Making the Most of Special Outings

 

“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” ~Auguste Rodin

 

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share with others the value that experience has on their children’s development.  There are so many learning toys, workbooks, flashcards, educational shows and apps out there, and they each have their place in the learning process, but I feel that their greatest use is in tying them to real life experiences.…

With summer only a few weeks away, I am sure many of you have day trips and vacations planned for you and your little one.  These experiences alone create unique opportunities for your little ones to learn more about this great big world, but there are quite a few things you can do to make the most of them – I promise they will make your day more fun and even more beneficial to your little one’s development!

Every year for Mother’s Day, my family and I visit the Bronx Zoo.  It is really my most favorite place to go and sharing that love with my boys gets better and better every year.  We started talking about going to the zoo about a week before we were going to go and from that we did a lot of things related to the zoo and its animals.  By the time the day actually came, Michael and Anthony were super excited to go and so was I!!!!  The day itself was awesome and we were able to think back on the activities, books, and toys that we played with just a few days before.  Being able to relate new experiences to past experiences and prior knowledge will help prepare your little one for the critical thinking that this world (especially schooling) demands.   When the day was done, our fun and learning didn’t end either!  Here are 10 ways to make the most of the special days you have planned this summer:

1.       Start talking about it!  About a week before begin telling you’re little one where you’re going.  Find out what they expect to do and see. 

 

2.      If you’ve been to this place before or some place similar, reminisce about your experience – what you did, saw, and who you went with.  How you and your little one felt about being there.  If you have pictures or videos, check them out together.  Doing this will not only enhance your upcoming experience, but is also a great way to work on memory skills!

 

3.      Check the website!  Most places you’ll be visiting will have a website with information about the place, lots of photos and even a map.  My boys loved checking out the map of the Bronx Zoo.  It has animal silhouettes to show where each animal was located.  We circled all the animals we wanted to see, then planned our route.  I think this was a huge part of why we were able to see so much once we were there.  The Bronx Zoo is HUGE and my boys will only be happy for so long anywhere!

 

 

 

4.      Read books related to where you’re going.  We took out all of our books about zoo animals and used those for our story times the week before.  If you don’t have any books that would work, then a trip to the library with a mission to find some together – that sounds like even more fun!

 

5.      Play with toys that relate to where you’re going.  We took out our animal figures (most of which I bought at a huge children’s toy store for next to nothing) and set up our own zoo.  We talked about what they would eat and what animals they might live near. 

 

 

6.      Start pretending!  Pretend like you’re there!  Strengthening your little one’s imagination and pretend play skills is super important for their language development and will help later on with reading and writing!  We not only pretended to go to the zoo but also pretended to be the animals.

 

7.      Movies, TV Shows, and Apps!  When you and your little one need some down time, try to choose entertainment related to your destination.  We watched the show, Jungle Junction on the Disney Channel and the movie, The Jungle Book.  It’s amazing how kids can navigate the iPad these days.  A simple search can find you some free apps that have to do with where you’re going.

 

 

8.      Sing about it!  We love music and dancing in this house.  Get some tunes related to where you’re going.  We sang some of our kiddie favorites like Walking Through The Jungle and Animal Boogie, but also stayed current with Katy Perry’s Roar.

 

 9.      ENJOY THE DAY!  Once you’re off to your destination enjoy it!  Try and put aside your own expectations and follow your little one’s lead.  I often find myself pulling the boys away from something they are totally into because I want to show them something I think is more exciting.  I have to make a conscious effort to follow what they are finding exciting and check my expectations at the door.  Make sure you take lots of pictures…

 

10.   Use your pictures to make something fun.  I printed out a bunch of pictures from our zoo trip and had the boys make books by choosing pictures and then telling me something about the picture.  We glued the pictures on paper, I wrote what they told me under each one, and then I tied it together to make a book.  The boys were so proud of their books and it was great practice for future literacy tasks.  You don’t have to make a book – keep it a little simpler by framing their favorite captured moment!

 

 

I am really looking forward to the trips we have planned for the next few months, including our first baseball game, the aquarium, Diggerland, Field Station: Dinosaurs and a water park.  I’ve decided to share more specifics on books, toys, songs, movies, TV shows, and apps related to common summer day trips.  So check back and let me know what you have planned this summer….

 

 

Love & Language,

Marisa