Busy Kids are Happy Kids

When you ask a child to copy a drawing you have made, you are giving them a chance to learn all of these skills: ·          observation (example: That line is a little longer than this line.) ·          imitation (example: I need to draw the same kind of nose.) ·          motor skills (example: manipulating the pencil) ·          comparison (example: Does your drawing look like my drawing?) ·          symbolism (example: a curved line symbolizes a mouth) ·          self-discipline (working on their own to finish a task) I recommend you make the first drawing on your own rather than use a printable because when you put in something of your own it leads to better bonding between you and the child. Age: 3 – 6 years Materials req...

If you have a couple of potted plants at home, or if you are lucky enough to have a proper garden, you have something that the kids can play with, and learn from, at the same time: leaves. Here is a simple activity you can undertake with no mess and no preparation. Age: 3 – 6 years Materials required: 1. 2 or 3 thin sheets of paper 2. colour pencils / wax crayons 3. leaves of different sizes and shapes (select ones that have visible veins, like hibiscus leaves) 4. a thick sheet (to make a greeting card with) 5. a pair of scissors 6. a glue stick What to do? 1. Place the leaf face down on a flat surface, like a table or a book. 2. Put a thin sheet of paper over the leaf and lightly colour the area above the leaf. 3. Notice that the outline of the veins of the leaf appear on the sheet of paper. The outline of the leaf itself will also appear if your leaf is thick enough. 4. Now, ask the child to make several such impressions on the t...

One thing all parents have in common is that they want their children to be happy. That leads us to the all-important question: What is ‘happy’? The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary uses the word ‘pleased’ to explain ‘happy’ and the word ‘happy’ to explain the word ‘pleased’. So we are left to our own devices or what is called the Dictionary of Life to understand ‘happy’. My two In my experience, a child is happy when surrounded by visual stimulus; lots of colours, or pictures, or a new, interesting place. They are happy when they are allowed to explore their surroundings; to touch, taste and change what they see. This freedom exhilarates them but it can also overwhelm them, causing them to throw an instant tantrum or simply cry out in sorrow. This is possibly because complete freedom scares them. They want freedom but within the brackets of protection and supervision . That’s where we, the parents, come in. When they know that they are watched and safe, they enjoy l...