At Growing Kids Learning Centers, we offer child care programs that help young kids learn and grow. Our programs include everything from infant care to preschool and after-school care. We know that young kids, starting at infancy, are observing and learning on a daily basis. While our staff can help your child learn and develop the skills they need at each stage in their early lives, there are ways you can help them learn as well!

In this blog, we are going to give you some ideas for how to teach your child at home and help them continue to learn during this strange time!

Read to Them

No matter how young your child is, reading to your child can help them develop language skills. In a previous blog, we talked about the benefits of reading to your kids. Not only does it give you something to do together, but it can improve their literacy skills, promote a longer attention span, stimulate imagination, expose them to language, and more. Reading to your child is extremely beneficial and can help them develop a variety of new skills.

Try to read to your child every day, even if it is right before bedtime. As they begin to learn to read, you can also have them read to you to help develop their language skills even more.

Make Them Read

This time we aren’t talking about books. To help your child continue working on their language skills and begin to realize that everything has a name and words are everywhere, have them read everything. When you walk down the street, have them read street signs. Have them read the back of the cereal box. Any time you see a word that they know or can sound out, have them read it.

This is a great way to help them connect items to their names and find meaning in different words. They will also be able to begin to understand that language is a regular part of everyday life.

If your child cannot quite read yet, you can have them point out letters that they recognize and tell you what sound it makes. Just because your kiddo has not started to read, it does not mean that they can’t benefit from this as well!

Label Items

Another way to help them with their language skills is to label the items in your home. Think of a preschool classroom — many teachers have the items throughout the classroom labeled so that children can begin to read those words and understand that these words are connected to the object.

Label the lamp, clock, closet, doors, windows, oven, bookshelf, toy box, chairs, couches, and anything else in your home. While your house might look silly for a while, with everything labeled, it can help your child learn. They will be able to go around the house reading each label and understanding exactly what that word is.

Make Them Count

Just like making them read random words you see throughout your day, you should also make them count! When you see a group of anything — could be ducks, flowers, chocolate chips, or toys — ask them to count how many they see. This can help them learn their numbers and begin to count to higher numbers.

This can also help them realize that even though the ducks may be walking around, there are still only five. Children may try to count a duck twice because it walks somewhere else in the group. Help them learn that just because they moved to different spots doesn’t mean there are suddenly more! As your child begins to feel more confident with their counting skills, they will start counting things that they see in groups, even without your prompting them.

Do Arts and Crafts

Arts and crafts are not only fun and a great way to keep your kiddos entertained, but they can also be beneficial for your little ones. Arts and crafts require fine motor skills, which is something that children develop at a young age. Fine motor skills include the ability to mold playdough, draw with a pencil, paint with a paintbrush, and other tasks that involve small hand movements. Doing crafts with your kids allows them to develop these skills and have fun doing it!

Crafts are also beneficial for children because this activity allows them to be creative. Creativity is something you should always encourage in your children. It can help boost their imagination, improve problem-solving skills, and boosts confidence. Giving your child a creative outlet can be very beneficial for their development and growth and crafting is a great way to do that!

Play Games

Playing games with your child can teach them a variety of different things. While there are number and letter games that help them with, well, numbers and letters, other games can be extremely beneficial as well. Playing matching games can help them with a variety of things. These types of games can improve concentration, increase short term memory, boost attention to detail, help to notice similarities in objects, and so much more. Matching games are a great way to help your child learn and develop new skills.

As your child gets a little older, start playing board games with them. Board games can help your child learn to follow directions, take turns, and teaches them about sportsmanship. Games are fun to play with your kiddos, but they can also be very beneficial for their growth and development.

Explore the Outdoors

Learning doesn’t also have to be about numbers, letters, shapes, and colors. Learning can be about experiences and exploring. Go explore the great outdoors with your child. Whether you head into your back yard or walk a nearby trail. Ask your child what they see, what they notice, what sounds they hear, what smells they smell. Make them notice their senses. Get up close to trees to examine the bark. Lay in the grass to see a ladybug crawling up a blade of grass.

Getting outside and allowing your child to explore nature and follow their interests is a great way to help them learn about the world around them.

Answer Questions

Kids ask a lot of questions and while it can be annoying at times, this is how they learn and it is important to answer their questions. When your child reaches the why phase, giving them answers can help them understand how things work and what is going on in the world around them. They will be able to learn when you answer these questions.

If they ask a question that you do not know the answer to, learn it together! Search the internet for the answer and talk about it with your child. You may learn something new yourself as well!

There are many ways to help your child learn at home, and they don’t have to be as time-consuming and difficult as sitting down and trying to teach them an actual lesson. Simply add these mini “lessons” into your regular daily routine and help your child learn, grow, and develop while at home. When life goes back to normal, be sure to check out Growing Kids Learning Centers. We have locations in South Bend, Elkhart, Valparaiso, Goshen, Chesterton, Plymouth, and Warsaw! This makes it easy for you to find a location near you. Contact us with any questions you may have and start working with your child at home!

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It can help get kids ready for school.

Daycare is the perfect place to spark a love of learning. With plenty of activities and learning opportunities, even our youngest daycare attendees have a chance to start exploring the world around them and seeking out opportunities where learning is fun.

There are more socialization opportunities.

Kids who attend daycare have a chance to socialize with children both older and younger than them. This can help them learn more about sharing, working with others, and how to make friends. Those are skills they’ll use their whole lives!

It can be good for a child’s mental health.

Some studies suggest that attending daycare can be good for a child’s mental health. That’s because a daycare provides a stable, safe environment with routine and structure. That can help kids who might not find that environment at home develop much-needed stability for later in life.

They have fewer colds later in life.

Being exposed to germs can be a good thing! It helps your child build up immunity to illnesses later on. Children who attend daycare and pass around those germs at a young age are less likely to battle them later on.

Kids learn structure and routine.

Daycare can be a place where kids learn about routine and structure to their daily lives, something that will be important both in their school lives and their career later on.

Want your child to experience the benefits of daycare for themselves? Sign up with Growing Kids today!

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A topic that seems to remain in the air, more often than not, is what the ideal age for a child to be enrolled in daycare is. While age does play a part in eligibility, most of the time it comes down to whether or not the parents are working and what methods of care and assistance are available. While this is the primary reason that we see children being dropped off at daycare, it isn’t the only reason that parents believe their child should be there; social experience and advancements in learning are also a part of the reason that parents believe in enrolling their children at daycares like Growing Kids Learning Center.

What is the average age?

On average, children are enrolled in daycare around age two. This age is when children begin to pick up and retain social interactions and reactions. These types of skills are practiced when children are enrolled in learning centers through play groups and small lessons. These types of setups allow for us to help you child develop in these areas.

What types of areas do daycare’s focus on?

For the most part, your child is going to be working on emotional and social development, but we do also do our best to start teaching basics to help transition into preschool later on. If your child has a difficult time with social and emotional development as is, it may be best to hold off on enrolling your child until they have a better understanding.

If you feel that your child is too young for a learning center, they may be a better fit for our infant care program. This program is great for children between the ages of 6 months and 2. We can work with you for special cases with children that may be in the transition from this infant care to the standard daycare program. Whether it require a few weeks in infant care before the move, or a few months, we will work with you to create a strategy solely for your child. Call our office today to learn more about the Growing Kids Learning Center or to get a quick quote on our services.

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Activities including art fairs, picnics, drama, team games, kite flying, messy art days, swimming, field trips, bowling, soccer, “Main Street” play, exercise, ooey-gooey day, pizza making, reading, puzzles, baking cookies and hiking are many (but not all) of the activities that your child will get to experience when you enroll them in Growing Kids Spring Camp in South Bend. We will also provide your kiddo with a healthy and filling breakfast and lunch with snacks in between meals.

These activities are great for kids to make new friends and bond with friends they already have. They will be able to discover new things everyday and get out of their shell in a comforting and safe environment. No matter if this is your child’s first, second or third time registering, we highly recommend that you do so sooner than later.

We welcome any school-aged children both currently enrolled in our Growing Kids school program and new-comers. Children who are not enrolled in classes may sign-up for Growing Kids Spring Camp in South Bend starting February 8, 2016. Note: all after school students are required to sign up. To register your kid(s), please call 574-220-6400.

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We are excited to share useful ways of learning and tools to give your child the ability to grow to their fullest potential while at Growing Kids Learning Centers. With that in mind, know that we make it a priority to provide a clean and safe environment that is always open to parents’ suggestions. Our focus of keeping your child on track when starting daycare or preschool is our number one priority.

Do you want to learn more about us here at Growing Kids Learning Center? We invite you to visit us online today and even check out some of the Growing Kids Advantages, Programs, and learn where our other locations are in the South Bend area. Have questions? Feel free to contact us online now!

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For younger children, this game is fun, entertaining and is a very easy concept to learn. It doesn’t take much prep work, all you need is a ball! This game can be played with a pair of children or a child and an adult.

• Have your child sit across from you on the ground with their legs apart.

• Roll the ball between the legs back and forth to each other.

• Let your child known that the purpose of the game is to stop the ball before it hits their tummy.

Doing this activity can promote a learning opportunity for your child, and it will only help them grow their hand eye coordination early on. This can help them in the future when it comes time for sports, writing, reading and many other daily life skills.

If you are still looking for a daycare or preschool for your growing child, visit one of our locations in Elkhart, Goshen or South Bend! Contact us online now to learn more ways we will help grow your child’s hand eye coordination.

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When it comes to finding the perfect dacare for your child, there are a lot of things to consider. You need to consider how far away the daycare center is, how much it will cost you, what your child will learn during their hours here and what different programs we offer. Luckily for you, we have a surplus of information that can answer all of these questions, including that there is a location near you in either South Bend, Elkhart or Goshen.

Are you ready to let your children play, grow and learn while you’re off at work during the week? If so, go ahead and learn all about our programs here at Growing Kids Learning Center. Contact us online with any questions about enrollment and take a peek at the 10 Factors To Consider When Choosing A Childcare Center for your child. Feel free to check out the parent resources that can keep both you and your child one step ahead of the game.

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1. If your child is old enough, make sure you get them a flu vaccine. Even though the flu season may be over, it’s always good to get them the flu vaccine when the time rolls around again. It can help about 62% of the population from suffering through the flu.

2. Make sure you teach your children appropriate cough etiquette and social distance, especially when they’re sick. Make sure they cover their mouth when they sneeze and cough, and to wash their hands afterwards.

3. Children will always share their toys, but try and keep their toys clean! Viruses can live on surfaces for up to 8 hours, so if you do what you can to remove these viruses from their toys, the less likelihood they’ll get sick.

4. Keep your child healthy by practicing a healthy lifestyle at home! Show your child that exercise is fun and that eating great food can taste great!

We hope that the above tips can help you to keep your child healthier when they start daycare at Growing Kids Learning Center in Elkhart. Learn more when you visit us online today!

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1. Power Struggles- It is normal for your child to act out in order to feel like they need to get their way. It could be because your child feels as though they have a lack of power compared to you. It could be that the daycare or caregiver that takes care of your child throughout the week will give your child more power than you do, making it difficult to get things to go your way when you are home with your child.

2. Predictability Problems- It is very important for your child to be consistent in their predictability. This includes their daily routines and daily chores that they do. It not only makes them feel safe and secure but it can also make them become more well-behaved for their teachers at school, daycare leaders and even caregivers. These important people in their life usually always have a schedule that they follow, which children love to take part in.

Here at Growing Kids Learning Centers, we want to make your life easier! We hope that the above list can help you connect on a deeper level with your child if you’re having troubles with them after you leave daycare!

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Growing Kids Learning Center is the go-to preschool and daycare center for children of all ages in and around the South Bend area. When you take it upon yourself to give your child learning opportunities like what we have to offer here, not only will you be impressed, but your child will be happier than ever before! In our opinion, daycare and preschool is a must for every child. Being around other children will not only teach your child to play with other children and become social, but they will also learn how to share and learn manners in the process.

Does daycare or our preschool program in South Bend sound like an opportunity that you don’t want to pass up? We invite you to visit us online today to learn more in-depth information about our website and what we have to offer your children. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have! We have more than one location available. Along with South Bend, we have daycare and preschool centers in Elkhart and Goshen. Enroll your child today, and go back to work like you have always wanted to do.

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