Brentwood Pediatric Dentistry Visits

Thank you to Brentwood Pediatric Dentistry for visiting our students today.  February is Dental Health Month.  We talked about bad foods for our teeth and how to properly brush.  We read a story and even got to practice brushing giant teeth!  It was fun and educational.  We now know the dentist isn't scary at all and helps keep our mouths strong and healthy.

Let's Play!

Creating a mix of free play and structured time helps kids build an array of skills and feel more balanced in their everyday lives.  True free play is child initiated, spontaneous and guided by the child’s imagination without the direction of an adult.  

Here are six benefits of free play for children:

1. Builds creativity and ability to come up with unique ideas.
2. Develops motor planning skills, helping the child to create and carry out ideas, motor actions, and activities.
3. Fosters decision-making skills.  Unstructured play provides many opportunities to make choices while playing alone or while playing in a group.
4. Fosters independence.  Helps children learn to think independently and teaches them how to entertain themselves.
5. Develops social skills and collaborative play skills.  Free play allows children to develop conflict resolution skills and learn to take turns.  It also helps children develop their skills as leaders and as followers.
6. Provides opportunities for children to discover their interests and skills!

Exploring in the block center.

Imagination with Legos

Building a cage for the leopard

Practicing her mommy skills

Valentine's Day

Everyone is in Valentine's Day spirit here at The Academy of Cool Springs. We have been playing fun games and wearing fun Valentine's Day accessories.  We are all so excited for our parties this afternoon!

Let's Go Outside

We took full advantage of the warmer weather this week and spent time outdoors playing and exploring! 

On average, American children spend four to seven minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play compared to seven or more hours in front of a screen.  Outdoor play should not become a thing of the past. Here are five good reasons why it’s so important for parents to incorporate children playing outside.

1. Builds physically healthier children.

Nowhere is better than the outdoors for running, jumping, throwing balls, catching, pulling things, lifting and carrying objects. All these actions require motor skills that improve with practice. Children get aerobic exercise and gain skills, such as pushing and pulling outdoor play equipment. Studies show children burn more calories outdoors, helping to prevent obesity and strengthen bones and muscles. 

2. Contributes to cognitive and social/emotional development.

Unstructured outdoor play helps kids learn to take turns, share and develop other positive behavioral skills. They are more likely to be inventive, explore and learn about the world around them and use their own abilities. While they are having fun inventing and playing games with siblings or friends, these interactions also help them improve communication, cooperation and organizational skills. 

3. Improves sensory skills.

An optometry and vision science study showed kids who play outdoors regularly have better distance vision than children who are always indoors. Preschoolers, in particular, learn new things through their senses.

4. Increases attention spans.

Children who play outdoors regularly are more curious, self-directed and likely to stay with a task longer. Children who spend most of their time indoors with little exposure to activities requiring their own initiation and follow-through show less ability to initiate or participate in new activities. In fact, studies of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder found that children with ADHD who spent significant time outdoors exhibited fewer symptoms.

5. Happiness and better immunity.

Outdoor light stimulates the pineal gland. This part of the brain is vital to keeping our immune system strong and making us feel happier. Spending time in nature is also associated with improving mood and happiness.