(NAPSI)—When school’s out, it’s up to parents and
caregivers to keep kids busy. Instead of waiting to hear the dreaded
“I’m bored,” families can be prepared with fun activities
to ensure children are playing and learning all vacation long.
According to experts at The Genius
of PlayTM,
a national movement to encourage more play in children’s lives,
research shows that play is not only critical to healthy child
development—it’s an important teaching tool. Through play, kids
build physical skills, improve cognitive abilities, learn communication and
social skills, process and express emotions, and increase creativity.
Meredith Sinclair, author and The
Genius of Play Ambassador,
suggests writing activities on popsicle sticks and placing them in a play jar
to create a PLAYlist of fun ideas. Whenever
children are bored or need inspiration, encourage them to select from the
play jar to stir up their creativity.
To help get your PLAYlist started, Sinclair
recommends the following activities:
• Grow a garden—A
fun, educational way to let kids get dirty is by having them start their very
own vegetable garden. They’ll love planting the seeds to watch them
grow. They’ll also be learning a sense of responsibility and getting a
confidence boost by being proud of what has blossomed under their care.
• Camping—No need
to go far. Gather all the camping essentials, such as flashlights, sleeping
bags, s’more ingredients and a pop-up tent,
head to the living room or the backyard and set up camp for the night.
• Rock art—Whether
used as decorations or to leave kind messages around the neighborhood, rock
art is a trendy and easy craft. Have kids collect rocks of various shapes and
sizes, and once the rocks are clean, use acrylic paint to decorate them.
• Make a movie—Nurture
your children’s inner filmmakers by encouraging them to create their
own movie using a smartphone/tablet, some of their
toys to play the characters and crafts for scenery. Once the movie is
finished, gather the family and some popcorn to have a viewing party and
admire your children’s creativity.
• DIY T-shirts—Have
children play clothing designer for the day. Let them personalize a T-shirt
with craft supplies such as tie-dye, puff paints, sequins, iron-on patches
and anything else they might like.
More play ideas, expert advice and other play resources are available at TheGeniusofPlay.org.
Follow @GeniusOfPlay
on Facebook and Instagram
for even further play inspiration.
“Play is not only critical to
healthy child development—it’s an important teaching tool.
Through play, kids build physical skills, improve cognitive abilities, learn
communication and social skills, process and express emotions, and increase
creativity. http://bit.ly/2JKLA6F”
On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)