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Encouraging your kids to venture outside and breathe in fresh air is super important for their mental development and emotional well being. Every child should enjoy frolicking in the great outdoors or taking part in a fun outdoor activity – especially if it’s a gorgeously sunny day.

However, getting them outdoors in the first place is easier said than done. Isolation at home has made us all far too comfortable staying indoors and turning to electronics or screens for entertainment.

But enough is enough!  It’s time to plan some outdoor activities for your kids and find some fun and excitement in new creative ways. Whether it’s an outdoor activity in your own backyard or a special family outing, here’s 12 activity ideas you can try.

Outside the home…

Climb a treetop course

Climbing along a treetop adventure course like those you find at places like The Adventure Park is a fantastic form of outdoor exercise for children. What’s more, it’s an exciting day out for the entire family! With exhilarating zip lines and challenging rope climbs, a treetop adventure course is a perfect idea for a fun-packed day that gets the smiles beaming and adrenaline pumping.

Learn and play at the zoo

Visiting the local zoo is a staple family day out that all kids will enjoy. Discovering diverse species and learning about nature will spark their curiosity and help them learn about the all-important struggles of conservation and animal welfare. A lot of zoos hold special events too, so choose a date that offers fun opportunities for playtime! Pack a delicious picnic full of treats and goodies to enjoy at lunchtime too.

Thrilling Driveway Skateboard Lessons

Driveway skateboard lessons are one of the best outdoor activities for kids, combining fun and skill development. Under the guidance of an experienced instructor, kids learn the basics of balance, control, and safety, right in the comfort of their own driveway. It’s a fantastic way for youngsters to stay active, build confidence, and enjoy the fresh air while mastering a new skill.

Play in the sand at a beach

If you’re close to a beach and the sun is beaming, head to the shore for a spontaneous day of frolicking on the sand. Find the perfect spot and settle down for a day of relaxing in the sun. It’s also a great opportunity to teach beach safety to ensure it’s always a safe outing.  Remember the bucket and spade to build sandcastles and take a bathing suit for the kids to splash in the waves. There’s always room for a well-deserved ice cream too.

Clean the neighborhood

You might be surprised how enthusiastic your child is for helping the community. So why not take them on a spirited walk through the neighborhood to clean up the area and pick up the garbage littering the streets? It’ll teach them about environmental concerns and develop their understanding of having community-minded morals.

Visit a new state

Crossing state lines to explore new places is both exciting and educational, as it helps kids appreciate that there’s a whole world beyond their local community, and gives them insights into the wider makeup of the country they call home. Of course you can factor in a fun destination as part of your journey, including some of the aforementioned recommendations. For instance, heading to an amusement park like Cedar Point in Ohio will give you a great mix of thrilling rides and the great outdoors. And with discount tickets to Cedar Point available, it can be affordable too.

Explore a historical area

The majority of towns and cities will have some form of history, so make the most of the local culture by exploring any historical sites, landmarks and monuments. You’re never too young to learn about important historical events and figures, so why not reverse time for the day and find appreciation for where we come from and how fortunate we are nowadays?

Go on a Safari

There’s something inherently captivating about being out in the vast wilderness, immersed in a world far removed from bustling city life. Each moment brings an unpredictable surprise, but with the right precautions, everything will be safe for your children. If you wish to experience this magical journey with your kids, why not take a safari tour? You’ll be rewarded with unforgettable sights and experiences.

Seek thrills at an amusement park

Depending on the age and height of your child, an amusement park offers tonnes of family laughs and thrills to make a day truly unforgettable. Whether it’s a ride on a spooky ghost train, a splashdown on a log flume or a spin on a carousel, an amusement park has something to entertain everyone. Plus, roller coasters are an opportunity for us big kids to scream and play too.

In the backyard…

Find treasure on a scavenger hunt

As an excitable youngster, a scavenger hunt was always one of the most thrilling activities to look forward to. It’s one of the many fun activities a family can do close to home. You can keep them entertained for hours! Best of all, your backyard is the perfect spot for hiding treasure and setting a trail for them to explore. Make it as hard or as easy as you like and choose any special prize for them to find at the end of their hunt.  Scavenger hunts can also develop team building skills.

Compete in a water gunfight

This is the ideal option for a beautifully sunny day that requires some cooling off. Get yourself to a local store and buy a selection of water guns for the ultimate afternoon of family fun. You can set up a few carnival-style games or simply start a competitive water gunfight. Just make sure windows and doors are closed as you’re likely to get soaked!

Try out a new sport

Sports are a great way to keep active throughout the summer and there’s nothing wrong with a spot of healthy family competition too! For an activity that gets the heart racing, try out a new sport in the backyard to see if any new interest is sparked. It’s always important for your child to find something they love, so why not spend a free afternoon dabbling with a fun game of backyard soccer, basketball, or tennis?   You could even add something different to the mix, like setting up a giant chess set for a fun strategic challenge outdoors.

Practice arts and crafts outdoors

Kids are creative and loves arts and crafts, it might be a nice idea to bring their art project outside. This is an even better idea if you don’t want any more unnecessary mess taking over the house. Whether it’s drawing, painting, or sculpting, you can set up an arts and crafts corner in the shade and let them get messy till their heart’s content. Plus, there’s nothing like the sights and sounds of the great outdoors to inspire creativity!

Set up an obstacle course

If visiting an outdoor adventure park isn’t an option for you, why not create your very own obstacle course in your backyard? Use a variety of items around the house and make a fun course for them to dip, dive, crawl, and jump their way through. You can even make it competitive by setting a timer and making it a family challenge to see who can complete the course in the fastest time.

Camp overnight in the backyard

To extend the fun through the night, camping in the backyard can be a wonderfully exciting activity for your kids. Pitch a tent and make it ultra-cozy with pillows and blankets for a snug night’s sleep. You can even build a campfire beforehand to roast some delicious homemade s’mores as the sun sets. Then as dusk settles, you can watch the stars in the night sky together with a steaming hot chocolate.

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Children learn all about the world by experiencing it with their senses. These senses are the basis of how they react to the rest of the environment and how they interact with new environments and people. By seeing, smelling, tasting, touching, and hearing things, they are able to learn and understand things in their own way.

These senses can also trigger emotional reactions and calm children down when something upsets them. There are different methods that children use to learn and because their reactions are mostly under the control of their five senses, certain toys and soft objects have a major role to play in the development of children.

Children who learn by touching and constantly manipulating objects need something that they can easily hold on to all the time. And for some kids who suffer from anxiety and might constantly overthink things, they need something to distract them from these thoughts. Stress balls aren’t so fun for kids to play with, instead, squishes are a better choice. So, next time you go out shopping for kid’s toys, getting them something like this is a great idea.

What is a Squishy? 

A squishy is a toy that can deform and be bent out of its original shape by putting pressure on it through squeezing, sitting, throwing, etc. But after the pressure has been taken off it, the squishy will return to its original shape and size. There are different types, sizes, shapes, and forms of squishes, unicorn squishies, panda squishies, and even poop squishies.

Squishies can even come in the form of pets, dinosaurs, and other animals and objects. Squishes are manufactured using a special foam compound that reforms after it has been deformed from pressure.  Some squishies come in the form of keyrings which you can easily carry around.

Benefits of Scented Squishies

Scented squishies have a multitude of benefits for kids. They improve their fine motor skills and help them develop better by targeting multiple senses to trigger mental development. These fun sensory toys also have therapeutic results. Some of the best benefits of squishies for your kids are;

Alleviating Stress

Squishies are like stress balls for children. They are soft to squeeze and help to ease the anxiety of a hard day at school or stressful competitive activity. Because they are made from polyurethane, squishies are very soft, their feel brings calm and comfort to the person squeezing it. The scented squishies are emit a certain odor when squeezed by a person. Using both smell and touch, scented squishes help to relieve slow-rising tension in children.

Improving Focus

It helps to focus the attention of smaller children. When certain senses are triggered it can make children focus on the object that is attracting them. The longer they continue to focus on the object the better their focus will be. This can help to increase cognitive development.

Increasing Productivity

Squishes can help to distract children from overworking. This reduces internal tension and helps them to maximize their productivity. By taking small breaks to play with the squishy, a child can focus better because their mind will not be overtaxed. This greatly increases the amount of work that can be done by the child at a given amount of time and also make the work to be less prone to errors.

It makes them happy and excited

Squishies are a great way to make kids happy and excited. They jump for joy while trying to figure out new ways to squeeze, throw and pummel the toy. Children love to find new ways to make a squishy deform and watch it grow back.  These toys tend to bring a lot of fun and satisfaction to kids and scented squishes also have particular smells that can cause kids to laugh and smile.

It can function learning aids for kids who learn by feeling things

Certain kids learn by touching things and through their sense of touch. By giving them those squishies to constantly manipulate, they tend to grasp what they are learning better and learn faster. Squishes can also help children who are under constant pressure to cope better; this is because they can act as a way to relieve anxiety because of their scents and the way they deform.

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Are you a responsible parent looking to provide the best schooling and education to your children?  Do you know what are some important factors you need to consider when choosing a school for your kid?  Have you looked at the various schools, boards, and fee structures only to feel completely overwhelmed?

We all know how important it is to select the right school for your kids to help them with their academic journey. The right interest development in certain subjects can help create a favorable career option.

In recent years, both parents and kids are spoiled for choices when it comes to the sheer number of schools that have come up. However, with each promising to be better than the other, the task of choosing the right school can become overwhelming.

Given what is at stake here, there must be no margin for error when it comes to the decision. In this resource article, we look at some of the most important factors that need to be considered when choosing a school for your child.

Why Selecting the Right School matters?

For some parents, the choice of selecting a school is not that complex. In most cases, it is the government school that is within their zone. However, other parents feel that private schools are a better option. These private schools might be within the zone or outside of it. While if you are an expat in another country, choosing an international school might be best for you and your kid.

The right school embodies within an individual a direction. This direction is both in terms of the future academic foundations as well as career decisions that a child might want to take up once they finish the schooling.

According to experts, rather than the parents taking unilateral decisions based on what they feel is right, certain interests of kids matter too.

• It is important that the school fits and aligns with the overall personality of your child.
• Any school should play into the strengths of the child and allow it to further develop.
• Every family has a certain set of values and the school should look to build on that.

When the interests of both children and parents match in terms of the school, we can say that the decision is a successful one.

List of 7 Factors to Consider when Choosing a School for your Kids

1. The Distance between the House and the School

An important consideration that needs to be taken into consideration is the distance between the school and the home. The shorter the distance, the better it is for kids.  How does the school manage their transportation system.  You do not want your children to be spending two hours traveling on the bus or will you as a parent need to drive them.

This is sure to cause a lot of stress to both the child as well as the parent. Shorter distances between the two can allow a child to utilize the time in other important activities. These can be both educational ones or extra-curricular.

2. The Educational Qualification and Experience of the Faculty

A school is only as good as the kind of faculty members teaching there. As a parent, you need to look at the faculty profile and see the kind of experience that they have. Higher educational qualifications and experience automatically mean that the standard of education will be good.

Additionally, you should also look at the attrition rates of the faculty. Experts recommend that a period of four years on average is a good period to understand how good the school is in terms of retaining its faculty. This is a sign that the teachers are satisfied at the school.

3. Scope for Development of Extracurricular Interests

A lot of parents these days are open to the possibility of their kids pursuing professional activities other than education. This means that they want a school that can give their children the exposure to pursue extra-curricular interests like sports, theater, and others areas.

Having a strong extracurricular program also ensures that the physical development of students is carried out. Over a period, a child can develop an interest in one such activity and choose to pursue it professionally. Some schools like QISS, which is an international school in Qingdao have a strong sporting culture, which is a great benefit.

4. The Ratio of Students and Teachers in a Classroom

Every parent wants to ensure that their children get undivided attention at all times. This is only possible when the ratio of students and teachers is low. For example, experts recommend that the ratio of teachers and students in a classroom should be no more than 1:20.

The lower the ratio, the better can be the level of personal attention that can be expected at the school. Most kids when they are unable to get personal levels of attention can become introverts. It prevents them from raising questions about areas that are unclear to them.

5. The Educational and Extracurricular Infrastructure of the School

All parents want our kids to go to schools that are better than the ones we had gone to. This means that we would want that the infrastructure of the school should be great. School safety measures should be in place.  School buildings, classrooms, playgrounds, and other areas should be open and large.

You do not want students to feel suffocated or get injured because of rusty chairs and tables. Good schools invest a lot in terms of their infrastructure. The rise of smart classrooms also requires sizable investments. All this makes for a great learning environment for kids.

6. Fees, Affordability, and other Economic Considerations

There is no doubt that fees are one area that forces most of us to start rethinking our decisions. As parents, we need to think about whether we will be able to afford the fees not just now, but right up until kids finish their schooling (10 to 12 years).

Student fees are not the only area of expenditure parents should worry about. Schools these days take additional fees in the form of several other heads, some of which are not so transparent. Parents need to go for an affordable option to ensure they do not have to change schools.

Families working abroad may want to consider an reputable international school with ISP Learning opportunities.

7. The Educational or School Board that is Prevalent

Last, but by no means the least important consideration that should be made is the School Board. An easy decision is to go for a school that follows the recommended Government Board. An alternative would be to go for an International Board that follows a set curriculum.

Parents that are on the move would prefer an international school that follows the Cambridge Curriculum. Choosing a board will come into play later on, especially if you are looking to make your child sit for competitive examinations.

The Bottom Line

The quest of finding the right school for your kids is probably one of the toughest decisions you will make as a parent. The start of a child’s academic journey needs to begin with the best. It does matter whether you send them to the best preschools or public schools.

If you have any more questions that you would like us to answer or discuss, please write them down in the comments section below. We will try our best to request our experts to help you out to the best of our abilities.

As a parent, you want the best possible future for your child. You want them to be safe and successful and happy. For many parents, this dream for their children includes attending college, an educational pathway that opens many doors to excellent career prospects.

Depending on how old your child is currently, it can be tough to know if it’s time to have that conversation with them yet.  You might be asking yourself if it’s too early to talk to your kids about going to college and what their choice of college in the future may look like.

Your concerns are completely understandable, and we’re here to help.  Here are a few things you should keep in mind to make your decision.

Experts Recommend Starting Early

If you ask the education experts, earlier is actually better when it comes to discussing college options with your children. By starting the dialogue early on in your child’s education, you’re informing them of their potential pathways well before they even need to make a decision. Plus, it can be quite motivating because it gives your child a goal to work toward throughout their education.

 Tailor Your Approach to Your Child’s Grade Level

Depending on your child’s age and grade level, you’ll want to take a different approach in your conversations with them. Here’s a brief breakdown of how you should broach the topic for each grade level:

• Elementary school – This is a great time to start sharing stories of your own college experience to start planting the seed and producing excitement in your child. If you live close to a college, consider dropping by for a sporting event or a talk that might be of interest to your child.

• Middle school – When your child reaches eighth grade, this is an excellent point to start researching universities and exploring the topics of the grades needed to get into a good university. It’s also important to discuss the monetary component of going to college, especially if your child will need to contribute financially down the line. This gives them lots of time to familiarize themselves with the numbers and to plan accordingly.

• High school – This is when the conversations will turn a bit more serious. You’ll want to encourage your kid to get good grades and SAT scores and to become involved in extracurriculars to boost their college applications. At this point, you’ll also want to propose campus tours of a few different schools.

 Don’t Pressure or Preach

You may mean well but try your best not to pin all your hopes and dreams onto your child, especially if their own goals might look a little different. Don’t try to sway them into choosing one degree or one college over another and don’t focus on what worked for you when you attended university. Instead, ask them questions to get them engaged and excited. Focus on their interests, strengths, and passions and make recommendations based on that information.

If you’re wondering where to start when exploring college options for your child, check out American International College to kick start your journey.

Clearly, it’s never too early to start discussing college with your kids – it’s simply all about your approach. By customizing your approach to align with where your child is, you’ll support them and guide them to a successful future, whatever that may look like.

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