Corn painting

Need something to do with your leftover corn decorations now that the holiday is over?  Have the kids paint with it.  Just paint the cob and roll it across a piece of paper.  Kids can get creative and use many colors.  Don't worry about getting messy- just have fun.

Safety tips for Halloween fun

Halloween is coming and kids will be out and about in search of treats.  It's important to keep safety in mind while trick or treating with the kids.  Here are a few tips to help keep everyone safe while having fun trick or treating:

 Have each child carry or wear something lit, such as a flashlight, glow bracelet or necklace, or flashing attire for visibility. Light-up shoes are also practical, and ever-so-noticeable on a dark Halloween night.
 Adults should plan out a route in advance and check it during the daylight for such obstacles as broken sidewalks (or no sidewalks), construction timber, or other obstacles that could trip up trick or treaters. Trick or treat in familiar neighborhoods or areas.
 Require well-fitting shoes to be worn, preferably sneakers. While adorable in the store as a costume accessory, children planning to go trick or treat should wear sturdy shoes and not the princess high-heel, too large boots, or other types of shoes often shown with costumes. Save those types of shoes for costume parties and not when a child is going trick or treat. Their feet - and most likely you who may end up carrying either the shoes or the child - will be thankful.
 Avoid costumes that drag on the ground. While cute initially, costumes that drag can trip up little feet, get caught on bushes, and create a tussle that sometimes results in the child wanting to remove the costume. Remember, children who trick and treat want to be costumed, and comfortable.
 With the thought of comfort, pick costumes that are bathroom-friendly as well. On this same
subject, parents should pre-plan a bathroom stop along the way (a friends' house will do and is a good time for a water break as well), or at a public facility if driving.
 Be sure a child's mask allows full visibility and breathing. Spiderman masks, for example, sometimes only have small eye slits and nothing for the nose or mouth. Parents should try on masks for size and not hesitate to cut out larger openings for a trick or treaters comfort. If possible, find a mask that "breathes" and is easy to put on and off. The types of mask that easily can slide up on the head and then pulled down are best.
 Trick or treaters should walk, not run, and should never cut across lawns or driveways. Obstacles could exist that aren't readily visible in the evening.
 Only carry flexible props, such as knives, swords, ninja items, etc., that can't cause injury if a child accidentally falls. No play prop should resemble the real item; and consider leaving play weapons at home and not part of trick or treat night. Remember, some individuals are offended by seeing small children carry these items; and trick or treating should be a fun and positive experience for everyone.
 Only trick or treat at houses that are lit. Residents who do not wish to be bothered by trick or treaters often leave off their lights as a sign; respect their preference by only going to houses that are lit.
 Think "practical" over "cute" when picking a trick or treat goody bag or container. Some of seemingly-fun ones sold in stores are heavy - before any treats are added; others are too long and will drag the ground or have sharp edges that could scrape against tender skin. One of the best and simplest suggestions is have children utilize a backpack to keep their hands free except for perhaps a flashlight.

Car roll painting

Here's a fun idea that kids will love- especially boys!  Use cars to roll a picture.  Simply roll the tires through paint and let the kids roll them on paper.  Use different cars and different color paints to make really cool designs.

Sensory Friendly Theatre?

How many times have you wanted to take your child with sensory difficulties to a theater production but nixed the idea out of fear of his/her response?  The Fulton Theatre in Lancaster PA has a wonderful program with events throughout the year to accommodate your child's needs, check it out here...

The Fulton Theatre's Sensory Friendly Programs

Try investigation into your community's offerings if you live outside our area, print and take the ideas to your favorite theatre!

New ways to use shapes from a shape sorter

Try pairing them with the same colored paints for printing...

Or try using them as stencils to trace around. Sort them by color, then by shape, see if your child can work out the differences in attribute. What other ways can you come up with?

Make Apple sauce

Make your own applesauce.  Have your kids peel the apples first then grate the apples to make applesauce.  Kids love to help, and it is a great upper extremity coordination activity.  Helping make food is a great task for children of all ages. Little children can help stir and pour.  Older children should read the recipes and attempt to follow it.  Kids love to eat what they make, so it is a great way to help picky children expand their food repertoire.

Back To School

It is back to school time and most parents are breathing a sigh of relief. Kids are anxious and excited; some may be scared of what is to come.  Back to school prep included getting supplies and backpacks, and new school clothes and shoes.  Kids are all ready to go- right?  But, let's not forget another important aspect of school prep- getting back into the school sleep routine.  We all know how we feel when we don't get enough sleep, or don't have a good night's sleep.  We tend to be tired, cranky and have difficulty functioning throughout the day.  Our caffeine consumption increases just to get us through the day.  We need to remember that poor, or lack of, sleep also affects our children and we should be working with our kids to ensure that they get the proper amount of sleep for maximal functioning.  It is our jobs as parents.  

So, how much sleep do our children need?  Research varies, but average amounts recommended are:
For children 3-5 years old- 11-13 hours (including a nap if they are still napping)
For children 5-12 years old- 10-11 hours per night.

It is imperative that children get their sleep in order to function at their highest level throughout the school day.  Lack of quality sleep, or lack of enough sleep, can lead to mood disturbances (we have all been on the receiving end of a temper tantrum from a tired child), behavioral problems, and cognitive problems.  All of these can affect school functioning.

So, what do you do to ensure that your child gets enough sleep?  Here are a few suggestions:
1- Maintain a bed time routine and schedule.  Be consistent with this schedule and bed time.  Most children are aware that they are tired, but don't want to go to bed at bedtime.  They will whine and beg for more time before having to go to bed.  Stand firm and the bedtime schedule will become easier.  Children learn when they are able to budge parents so if you are consistent, eventually your child will realize you mean business and bedtime will become easier.
2- Get their bedroom sleep-ready.  Turn down, or off, the lights.  Shut the blinds and decrease or eliminate noise.
3- Have your child start to calm down at least 45 minutes prior to bedtime.  Taking a child from running outside with friends, to bed, is going to prove to be an impossible task.  Calm your child before attempting bed time.
4- Stop all stimulating toys and activities at least 45 minutes prior to bedtime.  By stimulating I am referring to video games and some tv shows.  Older kids can lie in bed to read for a few minutes prior to falling asleep, if that helps.

Once a bedtime routine is set and your child is getting the sleep he/she needs, you should see a marked improvement in his/her moods, behaviors and in his/her school work.  Give it a try.