Elementary Education News » Summer Education

Tips to Run a Successful Playgroup by Stacey Kannenberg

El Ed Mom — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:00:01 +0000

Set up an environment where it is easy to have fun: the pool, the beach, the playground, or a big backyard or playroom full of fun things to do.
Structure it for parents and kids to both have fun. Depending on the size, pitch in for extra help to be there to keep an eye on the kids and allow the parents to socialize with the playgroup parents, to have a break, too.
Create a network for the parents and the kids. Invite families that could become life long friends or will be in your school district to move from close toddler network to the school PTA/PTO.
Have playgroup activities planned: field trip to the children’s museum, zoo, apple orchard or pumpkin farm; holiday theme parties to celebrate them all: Easter egg hunt, cookie exchange at Christmas, trick and treat parade at Halloween, and a birthday party with name exchange once a year to celebrate everyone’s birthday!
Know the personalities and group dynamics to keep conflict to a minimum among both parents and kids. Have rules: we must respect each other, be polite, and treat others as we want to be treated. And if you can’t do that and are having a bad day, it’s time to leave early.
Have a set time: such as 9-11 a.m. on a certain day of the week or once a month or every two weeks. Short intervals are always best.
Alternate locations and have each parent bring something to pass: muffins, juice, fruit, veggies, etc.
Invite people from your community to join but keep it to a manageable number. If you don’t know people and are new to the area. Set a time and date and invite people your children meet at the local playground or church. Have a conversation with the parent and watch how the kids play to determine if you want to invite them to your house to start your own circle of friends for yourself and child.

Remember if you want your child to be successful in school, it helps to build that social network for them starting when they are toddlers!

Smiles – Stacey

Stacey Kannenberg, Fredonia, WI
“Get Ready To Learn Mom”

Learning Moments for Kids in Cars from TravelingMom.com

El Ed Mom — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:16:41 +0000

Traveling with kids and keeping them adequately entertained can be a challenge. Since my kids were little, we’ve had two bins wedged between their seats in the mini-van. One held all those little gizmos you get in happy meals as well as crayons and paper for early artistic endeavors. The other held books so we all could enjoy some quiet time. My favorites to include were those little board books – nice and sturdy, easy enough for small hands to handle, and resistant to the juice box spills that occurred frequently.

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Three Simple Steps for Adding Spanish to Your Summer Fun from Boca Beth

El Ed Mom — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:00:29 +0000

The summer is upon us all! In this article you will discover three simple steps you can take immediately with your family to start some Spanish fun learning. Bilingual Educator and recording artist Beth Butler sheds a realistic light on the sometimes overwhelming task of raising bilingual children.

Forget the worksheets for the summer! Skip the verb conjugation lessons for the next ten weeks! Did I hear some of you shout out a request for play? Now, if you have teens like I do, some of the shouts were for sleep! But today I want to talk about the strong desire of our younger set, between two and ten, who want to play, play, and then play some more!

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Summer Fun from Kids’ Turn Central

El Ed Mom — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:00:24 +0000

Kids’ Turn Central offers printable Summer Fun coloring pages for free!

Click here for more information.

Let’s Get Ready for Summer Vacation from Guest Post by Jenny Reed!

El Ed Mom — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:50:44 +0000

As a new mom with fond memories of road trips with my family when I was younger, here are a few of my favorite tips I share with families I work with as a travel planner and family travel expert.