Hippo Herald

I am proud to announce our newest site in the KnowMore family. It’s called My Baby Travel Gear.com and has everything that you need to keep your baby safe and happy while on the road. From carseats, diapers bags, strollers, or carriers- we have all the coolest gear in one place.

Toddlers love mixing things and helping in the kitchen, so try baking a batch of cookies or a loaf of bread for good wholesome fun.

Older kids are coordinated enough to really try their hand at arts and crafts, so try some simple projects together. You can create pasta necklaces, paint pictures and other simple crafts.

If you need to entertain a preschooler for a few hours, pop in their favorite cartoon or children’s movie. You are guaranteed at least 2 hours of uninterrupted fun. I prefer educational shows and DVD’s so they can learn while watching TV.

He should be old enough to start learning the basic rules of some preschool board games like Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. Sit down with him and learn how to play together, and remember that many preschoolers are notoriously poor losers.

There is a lot of debate around the sandbox about the right time to enroll a child in preschool. Some argue that it really isn’t necessary at all, while others think that the sooner they can get their kids into a formal program the better. I am on the fence about it, and really think that it depends on the child and the situation. If you are able to cover the necessary topics at home, then all the better. If you don’t think that you can do it alone, then by all means look for a preschool. The key is to make sure that your child gets a good start to their education.

Here are a list of topics that should be taught before your child enters Kindergarden:

Academic Skills

* Say the alphabet
* Recognize own name, and letters in name
* Recognize as many letters as possible (A-Z)
* Count to 10
* Recognize numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
* Count items
* Name the basic colors (blue, red, yellow, purple, green, orange, white, brown, black)

Physical Skills

* Care for personal needs (Use restroom, wash hands, fasten clothes, wipe nose, etc.)
* Catch item tossed underhand
* Walk up and down stairs
* Use pencils and crayons
* Use scissors & glue stick
* Stack blocks
* Put toys and class items where they belong

Social Skills (These are always a work in progress!)

* Shares and takes turns
* Sits quietly and listens in group setting
* Follows directions
* Demonstrates good manners while eating
* Respects other students and adults
* Respects other’s belongings and class items
* Expresses thoughts and feelings clearly

Reading.

Depending on your local school system, children now begin reading in either Preschool or Kindergarten. It is very important that your child be familiar with the letters of the alphabet and if possible, even the sounds each one makes. Knowing the letters will make the transition to reading much easier.

Throughout the early school years, teachers will often remind you how important it is to read to your children every day. You can make it a special time by letting the child choose the book to be read, and ask them questions about the story as you go - this will also help them develop good comprehension skills, which are needed throughout life.

Your preschooler is busy learning how the world works, which is why pretend play is crucial to his development. Puppet shows, pretend grocery trips and playing house are all fun ways to help him learn about the world around him. Create the crafts and props for pretend play, for even more fun.

Let him explore his creativity by giving him a few basic ingredients in which to create works of art. If he still likes to explore with his mouth, offer up pudding as finger paints or other edible art supplies.

There a ton of things that you can do with water to entertain this age group. You can add some food coloring to the bath to create themed tub time, or offer up a water table with some measuring spoons and cups for some good clean fun.

Toy boredom is sure to set in with any child, so stash some of his toys in a closet and switch them out ever so often so that he has something new and exciting to play with. You can keep some of his Christmas or birthday presents in storage as well, and then open them up throughout the year to keep him entertained.