Rainy Day Activities!

 

 

As the school year comes to a close here at the Goddard School of Wall, everyone is looking forward to an exciting, fun filled summer. There's plenty to do outside when the weather is nice, but how do you keep your preschoolers occupied inside on a rainy day? There are many games and crafts that you can do right at home with little to no supplies or planning ahead! The best part is, they're not only fun, but they are beneficial to your child's cognitive development. Here is a list of our 3 favorite "Rainy Day Activities."


1. Reading Books Together

Most of us don't think of reading books as an indoor activity, but more of a nightly bed time ritual. Most of us also know getting a toddler to sit for a long period of time to listen to a book is no easy task. However a short story and some acting might do the trick. Matching your voice to different characters in the story and getting your child more involved in the story will keep them entertained longer. Reading together encourages verbal development and allows a child to learn more words. Book can also help introduce cognitive concepts like shapes, colors, numbers, and letters to a toddler. According to the Kids Health website, children who are read to at a young age will have an easier time learning to read independently.

 
2. Building Blocks

Wooden blocks are one of the most under rated toys on the market. However, they are extremely beneficial to a child's cognitive development! Stacking blocks helps to develop problem-solving skills, balance concepts. They also start to learn the beginning of math skills as they experiment with blocks of different shapes, sizes, and weights. So the next rainy day be sure to dig out the wooden blocks and build away!


3.  Sink or Bathtub Toys

Roll up your sleeves and fill up the sink or bathtub and let the water fun begin! Grab some items from around the kitchen and the toy box and help your child see what they can do in the water. Tactical activities that allow toddlers to use their sense of touch are actually the best way for a toddler to learn. According to Diane Sonntag on the Baby Zone website, toddlers who use a water table or bathtub to scoop, pour and see how different objects respond to being dunked are learning beginning math and science skills.


There's no need to panic at the thought of occupying your child inside on the next rain day! With these activities you are now prepared for an exciting day of inside fun. Check out some more cognitive building activities here.

Summer Camp at the Goddard School

To succeed in school and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. This is especially true during the summer months. Summer is an opportunity for kids to have fun and relax – but the learning must go on! Summer camp is a place where kids can have fun, meet new friends, try new things, and continue learning new things.

Utilizing the concepts of the F.L.EX. Learning Program, our Summer Camp at Goddard blends fun, adventure and learning. Children love our unique summer activities where play and educational opportunities combine! The Goddard School goes far beyond just summer camp fun. Our Program combines songs, stories, exploration, physical activities and learning adventures in a safe, nurturing environment.

At Goddard Summer Camp, science and nature, arts and crafts, manners, computers and technology, literature and language, music and movement, sports and games, cooking and drama are all brought to life. We ensure your child has a memorable summer all the while, preparing them for the upcoming school year.

It’s going to be a fun summer at Goddard this year! Our Summer Camp theme is Mysterious Minds. The children will use problem solving and creative thinking to solve mysteries and preform science experiments.  There will be lots of manipulative play and hands-on art this summer.

Every Tuesday and Wednesday are water days; we will have water activities set up for the kids so they can cool off from the heat. Every Friday Amazing Athletes come to get the kids on their feet and playing sports. Each Friday will feature a different sport. All summer long we will be having special visitors come to school who will be supporting the Mysterious Minds theme. 

On March 14^th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm we are having a Summer Camp sneak-peak open house here at the Goddard School of Wall. Come take a tour of our school and meet some of the teachers who will be here for the summer. Learn more about our Mysterious Minds theme and find out what the kids will be learning this summer. We will have lots of delicious food, snacks, games, activities, and fun - so bring the whole family and invite some friends or neighbors. For all the mothers, we will have a representative here from Babies R Us raffling away a basket filled with all sorts of goodies!

To find out more about our Summer Camp program or our open house in March, please contact our Education Director, Samantha Calabrese, at (732) 974- 8314.

Goddard of Wall Seeks to Raise Money for 25th Birthday Celebration

This February is the 25^th Birthday of the Goddard School! We will have a week-long celebration February 4^th – Saturday, February 9^th. The Goddard School Birthday Party is more than a party – it is a national educational event celebrating 25 years of learning through play.

To kickoff this milestone event, the Goddard School has formed a partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). The Goddard School of Wall is seeking to raise $577 to contribute to the country-wide Goddard goal of $250,000. This money will be donated to the RMHC, who is also celebrating their 25th year anniversary.

The Ronald McDonald house’s mission is to create, find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Similar to the beliefs of Goddard, RMHC believes that when you change a child’s life, you change a family’s, which can change a community, and ultimately the world. In honor of Goddard’s 25^th birthday celebration, please help us raise money to donate to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. We will be accepting donations between January 14^th and February 12^th.

During our Birthday celebration week in February, all the children will be creating birthday cards. These cards will be distributed throughout the year by RMHC directors to pediatric patients or family members celebrating birthdays during their, or a loves one’s, hospital stay. Goddard School Inc. (GSI) will donate $25,000 for the first 25,000 birthday cards made ($1 per card). We are asking families to help us create special birthday cards to donate to the RMHC.

With your help, we can make this a wonderful, fun and successful 25^th anniversary celebration for both the Goddard School and the Ronald McDonald House Charities. If you would like make a monetary donation or create a birthday card, please contact our educational director Miss Samantha at 732-974-8314. Thank you in advance for your support! 

Holiday Craft: Mistletoes!

When you need ideas for crafts, snacks, games and other fun ideas - Pinterest is the best place to look! We use Pinterest all the time to find inspiration and ideas to use here at Goddard. Check out the Goddard School of Wall's Pinterest page by clicking here.

This week we found an adorable holiday craft that we couldn't wait to share. This craft is perfect for the little ones! It's called "Mistle-toes." This cute little ornament will be one you want to save for years to come. This craft was originally created for a child's first Christmas, but you can make it with any of your kids.

Here is what you will need:

• 2 packs of oven baking clay in green
• 3 red stem balls 
• 10-inches of red string to fold over
• 1 straw 
• 1 hot glue gun
• 1 glue stick 
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 baking sheet 
• 1 Sharpie marker or pen

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven as directed on the oven baking clay packaging. Take clay out of packaging and flatten with hands to the size of your child's foot. Make sure the surface is smooth so the footprint comes out visible. Place your child's foot on the clay, pressing down on the heel, top of foot, and all the toes for a good impression. Lift straight up and check out the impression. You can use your fingers to fix areas or make them deeper to see better. 

Take a sharp knife and cut along the footprint. Smooth out the edges and if you need to reshape the toes a little to make them more recognizable. Take a straw to make a hole at the heel for the string to go through after they are baked. 

Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Let cool. Decide how wide you want the feet to be and line up the holes at the heels and use hot glue gun to glue together. Double the 10-inch string so it's 5-inches long and string it through the holes at the heels. Tie a knot then tie another knot at the very end of the string so you are left with a small loop to hang the mistletoe. 

Lastly, you take the 3 stem balls and with the wire attached to each red ball, twist them together and use the now single wire to string through the holes in the heels. Take the wire and wrap it around the front holly so that it secures them but also hides the wire. Write the child's information on the back so you remember who, when and how old. Then hand the mistletoe where you would normally hang mistletoe for kiss. This is great for gifts to the family and friends! 

Happy Crafting!