Remember International Mud Day?

Remember how much fun we had celebrating International Mud Day at Discovery Child Centre?

Here's a blog post by LetTheChildrenPlay about letting kids have fun with mud.

1. Playing with Mud can make you happier - Scientists have discovered something that children have always known - playing in the mud can lift your mood. Recent studies have revealed that dirt contains microsopic bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae which increases the levels of seratonin in our brains, helping to relax, soothe and calm.
2. Playing with Mud can make you healthier - Step away from the antibacterial hand wipes. Research has shown that playing in the dirt - including very wet dirt - is good for a child's immune system.
3. Playing with Mud can make you smarter - Throw away the flash cards and sent your child outside to play instead. Studies have found that playing in the dirt can make you smarter. The same release of serotonin that occurs when playing in M. vaccae dirt has also been shown to improve cognitive function.
4. Playing with Mud helps children learn and develop - Sensory, hands-on play feeds children's brains. Listing all the ways playing with mud - a delightfully sensory experience - can help children to learn and develop would be a whole post in itself. So I'm going to send you here for a thorough look at the value of sensory play.
5. Playing with Mud connects you to nature - If you never know something, it’s hard to care about it. Many kids these days never know the outdoors beyond the school playground or their own backyards, if they even have one. Getting kids outside to play (as a place to act out make believe worlds and explore) creates happy memories with the one most primal element in our world: nature.

Read the full article and see points number 6-10

Ten Reasons We Should Let Children Play in Mud..

And here, re-posted are our pictures from International Mud day!






Discovery Child Care offers interesting and educational before and after school programs. Call us for a tour. We'd love to meet with you and your child! 705-733-2052

Seeds of Empathy Program - Visit with Baby Rowen

Baby Rowen came to visit our Kindergarten class yesterday. To prepare, we have been reading stories about crying and emotions and doing various activities to reinforce the children's learning. (When I feel Sad by Cornelia Maude Spelman & K...athy Parkinson; and Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees). We learned that everyone cries when they feel sad or hurt. We can help friends who feel sad. Rowen was alert and happy and seemed truly engaged with the children. We sang him songs, and played a few games. We tried the toys again and everyone cheered when he reached for the cube! He is not only babbling now, but laughing too! Boy, how he has grown in three weeks! We can't wait for his next visit.

 

 

 

Discovery Child Care offers interesting and educational before and after school programs. Call us for a tour. We'd love to meet with you and your child! 705-733-2052

How to Dress Kids for the Cold Weather

Here's an interesting blog post to share now that we're heading into November. Having the right clothing makes all the difference to enjoying time outside in the fresh air. For children, water proof finishes are essential because they'll be in the water or snow given half a chance.

Don't curtail your outside activities once the temperature drops., be prepared with the right clothing and you'll be able to get outdoor exercise anytime.


http://alphamom.com/parenting/baby/cold-weather-dressing-for-kids/

Nature for Infants and Toddlers

Safety for children when you go outside is extremely important, but it's also important to give them challenges. Going outside and walking is different than walking inside on a flat surface. Different muscles are used and the toddler learns to adjust their balance.

Our children love going outside at our facility in all seasons. Even November!

Here's a video about Nature for Infants and Toddlers.

If you need more information about Discovery Child Care's nature focused child care programs, including before and after school care, please contact us 705-733-2052