3 Ways Poems & Rhymes Help Kids in Learning

When I try to recall my earliest memory, this is what comes up – me as a four-year-old, standing on the school stage amongst a group of kids all belonging to my age group, with all of us acting out the nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star playing backstage with music. I vividly remember the simple steps even today. I also recall that we were all dressed in blue – girls in sky blue dresses and boys in sky blue shirts and dark blue trousers.

“Stars” by Clker-Free-Vector-Images is licensed under CC by 2.0

So today, when I came across an article on the importance of nursery rhymes and poems in the overall development of a child starting from as young as preschool, I realized I had never looked at it from that perspective. Hence, it seemed an interesting subject to share with like-minded parents here. Leave alone just worksheets, studies and online games that are educational, here is how poems and nursery rhymes too are helpful for our children.

Nursery rhymes narrate a story with rhythm

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb,
little lamb, Mary had a little lamb
whose fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went, everywhere
that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.

Remember this evergreen rhyme which talks about Mary and her little lamb? It has a musical lilt to it, with several words being repeated time and again to aid in the child’s memory development, and the story progressing to how her little white lamb follows her to school and makes the children laugh and play. This is a tale in itself which is sure to capture a young kid’s imagination. Add to it actions or motions and it becomes a fun activity for kids to incorporate movement into the musical story. Preschoolers may not understand each word of a poem, but they will definitely take to the musical beat and sing or act along.

Poems help to build vocabulary

“Boy” by Clker-Free-Vector-Images is licensed under CC by 2.0

Chubby cheeks, dimple chin
Rosy lips, teeth within
Curly hair, very fair
Eyes are blue – lovely too.
Teachers pet, is that you?
Yes, Yes, Yes!

Not many preschoolers will know what ‘chubby’ or ‘dimple’ means. However, if you act out the above verses with them, pointing to each part of the body mentioned in the lines, it serves a double purpose – one, kids get to learn about the different parts of their body; two, new words are introduced into their world, which they have not come across earlier. They are very unlikely to forget these easily, since the nursery rhymes learnt in the early years more often than not manage to stay with us throughout our lives. A catchy rhyme does the trick in helping kids remember words easily, thus helping them develop memorization skills too.

Rhymes make dry facts colorful

One, two
Buckle my shoe,
Three, four
Open on the door,
Five, six
Pick up sticks,
Seven, eight
Lay them straight,
Nine, ten
A good fat hen,
Eleven, twelve
Dig and delve,
Thirteen, fourteen
Maids a-courting,
Fifteen, sixteen
Maids in the kitchen,
Seventeen, eighteen
Maids a-waiting,
Nineteen, twenty
My plate’s empty.

Simply counting down from 1 to 20 can be a pretty dry exercise. Making that same counting turn into a nursery rhyme will have kids captivated, especially if they act it out, as in One Two Buckle My Shoe. Another similar instance is the traditional poem called Thirty Days Hath September to remember the number of days in the months of the Gregorian calendar. This way it’s a win-win situation all along, with children learning new words, important facts and having fun all the while too.

Feeling a sense of nostalgia after all these years? Just hum along with these popular nursery rhymes all of us sang and danced to as kids. Each one of them brought a smile to my face!

Napping May Help Preschoolers Learn

A nap is always a good idea. At least, as adults we swear by it. However, taking a nap in the middle of the day is now a luxury. I always end up with a sense of accomplishment if I manage to get some shut-eye in the middle of the day! However, obviously, my kids seem to think otherwise and consider nap-time as a sense of punishment *sigh*

“Baby” by fujikama is licensed under CC by 2.0

Now, there is actual scientific evidence to prove what we parents knew all along about naps being good for kids. The University of Arizona recently carried out a study which they studied verb learning in preschoolers (3-year-olds). The study was laid out thus: 39 preschoolers in the said age group were divided into two separate groups – habitual nappers (used to napping 4 or more days in a week) and non-habitual nappers (used to napping 3 or less days in a week). To put the findings in a nutshell, kids who took a nap after learning the new verbs taught to them had a better understanding of the words even 24 hours later as compared to the kids who did not nap.

Study co-author Rebecca Gomez said this to sum up: “We know that when children don’t get enough sleep it can have long-term consequences. It’s important to create opportunities for children to nap – to have a regular time in their schedule that they could do that.”

Alas, I know what parents like me out there would be thinking; easier said than done, isn’t it?

Fun January Activities for Preschoolers

Okay, so the New Year is upon us and we’re more than halfway through January already. Most of us have probably already given up on our New Year resolutions too. Down in the doldrums? Well, apparently, it’s not all your fault. January 17 is (officially) celebrated as ‘Ditch New Year Resolutions Day’. So there.

Well, talking about days to celebrate in January, I ran a search and found some pretty fascinating results. Here’s how you can find several excuses to make January one of the most enjoyable months of the year, both for you and your little ones. Talk about beginning the New Year with a bang!

‘We didn’t realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun.’

“Pooh” by Wetmount is licensed under CC by 2.0

Come January 18 and cartoon lovers the world over celebrate ‘National Winnie the Pooh day’. Celebrated author A.A. Milne’s birthday falls on this day. My daughter absolutely adores her lovable Pooh bear, so much so that she’s been sleeping with a cuddly, stuffed toy version of it from as far back as I can remember! How to celebrate the occasion? Well, add a bit of honey to every meal to make it sweeter; Pooh loves honey. The more adventurous ones can whip up a honey-sweetened dessert or two (read: scrumptious honey cupcakes). Read aloud Winnie the Pooh stories to your preschooler from colorful story books. Or else, if you don’t already have one, buy a Winnie the Pooh soft toy for your home. It sure adds color and cheer to the room!

‘Winter – you’ll miss it when it’s gone.’

No one knows how and why this day came into being, but January 22 has its own name – ‘Come in from the Cold Day’. I feel there are both pros and cons of the winter with the pros far outweighing the cons; the only con being it’s difficult to go out of the front door. Apart from that, it’s all pros – hot chocolate at any time of the day and night is acceptable, the best feeling in the world is snuggling in front of the fireplace with your favorite book or in my kids’ case, with their favorite virtual games on the tablet, and the aromas of hot sauces simmering on the stove accompanied with chicken lasagna, sausages and apple pie. A win-win situation for kids and adults alike!

‘It’s always the small pieces that make the big picture.’

“Puzzle” by LeoNeoBoy is licensed under CC by 2.0

Puzzles are for everyone, irrespective of age. Right from basic jigsaw puzzles for young children to their advanced versions for adults, putting together a jigsaw puzzle can be an engrossing activity. What’s more, the earlier kids get into the habit of solving jigsaw puzzles, the better. From developing hand-eye coordination at a young age to fine-tuning their fine as well as gross motor skills, from getting to recognize basic shapes and colors to learning how to be patient while solving a problem, a jigsaw puzzle does wonders to young, inquisitive minds. Not into jigsaw puzzles yourself? Try your hand at crossword puzzles in the newspaper instead, or number Sudoku puzzles. Oh, and we’re talking about puzzles here since January 29 is designated as National Puzzle Day.

To put it in a nutshell, January is much more than just about making and keeping resolutions – it’s about friendly, cuddly, honey-loving bears which give you a whole lot of good advice from time to time; it’s about sugar and spice and everything hot and nice in the wintry weather; it’s about spending quality time together as a family poring over a jigsaw puzzle with the crackling sound from the fireplace that keeps you warm. Have a wonderful start to the New Year!

Mickey Mouse turns 88

Just last month we talked about our favorite cartoon pair Tom and Jerry turning 76 years old. It seems to be the season of birthdays since the much-loved official mascot of The Walt Disney Company – Mickey Mouse – also turned 88 this November 18! His cheerful countenance doesn’t look a tad older than it did 88 years ago, does it?

“Mickey” by Skitterphoto is licensed under CC by 2.0

What would you think of Mortimer Mouse as a name? Because Walt Disney had initially decided on this name for his creation, that is before his wife stepped in and suggested Mickey Mouse that ‘sounded more fun’.  The immense popularity of this fun guy can easily be gauged from the fact that he can boast of his very own star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The little mouse which is believed to ‘represent the world of animation’ has a fascinating story to tell of its initial years – greater than 10,000 drawings which took almost up to two years to complete made up a Mickey Mouse cartoon back when it started, and that too for a short seven and a half minute of film screen time! What’s more, I was very surprised to learn that Charlie Chaplin acted as an inspiration for the character of the jolly mouse. In Walt Disney’s own words:

“We wanted something appealing, and we thought of a tiny bit of a mouse that would have something of the wistfulness of Chaplin… a little fellow trying to do the best he could.”

And thus our dashing and heroic little mouse was born, and how!

Happy 76th Birthday, Tom & Jerry!

Image courtesy: Twitter

Sounds hard to believe, but yes, it has been a whole 76 years since our favorite cartoon character pair – Tom and Jerry – came into being. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera on February 10, 1940, this hilarious duo has formed an unforgettable part of most of our childhood memories.

Here are four fun facts about the indomitable pair which most of us may not be aware of.

• The twosome wasn’t always known as Tom and Jerry. ‘Puss gets the boots’ was the name of the cartoon when it was created initially. Moreover, Tom was called Jasper and Jerry was called Jinx. In 1941, the cartoon was nominated for ‘Academy Award for Best Short Subject: Cartoons of 1941’. Thereafter, it gained popularity as Tom and Jerry.
• In the 1990s, a prequel series was made in which Tom and Jerry were depicted as much younger versions of themselves.
• ‘Tom and Jerry were both silent characters’ – is nothing but a myth. Time and again, they uttered various lines in different episodes; an unforgettable example being Tom’s haunting proclamation after being involved in a nuclear explosion: “Don’t you believe it?”
• The well-known Hanna-Barbera partnership did not give us just Tom and Jerry They need to be given credits for the studio that gave us The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Smurfs, Scooby-Doo and many more evergreen names.

Long live Tom and Jerry!

The 10 Best Story Books for Preschoolers

“Still Life” by Oldiefan is licensed under CC by 2.0

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (by Eric Carle): A fascinating story of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, eating a humongous amount in the process.

Just Me and My Dad (by Mercer Mayer): A father and son go camping and bond together in the midst of nature.

Strega Nona (by Tomie de Paola): The title translates into ‘Grandma Witch’. The story is about a woman who has magical healing powers and cures the people residing in her town of various ailments.

Madeline (by Ludwig Bemelmans): A classic, humorous tale of the protagonist’s bravery when she gets appendicitis and needs to get her appendix removed at the hospital.

The Dot (by Peter H Reynolds): Beautifully illustrated, this self-discovery story of a young school artist who is convinced that she cannot draw will teach your preschooler the secret behind converting an ‘I can’t’ into an ‘I can’.

The Snowy Day (by Ezra Jack Keats): Every page holds something new in this tale where a little boy goes through an exciting day filled with footprints in the snow, a snowball as well as snow angels.

Petey’s Listening Ears (by L R Knost): Petey and his stuffed friend, Beans, are having a difficult day. His mommy and daddy help him to make the right choices and feel better.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (by Laura Numeroff): If you give a mouse a cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he’s going to ask you for a straw. Then a napkin… and so on.

Me and My Dragon (by David Biedrzycki): A little boy wants a fire-breathing dragon for a pet and talks about how he would take care of it.

Beautiful Oops! (by Barney Saltzberg): Flaps, tears and splotches aren’t all that bad…After all, a torn piece of paper may just be the beginning to something much bigger!

3 Ways to Get Your Child Ready for Preschool

“Preschool” by MiluCernochova is licensed under CC by 2.0

I am in Preschool.

I was not built to sit still,

Keep my hands to myself,

Take turns,

Be patient,

Stand in line,

Or keep quiet,

All of the time.

I need:

Motion,

Novelty,

Adventure,

And to engage the world with my whole body.

Let Me Play

(Trust me I’m learning!)

If preschoolers could actually put their thoughts into words, the aforementioned lines are probably how they would have expressed themselves. Getting ready for their Big Day – first day at preschool – is a milestone both for the parents as well as for the child too. Here are three things to keep in mind as you prep your little one for D-day.

Read aloud together

Maisy Goes to Preschool: A Maisy First Experiences Book by Lucy Cousins talks about how going to preschool is equivalent to having fun – you can paint in your favorite colors, listen to exciting stories, play in the sand with friends and dance to music. Allow your child to explore the wonders of the new world he is about to step into with the bright and cheerful illustrations of this book denoting a typical day at preschool. What to Expect at Preschool by Heidi Murkoff is another good option. In a question-answer form, it will address all your child’s queries – what exactly is preschool, what are preschoolers expected to do, why and how it is such an enjoyable place and so on. The key is to ease your child’s transition into this new, unknown world. Here is a list of books which will make for good reads pre-preschool.

Use imaginative play

This is something fun you could do with your child at home, several days prior to their first day at school. Make it a game of sorts – one could have you acting as the teacher and your kid the student, or vice versa. Help them get a feel of what a typical classroom setting can be like (even if it’s just playschool or preschool). Visit the preschool in advance to know what their normal routine is like and act it out at home; right from saying goodbye when you drop them at school, to singing nursery rhymes, playing hopscotch, having snacks, and even taking short naps if it’s a part of the routine. The idea is to make your child comfortable in his or her new surroundings. Explain to her that there’ll be lots of other kids in school and she can make friends and have fun. Building a sense of anticipation in the child’s mind will go a long way in making the first day at preschool a success.

Be more social

Simply visiting kids of similar ages who are about to go to school or even those who are already in preschool and getting them to interact with your child can do wonders. One of the first things your child is about to learn in preschool is how to make friends, how to get along with others his own age. It is best if he has some experience in spending time with other children beforehand or else on the first day of preschool, he might find himself lost in a bunch of loud kids! Set aside a fixed time every evening when your child can go out to play with other kids her age, invite the neighborhood friends she makes over to your place for chocolate chip cookies and fun virtual games on the tablet, or discuss with their parents and enroll the kids together in a music class, or swimming class, or skating class. Spending time together with other kids will give a child a sense of what to expect in the coming preschool days.

And yes, as parents we do tend to get a bit emotional at times such as this, when our little one takes her first steps into the big, big world. Just make sure you cheerily wave a goodbye when you drop her to school and rest assured, she’s going to come back home with all sorts of amusing tales to regale you!

3 Fun Birthday Party Game Ideas for Preschoolers

Back when I was a kid, I remember we really used to look forward to attending birthday parties of our friends in the neighborhood. Lots of games, good food and a gala atmosphere were the reasons. Same is the case with my kids these days; try as I might they refuse to venture out to play in the evenings thanks to these online games they love playing, but they would anytime be ready to dress up and head out for a party, and come back laden with return gifts, balloons and other goodies!

“Birthday Party” by Wokandapix is licensed under CC by 2.0

Here are three fun birthday party game ideas that can be a big hit especially if your child is as young as a preschooler.

Pass the Parcel

The first and most obvious choice for any birthday party, Pass the Parcel is a game we ourselves used to play back when we were kids. Generally ‘the gift’ for the winner of the game is wrapped in lots of layers of wrapping paper, each having a task written on it. Music is played and the parcel is handed from person to person. The child on whom the music stops has to unwrap the topmost layer and perform the activity mentioned on it – such as mimic a clown, sing your favorite song, do a little jig and so on. But for preschoolers, here’s what you can do to make it a win-win situation for each child; make every kid a winner by naming a gift on each layer instead of an activity. The gifts need not be elaborate – a pencil bag, a fancy pen holder, a Pokemon goodie – all these would do. Just make sure the parcel does not stop on the same kid twice, or else he’ll end up claiming more than one gift!

The Food on a String Game

Similar to the doughnut game I mentioned in a post a couple of days ago (read more about it here), just suspend doughnuts or apples or marshmallows or popcorn balls or even cotton candy (though this one will get the kids a bit messy!) on a string. Tie the kids’ hands loosely with a ribbon behind their backs; you could either divide them into two teams or allow them to play individually as well. This one is best played outdoors in the garden and is guaranteed to bring a few laughs.

Musical Chairs

Another one of those tried-and-tested birthday party games that has not lost its sheen even though we’ve been playing it from time immemorial is the classic Musical Chairs. All you’ve got to do to prepare for the game is to select music that has a nice, peppy beat to it, get hold of a number of chairs that are light in weight so that they can be shifted here and there easily (the number of chairs should be one less than the total number of kids playing the game) and think up of a prize for the winner. You could either set up the chairs in a circular formation facing outwards or else if there is ample space – for instance, if you’re playing outdoors – set them up in a straight line with alternate chairs facing in the same direction (this one is more fun as it leads to a mad scramble to sit once the music stops).

 Party on!

4 Enjoyable Summer Learning Activities

It’s that time of the year again when learning and school and classes and homework all take a backseat and the kids are at their hyperactive best. In such times, here are four enjoyable summer learning activities that can help your little ones keep in touch with learning throughout the holidays.

You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a good book.

“Portrayal” by PublicDomainPictures is licensed under CC by 2.0

Researchers have found that a mere ten minutes reading time on a daily basis can do wonders for kids’ reading skills. You could begin with a short story time session before bed, with a colorful picture story book for young kids. Try making it interactive and engaging while reading the story out loud and it’ll be something your kids will look forward to every day.

We’re having a picnic & we would love for you to come. So put on some sunscreen & let’s have some fun.

The young generation today does not go out to play outdoors like we used to back in our childhood days. Let’s try changing it for the better. Head out for a picnic on a sunny day, armed with bats, balls, Frisbees and kites. Talk about nature while you are at it and turn it into a science lesson – why is the sun so hot? What makes the leaves and grass green? How do larvae grow into butterflies?

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.

True that. Try keeping a pet at home if you don’t already have one. Entrust your kids with the work of caring for them, which is a full-time job, instead of simply sitting indoors and playing pet games like these on their tablet to while away time on a holiday. What’s more, apart from learning to be responsible, children will learn life lessons from their pets. Dogs, the loyal companions that they are, love to play and prance around; hence the kids will always be up and about on their toes, fit and healthy. Cats love to have fun with toys as well – kids can help in clearing the clutter their pet cat creates and keep their room neat and clean.

Kids playing sports should be about learning the game they’re playing and having fun doing it.

The benefits of learning an outdoor game or a sport are innumerable – children learn how to work together in a team, what sportsmanship actually means on the field, hand-eye coordination and the like. While unstructured free play is a good way to begin with toddlers, older children would do well learning something akin to karate (keeps limbs and body agile apart from being a useful tool for self-defense), swimming (helps maintain a healthy heart and lungs) or even soccer (increases bone strength with all the sprinting involved). The idea is to have fun and spend time sweating it out with teammates.

Once these activities are a part of your kids’ summer holiday routine, they will be so busy that the summer will be over before you know it!