Today, the children followed the very hungry caterpillar on an adventure & learnt the names of different fruits! We also learnt the proper way of using a knife…equipping our little ones with the first of many life skills! 今天小朋友们透过«饥饿的毛毛虫»故事，学习到各种水果的名称，也学会了正确用刀的方式。这可是掌握生活技能的第一步哦！
Our first class in China! Read More »
Creativity. It’s gaining traction with most parents these days, that creativity is not an innate talent, but something that can be fostered.
Many researchers believe we have fundamentally changed the experience of childhood in such a way that impairs creative development, and this is made worse by all the toys and entertainment companies that feed children with pre-fab characters and ideas.
So here are some ideas for fostering creativity in your kids, adapted from an article by Dr Christine Carter from Berkely University on Raising Happiness:
7 ways to foster creativity Read More »
Recent studies examining creativity have surprised researchers. The researchers began with the assumption that the kids recommended by their art teachers as most creative would be the “artist types” — offbeat, disorganized kids who performed more poorly in other classes at school. They were wrong.
High School art teachers named as most creative the same kids who excelled at getting their work done in other classes. These kids exhibited concentration during demonstrations of technique, the competence to plan their projects, the optimism to take the risk of a more difficult or original idea, and the perseverance to put in the extra time required to do a thorough job completing the project. While this does not speak to talent, it highlights the point that putting creativity to use in the world requires the same qualities of competence addressed elsewhere on this site. It also implies that the same parenting that helps kids become emotionally healthy encourages creativity.
And here are more reasons why creativity is important, and how we can help children achieve it.
Whether it’s because they’re afraid to get their hands dirty, or because they can’t leave their art supplies visible and easily accessible, or because they live by too many rules and don’t think outside the box, kids who live in households with a focus on neatness are rated as less creative. As Ms. Frizzle of the Magic Schoolbus says, “Take Chances! Get Messy!”
Babies should learn NO about safety issues, like the stove. But otherwise, you want her to see the world as full of possibilities. Why NOT let your baby empty the bookcase, or the kitchen cabinet? Why shouldn’t she “paint” the patio with a paintbrush and a pail of water?
When kids do art to solicit positive comments from adults, sometimes they can’t wait to finish another picture. Obviously, it isn’t how many pictures they produce, it’s how engaged they are in the process. If you affirm how hard they’re working on that picture, they don’t have to rush through it to the next one for your approval.
Inventive, original kids are often seen as different by other kids. A little wacky, perhaps, or just plain odd. Make it okay for your child to be out of step with the norms of her peer group, to be unique, to see the world through her own glasses. To develop her individuality, she needs your support against the pressures of popular culture.
You’ll probably have to start by confronting your own fears about her not being “popular.” Don’t worry, at the high school reunion, it’s commonplace to find that the nerd has become a self-made millionaire, and that odd, silent girl is now a famous novelist.
Let toddlers experiment with manageable messes that they help clean up. Examples: water on the kitchen floor, bubbles on the porch, watercolors or chalk on the sidewalk (just get out the hose), food coloring in an unbreakable bowl with almost anything (snow, whipped cream, cornstarch or water). My daughter at age four loved breaking eggs to see what was inside; we occasionally let her smash them into a bowl.
Establish a place for art supplies early on, that is both easily accessible and neat. It should include drawers or bins for washable markers, paper, clay, and anything else you feel comfortable adding as your children get older (beads, collage materials, stamps and inkpads, etc.) I don’t suppose I need to say this, but coloring books don’t exactly foster creativity, plain paper is infinitely better. Blocks, with their infinite possibilities, generally offer more creative play opportunities than more sophisticated building materials. Many four year olds can build with blocks for hours every day; it helps develop mathematical, spatial and problem-solving abilities.
Parents often respond to kids’ boredom by providing structured activities or technological entertainment. But unstructured time challenges kids to engage with themselves and the world, to imagine and invent and create. Kids need practice with unstructured time, or they will never learn to manage it.
Even more important, children need empty time to explore their inner and outer worlds, which is the beginning of creativity. So how to respond when kids complain that they’re bored? Help them brainstorm about possible activities, but make it clear that it’s their job to figure out how to enjoy their own time.
Why is creativity important Read More »
We know how important it is for children to build their fine motor skills. Here are 8 fun ideas for activities that can help them to develop these skills.
Play-dough has been a childhood favorite for decades. Not only is it downright fun, but handling play-dough also develops some important skills. Squeezing and stretching it helps strengthen finger muscles, and touching it is a valuable sensory experience.
Using finger paint can strengthen your child’s hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. All you need is an easel or a thick piece of paper, some finger paints and a space—like the yard or garage—where your child can get messy.
Set up two separate bowls, one filled with water and the other empty. Give your child a sponge and have her soak it in one bowl. Then have her squeeze the water out of the sponge into the other bowl. She can transfer water back and forth between bowls, too. This simple game can strengthen hands and forearms. It’s especially fun if you throw in some bubbles or some food dye
Difficulties with fine motor skills can make it tough to grip a pencil. Coloring with small, broken crayons encourages your child to hold the crayon correctly—between her thumb and forefinger. Small pieces of chalk and the pencils used on mini-golf courses work well, too. No matter what you use, this activity a fun way to challenge your child.
Paper dolls have been around for generations, and kids still love them. By cutting and folding tabs, your child can strengthen important hand muscles. Start by cutting out larger dolls and outfits, and move to smaller pieces over time. Paper dolls can appeal to boys as well as girls—just look for characters that interest your child.
Another low-tech activity that can provide hours of fun is string games. String games help improve finger strength and hand-eye coordination. All you need is some yarn and a little time to teach your child.
Stringing together necklaces is a great way for your child to be creative while working on her hand-eye coordination and developing her ability to manipulate objects. To start, give her thick string and big beads or large pieces of dry pasta. Over time, she can work on more complex designs using smaller pieces.
7 Fun Ways to Build Fine Motor Skills Read More »
In some of our classes, we introduced the skills of handling, rolling and cutting dough. It is certainly no easy task for our 3-5 years old, as their fine motor skills are still being developed.
Fine motor movements involve the coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers. Strong fine motor skills are essential to complete tasks such as writing, cutting, using a fork or spoon, threading beads, moving puzzle pieces, zipping, buttoning, and tying shoe laces. Without well-developed fine motor skills, a child may have difficulty learning to write or performing many of the other critical tasks presented in the preschool and kindergarten classrooms.
Thought it will be interesting to share on the milestones for the 3-5 years old, which was adapted from this website.
Between the ages of 3-4 years, your child will:
Between the ages of 4-5 years, your child will:
Importance of Fine Motor Development Read More »
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