It’s beneficial for your child’s growth and welfare to spend time with them. That’s because it strengthens your bond and gives your kid more self-confidence. Spending quality time with your child allows you to fully engage with them and convey the idea that they are your top priority. Spending time with your child also lets you see the world from their perspective, learn more about their interests, dislikes, concerns, and annoyances, and provide direction, communicate, and listen to them.
When you and your child do fun things together, it can make your child happy and less stressed. It can also help your child become more resilient, which is helpful for teenagers. This is why it’s so important to get started early. And spending memorable time with your child daily can help them deal with times when they don’t have your full attention or when you’re not with them, such as when they attend day care in Potomac, MD.
Even your child’s favorite games can become monotonous after a time when you play with your preschooler. Here are some simple activities to do when the tried-and-true routines start to feel a little blah.
On a trip to a park or other place, you like to go, pick up things that are unique to that place, like shiny rocks or nuts. Take pictures of things you want to remember, like bright leaves. When you get home, have your child help you create a box to put your collection in. For instance, you could have them draw or make a picture of the place and glue it to the top of the box.
Then, let them color it and decorate it however they want. Make a different box for every place you like. Then, when you have to stay inside, you can cuddle up with your child and look through the things you’ve found to remember your best trips.
Set up an obstacle course for the kids using anything you can find in the garage or shed. Even better, let the kids set one up, too! Make a course for the kids with hula hoops, soccer balls, cones, inflatables, and pool tubes. Using bamboo sticks to make arches out of pool noodles is a favorite way for many parents to set up a makeshift obstacle course. Just put skewers in the ground and slide one end of the pool noodle onto each stake. This makes an opening that little kids can crawl through and big kids can kick and throw balls through.
Campouts are always fun, but ones in your living room are even better because you can use the kitchen and bathroom, and the floor is carpeted. Set up a small pup tent or make your own by spreading blankets over furniture that has been carefully arranged. Then, get out your sleeping bags, pillows, and flashlights to really feel like you’re camping. You can leave the “tent” up for as long as you want, so you and your child can go camping whenever you want.
You can easily make a bubble solution by combining one part dishwashing detergent with ten parts water and then adding a tiny bit of glycerin or corn syrup to the mixture. This will help the bubbles stick together. If your child wants to generate bubbles, they can use practically any object with an open end, such as the rings from a six-pack of soda. Try to make bubbles that are bigger and bigger! Seeing who can create the biggest bubble is always a fun and friendly competition at day care in Potomac, MD.
Kids love to hear made-up stories, and you can get ideas from your music collection to do so. This will also help your child learn to appreciate music. Start with a familiar musical tune and a simple story. You don’t have to tell the story exactly as you remember it. Change it up a bit by making your child the main character or adding a new character, like a dinosaur, that will interest your child. Stop the story often and ask your child if they have anything to add.
You’ll be surprised at how much music helps move the story along.
The children have a lot of fun creating sidewalk chalk paint, which can be done at home or a Potomac child care center. Just combine cornstarch and water in the same proportions. Stir it up until it reaches the consistency of the paint. After that, put in some food coloring. You can use either ordinary paintbrushes or foam brushes to apply the paint.
Any style of treasure map is acceptable! You can draw features like trees, rivers, quicksand, and more on the map. Then, you can compose a brief narrative about those events and hide a treat in one of the hiding places you know they will find in the yard.
Giving kids a handmade route to a prize or treasure will help children develop early map-reading skills. Then, turn it around and have the kids create their own maps that you can use.
The two-word remark that parents fear hearing the most is “I’m bored,” which, although short and to the point, packs a powerful emotional punch. No matter how many toys they have or how the screen-time situation is, those words can appear at any moment or in any location; we even hear it at child care in Potomac, MD.
However, with the list of above activities, parents no longer need to worry about boredom. They’re made to encourage youngsters to express their imaginations and creativity, get them moving and exercising, or practice certain abilities like memorization or matching, or some mix of all of the above. But most importantly, they are made to be enjoyable, so users will lose themselves in them for so long that they will forget they were ever stuck for things to do.
MCCA has been recognized by the Maryland State Legislature for its commitment to Montgomery County issued a quality programs and special needs child care Proclamation in 2016 to MCCA for its commitment to Montgomery County child care for more than 50 years. MCCA was also selected as a 2018 nonprofit finalist for a MOXIE Award for boldness and innovation
MCCA is the oldest nonprofit licensed child care provider in Montgomery County and started its work in 1968 as a Community Action Project of the War on Poverty. Recognizing the need for quality child care programs in their neighborhoods, a group of local activists formed an association to establish centers in Montgomery County that would serve a diverse population and establish high standards for child care. Now, more than 50 years later, MCCA’s dedicated and expertly trained staff continue their tradition of providing high quality child care and play-based education for children.
Families with school aged children who can afford their child care expenses during the school year often struggle to afford the all-day programs they need when school is out for the summer. The Richard Krampf Summer Adventures Scholarship Fund was established to help provide children a safe and stimulating place to spend their weeks when school is out. Please contact an MCCA Director for details on how to apply.