiar with what’s out there is worth the effort. And it’s not just your local park district or private camps offering up options this summer. Check places of worship, your child’s school, local play spaces, libraries, or even museums for their seasonal offerings.Do be sure to find a camp that fits your child’s interests. Is your child more interested in the visual arts? Find a sculpting or painting camp. Does your child love building and experimenting? There are more STEM-based camp offerings than ever. There are also theater, dance, sports camps and more! Thankfully, there are plenty of specialized opportunities for your camper.Do familiarize yourself with the before- and after-care options of day camp. If camp is only offered from 9 a.m. to noon, what options do you have after camp is over? Some day camps even offer bus rides to and from camp.Do research payment terms. Writing a big check in January for camp can feel unsettling for an event that’s still six months away. Explore payment installment options, sibling discounts, or vacations rebates for the camp you’ve chosen.Do make sure you know the camp’s safety parameters. If the program you’ve selected includes a lake or pool option, find out if campers must pass a swimming test to go in. What is the ratio of campers to counselors? How often do campers stop to reapply sunscreen? When it comes to your child, there are no over-precautions.The Dont's
Don’t wait. While it’s daunting to decide in the cold months how your child will spend their summer, scrambling at the last minute feels much worse. Educate yourself on the options and cross it off your list.Don’t try to coordinate camp with your child’s friends, especially when they are in first grade or under. If their friends’ schedules work out, terrific. If it doesn’t, your child will toddle of to the camp and make new friends. Trying to synchronize calendars with their besties can be nearly impossible.Don’t spring a brand new activity or sport on your child for camp. Sure, a weeklong golf camp sounds awesome, but what if day one is a disaster? Stick to your child’s interests.Don’t schedule every second in the summer. As they say, its summertime and the livin’ is easy. Try not to forget that your child has worked hard all school year and deserves some downtime. If your work allows for summer hours on Fridays, make sure your child isn’t at camp at the same time. Searching for sticks and running through the sprinkler in the backyard is good old-fashioned fun your child has earned.Doing all of these things will help your little camper enjoy their summer months! READ MORE
Activism for Kids
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Mar 16, 2017 | Social-Emotional Learning
Camping With Kids: A Springboard for Learning
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Mar 16, 2017 | Social-Emotional Learning
In the hustle of urban and suburban life, we can become very disconnected from the natural environment. Research says that nature is not just good for the soul, it’s important for the mind as well.
Here are just a few reasons to dust off the camping gear, pack up the car, and head into the wilderness for a few days with the kids.
Being outdoors changes the brain
Time outside camping gives us a boost of natural Vitamin D from sunlight. It also maximizes learning potential. In a 2012 study called “Creativity in the Wild”, researchers found that creativity and problem-solving increased in over half of the participants after just four days immersed in nature. Other studies have also found that spending time outdoors stimulates learning ability and improves psychological health.Quality screen-free time
Camping with kids maximizes family time and reduces screen time. With no tempting gadgets or electronics nearby, there is expansive time for kids to engage in creative, imaginative play. Unplugging from the digital world and from the scheduled life at home encourages rest, relaxation, fun and learning.A natural educator
Camping, by nature, allows families and kids to live closer to the land. This is an amazing opportunity for kids to encounter the basic stuff of life and science: dirt, insects, animals, the stars...The opportunities for discovery are endless. Kids will love identifying bugs, studying animal tracks, gathering flowers and plants, and learning about the Milky Way by looking up at the night sky. Time spent outdoors also helps kids develop a sense of respect for nature and a keener interest in taking care of it. Just beware of poison ivy.Gaining Crucial Life Skills
Camping offers the opportunity to teach kids basic survival skills in a fun and exciting way–like starting and putting out fires, setting up a tent, and helping make food outdoors. In trying out and mastering these new activities, children gain a boost of confidence while learning the importance of risk, responsibility and safe boundaries.
Ideas to expand the camping experience
While camping on its own is adventure enough, here are a few activities to enhance any outdoor experience:- Geocaching (https://www.geocaching.com/play): In a nutshell, it’s an outdoor, global treasure hunt. People have hidden ‘geocaches’ (small boxes, containers, etc.) in locations all over the world and have registered their GPS coordinates. Participants use a GPS-enabled device–an iOS or Android phone will do–to navigate their way to the hidden geocache. Numerous geocaching apps are available with user-friendly maps to explore what treasures might be hidden nearby. Sadly, no pirates will be found near the hidden treasure.
- Scavenger hunts: Send kids out on a quest to find a list of items around camp. Feathers, pinecones, rocks, beetles, leaves, shells and sticks are just a few examples. The list can be as long or as short as you want it to be and children will love the thrill of the hunt.
Learning is Where We Play:
Camping With Kids: A Springboard for Learning
READ MORE
In the hustle of urban and suburban life, we can become very disconnected from the natural environment. Research says that nature is not just good for the soul, it’s important for the mind as well.
Here are just a few reasons to dust off the camping gear, pack up the car, and head into the wilderness for a few days with the kids.
Being outdoors changes the brain
Time outside camping gives us a boost of natural Vitamin D from sunlight. It also maximizes learning potential. In a 2012 study called “Creativity in the Wild”, researchers found that creativity and problem-solving increased in over half of the participants after just four days immersed in nature. Other studies have also found that spending time outdoors stimulates learning ability and improves psychological health.Quality screen-free time
Camping with kids maximizes family time and reduces screen time. With no tempting gadgets or electronics nearby, there is expansive time for kids to engage in creative, imaginative play. Unplugging from the digital world and from the scheduled life at home encourages rest, relaxation, fun and learning.A natural educator
Camping, by nature, allows families and kids to live closer to the land. This is an amazing opportunity for kids to encounter the basic stuff of life and science: dirt, insects, animals, the stars...The opportunities for discovery are endless. Kids will love identifying bugs, studying animal tracks, gathering flowers and plants, and learning about the Milky Way by looking up at the night sky. Time spent outdoors also helps kids develop a sense of respect for nature and a keener interest in taking care of it. Just beware of poison ivy.Gaining Crucial Life Skills
Camping offers the opportunity to teach kids basic survival skills in a fun and exciting way–like starting and putting out fires, setting up a tent, and helping make food outdoors. In trying out and mastering these new activities, children gain a boost of confidence while learning the importance of risk, responsibility and safe boundaries.
Ideas to expand the camping experience
While camping on its own is adventure enough, here are a few activities to enhance any outdoor experience:- Geocaching (https://www.geocaching.com/play): In a nutshell, it’s an outdoor, global treasure hunt. People have hidden ‘geocaches’ (small boxes, containers, etc.) in locations all over the world and have registered their GPS coordinates. Participants use a GPS-enabled device–an iOS or Android phone will do–to navigate their way to the hidden geocache. Numerous geocaching apps are available with user-friendly maps to explore what treasures might be hidden nearby. Sadly, no pirates will be found near the hidden treasure.
- Scavenger hunts: Send kids out on a quest to find a list of items around camp. Feathers, pinecones, rocks, beetles, leaves, shells and sticks are just a few examples. The list can be as long or as short as you want it to be and children will love the thrill of the hunt.
Learning is Where We Play:
7 Ways to Make the Most of a Sick Day
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Jan 16, 2017 | Social-Emotional Learning
6 Quick Tips to Jump Start Back To School
- Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Aug 15, 2016 | Social-Emotional Learning
