What is Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day occurs on the fourteenth of February. Originally a Catholic saint’s day, Valentine’s Day evolved over the years. Today it’s a day devoted to love and romance. Every year, millions of people across the globe exchange Valentine’s Day cards, chocolates, and roses. Restaurants fill with couples old and young, and love, as they say, is in the air. The history of Valentine’s Day is both fascinating and sometimes frustratingly vague.
Every year the big stores stock up on cheap kids’ Valentine’s Day cards and gifts, all of which miss the point of the day. Valentine’s Day is about personal expressions of love. We’d rather get a uniquely personalized gift over a generic card any day (as you might easily guess given the nature of our website). With that in mind, here’s three Valentine’s Day craft ideas we’re sure you and your kids will love making.
Valentine’s Day offers so many ways to show how much you love your children—and plenty of opportunities to help kids show they love their friends and classmates. Hosting a Valentine’s Day party for kids is a fun way to commemorate the day. We’ve got a bunch of Valentine’s Day ideas for kids, whether you’re hosting your own party for little lovebugs, helping with a Valentine’s Day activity at school, or just showing your little ones
The science of imagination is more important than ever, given how a kid’s imagination now has to compete with the instant gratification of television, social media, and video games. While there’s nothing wrong with electronic entertainment in moderation, the psychological benefits of imagination are enormous. Role Playing and Learning Imaginative play involves role-playing, often in imitation of parents or teachers. Role-playing allows kids to explore their own experiences and practice “being grownup.” It’s a way
When a child opens a gift, you can almost always expect it to be mass-produced. The teddy bear she got for her birthday, her tricycle, and her clothes were all made by the thousands—if not millions. The importance of personalized gifts is that they aren’t “cookie cutter” gifts. A Unique Gift When you give a personalized game to a child, most children intuitively know they’re receiving something unique. The gift has their name or picture
Which side do you support in the battle of e-books vs. real books? For the first time in human history, we have a choice between two very different types of reading. E-books offer some advantages, but the benefits of real books can’t be ignored. Which is better for your child? E-Books vs. Real Books: The Science E-books are certainly increasing in popularity. Approximately 27 percent of Americans read an e-book in 2015, and younger students
Playing pretend with kids is a great opportunity to bond with children, but imaginative play offers many other benefits. Kid playtime offers opportunities for children to develop social skills, develop empathy, and practice their problem-solving abilities. Types of Pretend Play First off, let’s put an old myth to rest. Playing pretend does not make your child unable to distinguish fantasy or reality. In the rare cases where children do have difficulty making this distinction, the
The power of music has universal appeal. All cultures have some form of music, from the most advanced to those still using stone-age technology. Humanity only developed reading and writing about three thousand years ago, but we were singing and making music millennia beforehand—some of the earliest man-made items ever found were musical instruments. Music Effects on Children The power of music effects children in many ways. As any parent knows, a soft lullaby soothes
Reading should challenge a child to learn without becoming too frustrating. The child should encounter new vocabulary and grammatical constructions without being overwhelmed by them. Knowing how to interpret child reading level scores helps you choose reading material that’s appropriate for your child’s abilities. Child Reading Level Scores Most child reading level scores are expressed as numerical values. For instance, a child with a 5.1 score reads at the beginning of the fifth grade, a
Every kid has a favorite stuffed animal that helps the child feel safe and comfortable. Kids and stuffed animals are a natural pairing, and if you watch them closely, you’ll often see kids mirroring your behavior with their cuddly friends: dressing them, scolding them, and caring for them. Now it seems there’s another reason match up kids and stuffed animals—cuddly toys can help children learn to read. Kids and Stuffed Animal Library Sleepovers We’re not
