Preschool Friendships

Friendships can help children feel secure, confident, and likable. “Making friends” and “getting along with others” are goals most parents set for their children upon entering preschool.

It's important that children are PreK ready but we have to remember not to forget their social emotional development. Making childhood friendships is very important. These peer relationships are lasting and related to social and emotional development. Going into a new classroom or any social event can feel overwhelming.  If they know how to strike up a conversation and break the ice that could make their day go better and they won't feel left out. 

Here at The Academy we teach them about being confident and loving who they are. We talk to them about social emotional skills and how to work things out with their friends. We model behavior and talk them through situations with their friends.Showing them better ways to express themselves.

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Fun with Bikes

There is something special about kids and their bike. Riding your bike means fun outside your front lawn. It is a special time of fun, freedom, and fresh air. There are so many benefits of cycling. Here are a few:

• It develops their strength, balance, and fitness.
• Strengthens heart, lungs, and lower body muscle and bones.
• Burns calories

Regardless of shape, sizes, or abilities, everyone can ride a bike. It is a perfect family activity. You can ride around your neighborhood or find a greenway, where you don't have to worry about cars.

Children have to learn how to ride a bike. Tricycles are great place to start  for a two- five year old. Tricycles help the child to learn key concepts of riding a bike. 

After they are riding their tricycle well, about age 5 or 6. They can move up to a bike with training wheels. They may need the training wheels for a few months to a few years. 

At elementary school age children are ready for a single speed bike and around 9 their hands are strong enough for multispeed bikes. 

Last Friday at The Academy of Gateway we held our annual St. Jude Trike-a-thon. The kids loved bringing their bikes to school and riding around the playground. We were also able to raise $1800.00 for St. Jude!

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Planting Seeds with PreSchoolers

This week at The Academy of Gateway we planted seeds. The kids loved learning about the different parts of a plant and how they grow.

The children get the biggest smiles at the first sign of the plant pops up. They know that they helped and gave the plant water and sunshine. This gives the children a great sense of accomplishment.

The Benefits of Gardening with kids:

• children have a better connection with the earth
• they develop patience as they wait for the seeds to grow
• they gain responsibility as they take care of the plants
• they learn about the growth process

We had so much fun planting seeds!

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Celebrating Mardi Gras at Home

You don't have to leave the comfort of your home to get in the Mardi Gras spirit and celebrate.
Here are some fun ways to celebrate with your family at home.

Get a King Cake. This is a Mardi Gras Tradition. It is a sweet brioche dough covered in a glaze with Mardi Gras colors. There is normally a small figure or baby hidden in the cake. The person to get the figure gets special priveledges or obligations. You can make up our own rules at home.

Toss Beads. Kids will love getting beads. They could earn beads by doing chores or have a fun dance party.

Make a Mask. Let each child make their own mask. They can get creative and make it however they like or use traditional Mardi Gras colors, gold, green, and purple.

Make a Mardi Gras dinner. You could try traditional Cajun food and of course King cake for dessert.

Here at The Academy of Gateway we celebrated by having a Mardi Gras Pajama Parade. The kids danced around the enrichment room to fun New Orleans Style Jazz music and even got beads. 

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