Nature Journal Printables

We all know that presents for kids come in many shapes and forms. In the market today, there are so many products that many people feel overwhelmed, especially those who have no children of their own. There are some simple steps that you can take to ensure that you make a sound decision. Nowadays, finding baby presents and presents for kids is not difficult. Unlike their parents, kids are good at asking for what they want. Months before you even start shopping for Christmas gifts for kids, they usually start dropping not too subtle hints about the presents that they want. Sometimes, it is the newest video games. Other times, it is a radio controlled car, a doll, a bicycle, or one of the many other joys of childhood. Yet many experts on parenting believe that you should not always give your kids exactly what you want. Finding an unconventional present for kids one that can give them an opportunity to learn and grow, can be much better than all of the shiny new war toys you could fit in a Christmas stocking. Well whatever your child decides there will be at least a few presents to give out. I think this year we are only doing five, so we can spend a little more time on each one, but if you are going the whole hog and doing 20 plus the neighborhood kids then you had better plan for something simple. This is not to say that you shouldn't get your kids the presents that they want. You can divide gifts for children into three basic categories: educational, fun, personalized and unique. There are plenty of ideas that go with each category so you want to decide which way you want to go before proceeding. Sometimes, the best presents for kids are the ones that they ask for. There is nothing inherently wrong with war games, dolls, dress up clothes, or any of the other things your kids will ask for. Still, it is good to balance all of this stuff with some educational toys now and then. Dont forget that presents for kids can be educational and fun; personalized and educational, as well as unique. Come to think of it that, some of the best presents for kids are the ones that they can put together themselves. Putting together models, science kits, and other educational gifts can really teach kids a lot about patience. In addition to that, it can also help show kids how things work. Children are naturally curious, and the more that you indulge this curiosity, the better. When they're young, their brains are still manipulable. You can help them develop a lifetime passion for learning early on by getting them educational toys and gifts.With good technology gifts today, sometimes you can do both. Of course, the presents for kids are more high tech and futuristic than ever. If your kids love high-tech toys, why not get them a robotics kit? Not only will this be one of the coolest toys they ever get, but it will also put them in a good position to really understand the technology that is currently shaping the future. It is also something that you can work on with them, using it as an opportunity for both of you to grow. Learning should be fun, and the best learning tools will be a blast for your children.You should know that the categories in presents for kids are for browsing purpose only. Your best bet for finding the right toys for children is the World Wide Web and there is good reason that I suggest that you take this approach if you are completely stumped when it comes to choosing gifts for children. You can save your time and effort through Internet shopping. Instead of wandering around from store to store you can simply browse through products online. Many of the presents for kids are organized by age which is a real benefit for the shopper. Once you find your target category and age, the rest of the search should be pure fun. Online shopping is helpful and there are some sites that even offer product reviews for your consideration. The people who write these reviews are completely unbiased and they share their honest experiences with the presents for kids that they have bought in the past. These reviews can be all important in your search.You can also make personalized presents for kids that are ideal no matter what the situation or occasion. Children love items that are created especially for them. You can choose from tee shirts to teddy bears in this category. Some educational toys have a personalized touch as well. For example, try a personalized artist paint set. And if you are thinking about something unique for your kids, try looking into really unusual presents for kids online. A great example is the Name Your Star kit. The child has the opportunity to name an actual star in the sky. This is a fantastic idea that children and parents adore. Of course, the fun category is completely covered. You can choose something as simple as a ball or something as complex as a star kit. No matter what, you will find great presents for kids on the World Wide Web.

An effectively designed classroom has the potential for positively influencing all areas of kids’ development: physical, social /emotional, and cognitive. Language and learning are nurtured in an environment that values and plans appropriate opportunities.   How Kids Understand the Environment Young kids strive to make sense of the world in which they live. They try to organize the visual images and concrete objects in their environment into meaningful systems. Kids want to determine how the space works and what activities can happen in this place. Today's young kids are spending a large number of hours in a "new" environment—child care. An Environment those Matches Young Kids The first step in creating an appropriate environment for infants, toddlers, and preschool kids is to examine how young kids learn and develop. Each stage of development has unique characteristics that influence how a child will experience his or her environment.Preschoolers are active learners who continue to examine materials while beginning to use objects in more complex combinations. Learning centers are effective ways to organize and support these developing abilities. The center areas clearly communicate to preschoolers what activity occurs in this area and the available materials that will stimulate their play. Traditional centers as well as unique centers encourage language interactions, socio-dramatic play, and the construction of experiences based on their level of understanding. By adding literacy materials including books, paper and writing tools, this construction will include "reading and writing" opportunities. Brain Development during the Early Years Early childhood educators and neurologists agree that the first eight years are a critical time of brain development. Infants come into the world with a brain waiting to be woven into the complex fabric of the mind. Some neurons in the brain are wired before birth, but many are waiting to be programmed by early experiences. The early environment where young kids live will help determine the direction of their brain development. Kids who have severely limited opportunities for appropriate experiences will be delayed; this may permanently affect their learning. But, kids who have the opportunity to develop in an organized and appropriate environment are challenged to think and use materials in new ways. Windows of Opportunity Montessori course research indicates that there are important "windows of opportunity" that exist during the early years. Appropriate and interesting experiences, during the early years, in these specific areas can have a positive impact on the child's current development as well brain connections that will last a lifetime. Visual Environment During the first eight years, kids are developing their visual acuity. Their perceptions of objects, movement, and print are expanded as they have opportunities for experiencing interesting visual images. Changes and variations of design intrigue kids and cause them to visually attend to the unusual. The young child's environment that includes interesting visual aspects draws them to examine a painting on the wall or recognize a drawing that they have completed. Displays and panels provide visually interesting content to examine as kids move about in the classroom space. Integrated Environment Young kids make many connections when they participate in meaningful activities. Integrated activities that connect several types of learning are particularly effective for preschool kids. These experiences provide stimulation for several portions of the brain and make additional connections that extend learning. Some of the experiences that are particularly powerful for integrated learning and building connections are learning centers, thematic episodes, and projects. To support integrated learning, materials must be readily accessible to the play areas and stored so that they can be selected and included in the play. To encourage the continuation of projects, there must be places to carefully store objects while the work is in progress. Emotional Environment It has been suggested that the emotions of kids are strongly influenced by the responsiveness of the caregiver during the first years of life. Kids who feel secure and supported will experiment, try new things, and express their ideas. The appropriate emotional environment also respects young kids, while understanding individual differences. This means that each child has a place to collect "valuable" things—their pictures and work are displayed in the classroom. There is a place where the child can retreat when things get too busy, or when he becomes tired. Independent Learners An independent learner is able to make personal choices and carry out an appropriate plan of action. An effective environment is designed so even the youngest of kids can become independent. There are many opportunities for them to be successful as they work to do things for themselves. They are not dependent on the teacher and constantly asking for every material they need. An orderly display of accessible materials grouped together will help kids understand that they are capable of making decisions. The environment will communicate to them, "you can make the selection, you have good ideas, and you can carry out the plan for yourself." Influence of Environment on Kids’ Behaviors The environment in which young kids live tells them how to act and respond. A large open space in the center of the classroom clearly invites young kids to run across the area. If few materials are available to use, kids will create interesting happenings, including conflict. Kids learn to be respectful of their environment if they have opportunities to care for beautiful objects and materials.

Traveling is an experience that can be enjoyed in many ways. Some people like to travel alone and others love to tag along with their family and friends. However, the real joy of voyaging lies in exploring the world whilst being surrounded by people you love the most. Family travel is among those experiences that we cherish for the rest of our lives. Traveling itself comes with a number of uncomforting elements and when you are planning a vacation with family especially when you have toddlers tagging along, the risk of unfortunate events and responsibilities increases tenfold. Hence, most of the people tend to avoid making family vacation plans till the time kids are mature and responsible enough to take care of themselves or find some other options to leave them behind and enjoy the vacations without any restrictions. To avoid all these unpleasantness and to give your kids equal opportunity to explore the world, I have summed-up a list of handy tips for traveling with kids that will not only put a lot of pressure from you, but also give the kids in your family a healthy environment to explore without being disturbed: Let the Kids Decide Your Travel Plans Giving kids the task to sort out the places, attractions and activities by searching on the internet will always help you to get them understanding the destination way better and also give you an extra hand to work with. Also, assigning kids with such tasks will help you to understand their needs, passion and desires much better. Besides all these psychological effects, trusting kids with these sort of responsibilities will help gaining their trust and bring closeness among you all which eventually help in taking care of things that can come after in the life and increases the trust value in the family. Ensure to Pack Everything as Per YOU Kids cannot be trusted while you are packing for a getaway. Recent studies shown that kids are often curious to pack their stuff as per their passions and simply ignore everything need. For an instant, kids these days love to keep their stuffed toys, games, puzzles, sport equipment and more at the time of packing and ignore anything else you have instructed. If you have kids who are stubborn and tend to intervene in the packing process, assign them with some interactive tasks such as folding the clothes in travel-friendly manner and explain them best ways to pack for voyaging. Give them the opportunity to find perfect clothes that are not even used for once after purchase and ask for a helping hand projecting that you are packing everything as per them. Equip Kids with Child Monitors If you have kids that run anywhere and everywhere regardless of crowd, security or familiar faces, you shall start investing some money on child-monitoring equipment that will not only help you to keep a track on their regular monitoring, but also help you to find in unfortunate scenarios like at the crowded airports, bustling marketplaces, chaotic landmarks and more. There are an abundant number of child-monitoring equipment available in the market that have their own specific feature including connecting with the GPS system, giving the option of calling, panic buttons and alarms. Make your kids to consider these gadgets as a cool accessory teach them to use it in tough times like James Bond. Briefing Kids about Dos and Don'ts Being a parent, it is your responsibility to explain the kids with all the dos and don’ts from the time you step out of the house till the time you reach back to your house after finishing your trip. Explain the kids in a responsible manner by clearing their doubts and giving reasons of why they shouldn’t eat or drink in suspicious conditions, follow the security check-ups, understanding the etiquettes of your respective destination, learning to behave in public places, following every guideline given by you without making a scene out of it and so on. I know it may sound a little boring and unsuccessful, but if you keep giving them score of following all these things and make it an interactive game, the kids will instantly fall in love to follow orders and you can reward their behavior once you reach the home by giving them some quality gift. Let Kids Explore Their Passion with Instructions In unknown places with so much new to process, kids often find new hobbies and discover the new creative eye of seeing things differently. If you have been traveling recently, then you must have seen kids taking photographs from the knee level and capturing some of the most gorgeous moments of your trip including first bite of a bizarre dish, getting puzzled on the subways, those locals who are offended by the crowd of tourists, the guide trying to explain in foreign language and more. These quality things are always beneficial to discover the hidden talent of your kids. So, give your kids a free hand to do what they enjoy whilst following the basic instructions to keep them under bounds. As long as you trust your kids and keep them under monitor, everything you do while traveling will going to be a memorable experience. However, if you insist on keeping them safeguard in an unknown city or wish to secure them from any potential harm, you can always go with your instinct to be safe than sorry. So, next time whenever you start planning for a family travel, keep all the dos and don'ts in mind before informing the kids and break the ice by giving them something to work on in order to get them aware of all the possibilities and keep them guiding in relation to all the security checking and other potential hazards that are common among travelers voyaging with kids, as these days, children are getting smarter than us in no time and willing to understand and execute everything useful you say or explain.