Encouraging Creativity with Children
Make a rocket out of cardboard boxes
What parent doesn’t want their children to be successful? My kids are going to be the best (fill-in-the-blank-here) and I’m going to ensure it by feeding their creativity. Creativity you say? What about their IQ? Well, according to a recent Newsweek article, the correlation to lifetime creative accomplishment is more than three times stronger for childhood creativity than childhood IQ. Unfortunately, American creativity scores are dropping so it’s important now more than ever to nurture our children’s creativity.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you can throw those textbooks out the window. We all know that IQ is still very important. But it’s critical to keep our children thinking creatively. By exposing our children to many experiences and taking a step back, we encourage their little minds to come up with some very interesting ideas.
1. Art supplies – the traditional art supplies are great (crayons, chalk, scissors, glitter, paint, etc.) but don’t discount unusual items that they can use to create their masterpiece like old magazines, yarn, buttons, pipe cleaners, fabric scraps, egg cartons, paper towel rolls, and more. When your child finishes their artwork, resist the temptation to talk about what you think it is. Ask them to tell you about it.
2. Music – there is plenty of fun kids’ music at your local library that you can borrow or download some great music on iTunes. Have your kids make up new lyrics to a favorite song. Make your own music with toy instruments or even real instruments from a second hand shop or from Craigslist. Take them to a free outdoor concert or simply crank up the radio.
3. What If - ask your child “What if” questions to see what they think about things like ”What if the dog could talk? What would she say?” or “What do you think it would be like if we lived on a boat?” Continue asking open-ended questions to expand their ideas.
4. Books – reading to your children (or having them read to you) is always good. You can take it a step further by asking them how they would change the ending to a book. Or even have them make a book of their own.
5. Photography – if you have an old camera that you no longer use, put it in the hands of your kids and see the world through their eyes. Digital cameras work best since you don’t have the expense of developing full rolls of film. Go through the pictures and have your child pick out their favorites and start a photo collage or photo album.
6. Drama – is your little one a drama queen? See if there is a local theater club for kids in your neighborhood and help her build her acting talent and her self confidence. No drama clubs available? Get the kids together and host a neighborhood play of their own. You can free kids scripts online from Whootie Owl or Kidsinco. Better yet – have the kids write their own script.
7. Pretend Play – never miss an opportunity to head to the “Land of Make Believe”. That refrigerator box could be turned into a rocket ship or a fairy castle. Those old hats and scarves that you were going to donate to Goodwill could be saved in a trunk and used for dress up games.
There are so many things that we can do as parents to set the stage for our kids’ creative young minds. Share your ideas! What are you doing to nurture the creativity within your child?
Enjoy!
Tara
KidZui Mom
Celebrate National Ice Cream Day (and Month)
Celebrate National Ice Cream Month with your kids
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!
Shakes, malts, sundaes, banana splits, and just a simple scoop of ice cream will make kids (and kids at heart) smile. Apparently Ronald Regan was a big fan of ice cream because in 1984 he designated July National Ice Cream Month. And if that wasn’t enough, he also designated the third Sunday (naturally) in July National Ice Cream Day.
We don’t want to let Ronnie down, do we? Let’s bust out those spoons and straws and teach our kids to honor these very important dates. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Make your own homemade ice cream in a bag – no ice cream maker required! Check out this fun ice cream recipe from our friends at Kaboose.
- Discover new Ben & Jerry’s flavors with their free iPhone app, Scoop of Happiness. You can also find the nearest scoop shop, rate your favorite flavors, and play around with their augmented reality app.
- Get free ice cream from the Cold Stone Creamery or Baskin Robbins when you join their birthday clubs.
- Tired of the classic hot fudge sundae? Check out Serving Ice Cream for a ton of great ice cream topping ideas. Or get inspired with 150 sundae recipes in A Month of Sundaes book.
- Feeling creative? Record a Happy Birthday video for Dairy Queen’s Blizzard and enter to win a $250 gift card. Now that’s a lot of Blizzards. Deadline to enter is August 1, 2010 so get movin’.
I have to say that I’m partial to Ben and Jerry’s Everything but the Twisted. And I do occasionally enjoy plain vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce as a trip down memory lane with my late Grandpa Bill. But life is too short to stick with the same ice cream and I’m looking to branch out. What are your faves?
Enjoy!
Tara
KidZui Mom
Top 10 Roadtrip Boredom Busters for Kids & Parents
Snap digital pictures on a photo scavenger hunt.
Road trips can memorable and fun for everyone if you are prepared with some games to keep boredom at bay. Keep your kids entertained (and yourself awake) when you hit the road with these top ten ideas.
Photo Scavenger Hunt
Do you have an older digital camera that you no longer use? Put it in the hands of your little ones along with a scavenger hunt list and have them shoot away.
Car Bingo
Print up some car bingo cards from our friends at MomsMinivan.com.
Classic Favorites
Use a whiteboard marker to play tic-tac-toe or hangman on the window in the backseat. Just erase with a soft cloth to start a new game.
Unleash their Creativity
Pack a shoebox or clear plastic bin with washable markers, colored pencils, small activity books, and unlined notepads. Have your kids draw the cows on the side of the road or the mountains they see in the distance.
Alphabet Game
Have the kids find each letter of the alphabet on a road sign, license plate, or vehicle. Once a player calls a letter, no one else can use that item. For example, if someone spots the letter “O” on the a stop sign, the next person can’t use the “P” on that same sign.
Map It
Before you head out, have your child help you print your roadtrip map on a site like GoogleMaps or MapQuest. Have them highlight the map as you hit each major milestone so they can tell YOU if you’re “there yet”.
Alphabet Picnic
Each person takes a turn and says what they are going to bring to “the picnic”. For example, the first person says “I’m going to a picnic and I’m bringing an apple.” The next person says, “I’m going to a picnic and I’m bringing and apple and a burger.” Each person takes their turn, repeating the entire list until you get through the alphabet.
Audio Books
Visit your local library and checkout some audio book CDs that everyone can listen to in the car. Short on time? Download audio books from iTunes or audible.com instantly. Checkout this list of great audio books for your roadtrip.
Group Storytelling
Someone starts a story with a few sentences and then points to someone else to continue the story. For an added challenge, give everyone a time limit (like 20 seconds) to keep the pace moving. The crazier the better.
Name That Tune
Give each person their very own Kazoo and have them “play” a song for the rest of the car to guess.
Are you heading on a roadtrip this summer with your family? Share your ideas and let me know what you plan to do with your kids to have a blast.
Enjoy!
Tara
KidZui Mom
10 Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Read this Summer
Keep kids reading this summer
Growing up, my family didn’t have much money (okay, we were flat broke) but my parents ALWAYS made books a priority. The weekly trips to our library brought as much excitement for my brothers and I as a day at the zoo or beach.
But not all kids are thrilled about reading and now that Summer is upon us it’s critical that we keep our children reading. In fact, Education Secretary Arne Duncan says the “summer slide”, which is the decline in academic skills experienced by many children over the summer, can set kids’ reading skills back by up to three months when they return in the Fall.
Not sure what to do? Here are ten fun ideas that you can use to get (or keep) your kids excited about reading this summer (and hopefully throughout their lives).
1. What are they interested in? My son LOVES dinosaurs and it’s no coincidence that his bookshelf includes Danny and the Dinosaur, Dinosaurs Love Underpants, Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime, and many, many more. My teenage daughter is rather eclectic so her room is full of Shakespeare, Surf magazines, and Nicholas Sparks. Find books, magazines, or even comics that feature what your kids are into and keep them coming.
2. Lead by example. If my kids see me turn off the TV and pickup a book, they are more likely to do the same.
3. Make the library an adventure! The library really is a wonderful place to explore. You never know what you will bring home! And best of all, it’s FREE. Plus the majority of libraries have age-specific story hours. Find your closest public library and check it out! (No pun intended.)
4. Read to your child. My husband and I started reading to our son every night as part of his bedtime routine when he was only one month old. Admittedly, we felt rather silly at the time but we looked forward to it and our little guy definitely loves his books now (two and half years later). You can also read to your older kids, especially those who are discouraged by their own reading skills.
5. Ease the pressure. Is your child struggling with reading? Have them read to a dog. Yes, that’s right, a dog. Intermountain Therapy Animals have found that kids are inclined to forget about their reading limitations if they read to a less-intimidating dog than to parents, friends, or teachers. So if your child is struggling, have them sit down and read to Fido on a regular basis.
6. Make reading a game. Not all reading is done in books or magazines. What about spotting signs when driving to the beach or community pool? Or asking them to help you find a specific item on a menu when at a restaurant?
7. Go to the theatre. So many plays and movies have been based on children’s books. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a very popular holiday play here in San Diego. Some great family movies that were based on books are Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and of course the beloved Harry Potter series. Read the books with your child before seeing the play or movie and then talk about it afterwards. Which was better? How were they different? Were the characters what you expected?
8. Get online. Yes, I said it! Kids are on the Internet a LOT and this is a wonderful opportunity to expand their reading. There are many kids online games that are geared for reading.
9. Research your next family vacation destination. Are you going on a roadtrip this summer? Let your kids help plan your vacation by flipping through travel books or searching for fun roadside stops along the way.
10. Spice it up! Cooking is a great way for kids to practice reading and comprehension. Have them flip through a cookbook and let them pick out a few recipes to make together this summer. It’s amazing how this has helped my teenage daughter with her reading comprehension skills. Her idea of baking cookies was to open a package of cookie dough. Once I had her bake cookies from scratch, she was hooked. It took a few trial and errors but once she learned to actually READ the recipe her cookies were wonderful.
I hope you have found some inspiration in these ideas and I would love to hear about your success stories! How have you instilled a love of reading with your children?
Enjoy!
Tara
KidZui Mom
Get Outside and Play
Get your kids outside to play
I have to admit that I sometimes have a hard time pulling my kids away from the TV or the Internet. My husband and I try to strike a balance between the “connected” world and the “real” world for ourselves as well as our kids. But it’s not always easy.
A recent BusinessWeek article reports that by the time most U.S. children enter kindergarten, they have spent more than 5,000 hours in front of a television. Wow – I’m sure the folks at Nickelodeon love those stats but how are we as parents supposed to combat that? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids get at least 60 minutes of daily exercise to improve physical and mental health.
Okay, great! So tell the kids to go play outside, right? I’m sure you’ll agree that this tactic doesn’t work so well. So here are a few ideas to get you and your kiddies moving this summer. And then you can get on the Internet and play games with your kids. :-)
Adventure Walks
Kids love to run, jump, skip, and climb and will do that more often outdoors. Let them explore and go at their own pace. Make it a nature hike by scouting out different leaves or flowers, textures or smells. Head to the beach in search of special shells and rocks. Go to the park and roll down the hillside.
Playgrounds & Parks
Of course kids love playgrounds but they can become a bit stale if you’re hitting the same park every day. Change it up by bringing a soccer ball to kick or a frisbee to throw to each other. Our son loves to chase down balloon rockets. He had such a tomato face last weekend that we had to make him stop playing to take a drink and cool down.
Community Centers
Check out your local community center to see what types of kids classes are available. We just enrolled our son in soccer (yes, that’s my little guy in the picture) and he absolutely LOVES it. Sure, his class is only 40 minutes once a week but it has sparked his interest enough that he wants to play on his own, too. There are so many classes to choose from that you are sure to find something to fit your child’s interests.
Exercise Together
Kids learn by example and the best way for kids to learn to enjoy exercise is with you. Try and set a “date” for your family to do something together at least once a week. Go swimming at the local pool, ride bikes in the canyon, play flashlight tag in the backyard, or go ice skating. The key is to do something active together as a family. We are trying to resurrect our nightly walks after dinner. I’d be thrilled with twice a week!
Ignore the Weather
Rain, rain go away, come again another day! Or…get outside and splash and play. Who says you have to stay indoors when the weather isn’t perfect? Get outside and start singin’ in the rain. Kids love to splash in puddles – why not make it their mission on a rainy day to find as many puddles as possible?
Kickin’ it Old School
Don’t discount the good old games that we used to play as kids like tag, hopscotch, jump rope, and kick ball. These are great exercise and still a ton of fun. Plus, it requires very little investment (if any).
So tell me! What are you doing with your kids to keep them active this summer? Please share your tips!
Enjoy!
Tara
KidZui Mom
Internet Safety Tips for Kids and Parents
Teach kids about Internet safety
No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks….ahhhh summer! Are you dreading summer break as much as I am?
I have to admit that I’m trying to ensure my kids are VERY BUSY this summer but inevitably there will be down time that will be filled with the Internet. With my two year old, I have some control over what he does with his free time. With my teenage daughter…zip, zero, zilch.
In either case, I try to ensure my kids are aware of the Internet dangers and help them understand how they can protect themselves online. Of course, while my two year old is a little more receptive to these best practices, he has absolutely no idea what I am saying. In the meantime, I’m thankful that we have KidZui to keep him safe while he has fun on the Internet.
Since June is Internet Safety Month, I’ve compiled the top ten tips to protecting your kids on the Internet. If all else fails, change the password on your wireless router on unplug the PC. :-)
Internet Safety Tips
- Pay attention to what your kids are doing on the Internet. You don’t need to hover when they are online but it’s a great idea to keep computers in a common area rather in their bedrooms. That way kids know that there is potential for you to see what they are doing.
- If your kids are old enough for Facebook or MySpace, create an account of your own and friend them so you can occasionally pop in and see what they are up to and who they are talking with. I’ve learned NOT to comment on my daughter’s Facebook page (OMG major embarrassment). But when if I do discover something inappropriate, I bring it up in casual conversation.
- Establish limits with your kids before they get online. We all know how quickly time flies when we’re absorbed in Facebook or catching up on emails. The same holds true for our kids when they are playing kids online games or watching silly kids videos. Determine how much time they can spend on the computer before they jump on that keyboard.
- Explain to your children that while there are many, many nice people in the world there are a few bad apples who don’t have the best of intentions. They should never chat or email with people that they don’t know personally.
- Teach them to protect their privacy. Explain that they wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and give them a photo with their age, name, and address. Remind them to not do the same on the Internet.
- Teach kids to protect the family too. Going on a family vacation for a week? Remind your kids that it’s not a great idea to announce their pre-travel plans but they can share some fabulous memories once you return. I’ve actually seen way too many adults do this and it just opens you up for potential misfortune.
- Keep your passwords protected and never share them with friends. I hate to say it but their BFF today could be their worst nightmare tomorrow.
- Tell your kids that they should let you know if they come across anything strange on the Internet. Using .com instead of .gov when visiting the White House website is a common error. Let kids know that they would not get into trouble for these kinds of mistakes but they should understand what to do if they come across a site that makes them uncomfortable.
- Disney’s Phineas and Ferb video explains some safety rules for younger kids in a format they can appreciate.
- Sweety High has some great video shorts for teens:
Are you concerned about your kids online? What steps are you taking to protect your children and ensure they enjoy the best of the Internet?
Enjoy!
Tara
KidZui Mom
Need a Minute for Dinner & Laundry?
Here at KidZui, we’re parents too. So, we thought it would be nice if we shared a few tips and tricks for the kids when your hands, arms, feet and toes are tied.
Dinner’s got you in a scramble?
- Before you start dinner grab an extra tomato, bell pepper or pickle and have the kids pick out the seeds while counting. After dinner you can plant the seeds together and watch if they grow overtime.
- Play restaurant: you’re the chef and they’re the host. Kids will love to make dinner menus, set the table and maybe even help with the dishes.
- Big kids: spend time in the kitchen together. Cooking with your kids improves coordination through stirring, measuring and adds a valuable sense of pride “I helped with dinner!”
KidZui has tons of kid-friendly recipes for the whole family. Have the kids search a new recipe or healthy food to try each week. When kids pick out foods, they’re more willing to try new meals.
Laundry day blues?
- Grab a lint roller and start a game of lint grabbing. Show your kids how to use the sticky roll of tape to make lint balls disappear off clothes. Kids love this sticky game and will soon start lint rolling everything from sweaters to the cat.
- Ride the laundry bin “school bus”. You’re the driver and they’re the passenger, your little one can make laundry drop offs at each bedroom.
- Big kids: start doing laundry together. Soon your older kids can begin washing their own clothes for allowance. Teaching your kids money management through allowance can be a good idea.
KidZui has dozens of money counting, measurement and educational games all organized in Homework Helper. KidZui Homework Helper is for kids kindergarten through eighth grade and comes with paid Membership.
All content here, including advice should be considered as opinion only.
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