A great way to spend some quality time after school is by learning another language. This kind of out-of-school study could help compliment foreign language efforts at school or it can provide your child with an edge over other kids in the future. Learning a second language is probably a goal that all students should take on.

Dictionary.com recently began a Spanish Channel on their website.

It offers access to popular features such as:

- audio pronunciation

- differences in word meanings by geography

- contextual differences in word meaning by category, such as slang, for example

- synonyms (both Spanish and English), related words, sentence samples

- phrase and sentence translations

- spelling suggestions

- word/ phrase/ grammar tip of the day

- weekly vocabulary study list to continue learning away from site

- engaging travel series of an American student in Spain

- and coming soon are Spanish flashcards and a Spanish dictionary mobile app

This free site can help your child experience a type of immersion learning by expanding his or her vocabulary, understanding and application of grammar, and in a way, an exposure to a different culture. It is a good resource for those who cannot afford travel or immersion software.

The good news is that Dictionary.com plans on creating the same learning infrastructure with other languages in the future. Imagine, learning French or Italian or Greek, effectively and for free! It is truly a priceless resource for self-learners or autodidacts of all ages.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By olgaberrios

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A mandala is usually a circular diagram symbolizing an ideal universe. They can come in many forms. Mandalas were originated in the 4th century as part of one of the world’s great religions, Buddhism. They were used in Tibet, India, Nepal, China and Japan among other countries. Now they are created throughout the world.

Making a mandala can be a very empowering experience for a child. There is no right or wrong way to make them so its an easy project for a child to make without worry.

Original mandalas were created in a very specific way, nowadays, anyone can create a unique mandala from beginning to end with a computer application. For a child’s project, it can be a very simple, fun and casual manual process.

Simply begin by asking the  child to make the basic geometric shape of his mandala. This can be done with tools, such as a ruler and compass, plates, cup rims, or a basic mandala form can be downloaded.  Then use a compass or trace variously sized circles from lids, plates, etc. in overlapping patterns over the main circle as he wishes.

The next step is to fill the mandala with images and colors that the child chooses. These are the symbols representative of things in his world. For example, living things, like animals are a good example. The child can cut out pictures or use stickers if he wants.

The goal is to create something unique that represent the artist.  The child can find this type of self-expression very rewarding.

For mandala coloring pages to start out with, click here.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By MANDALAS & Cia

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Sphinx Kids is a part of the Sphinx Organization’s Classical Connections program, which strives to bring classical music into underserved schools in the United States.  However, your child can enjoy it too!

Sphinx Kids contains interactive games and videos from the Sphinx Classical Connections CD-Rom as well as from the New York Philharmonic’s KidZone website. It is a music site that has games and learning modules that provide kids with a fun way to learn all things musical. Kids can:

-Learn about famous composers

-Learn the difference between different string instruments

-Learn about minority composers

-Create a band and practice

-Learn about orchestras

-Match music and composers together

For more educational music sites like this, check out these interactive websites relating to all aspects of music:

Classics for Kids: Compose Your Own Music-This site allows kids to compose and record their own tunes!

PBS Kids: Thumb Piano Tunes- Learn about this African instrument and the culture it is used in.

Pauly’s Playhouse: Freaky Frank’s Music Machine – Kids can make very modern and cool sounding music using synthesizers and other cool gadgets.

Classics for Kids: The Note Name Game - Kids play games to gain understanding of what makes up music.

ArtsAlive: Activities and Games- All about classical music.  It’s a lot more fun than it sounds!

Dallas Symphony Orchestra: DSO Kids Games- Learn all about symphonies by listening and playing games.  This one is for kids who want to know more about this kind of music.  Not for a die hard rocker!

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By Gerg1967

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Everyone, including children, needs to have creative outlets in order to achieve happiness and balance. Creativity does not need to be taught, but it does need nurturing.  It needs to brew in the right conditions to prosper and grow to its full potential. This is especially true for children after hours spent learning in school.

There are many simple ways that can inspire and enable children to be creative and remain creative.

Encourage children to embrace their uniqueness and follow their own path.

Allow children to spend time alone to hear their own thoughts and originate their own ideas.

One of the most important things for children to learn is to let go of perfectionism. Explain to them that most times, imperfection can be so much more interesting.

Another must for helping creativity flourish is having a routine in place. A routine can create a healthy environment where growing, learning, and new experiences are encouraged-all fodder for the creative spirit.

This is further enhanced if you and your child incorporate creative rituals which help the creative juices to flow. Examples of creative rituals include writing and drawing in a journal daily, listening to new music, read a page of the dictionary every day, make lists, singing in the shower, tell stories and doing something active every day, such as juggling.

Creativity is not just for artistic people. Creativity can help your child come up with solutions to problems, cope with differing opinions and be a good leader.

For more ideas to nurture creativity check out this link (www.pbs.org/wholechild/parents/play.html)

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By christynelson.net

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After a full day of learning, my son is ravenous. Choosing healthy snack foods to have available for him is imperative. Healthy snacks can improve a person’s health by adding fiber and nutrients to the diet. For a child, a healthy snack can provide a much needed energy boost, for after school activities including homework.

Top 20 healthy snack foods to have on hand for kids:

- Air Popped Popcorn

- Frozen Grapes

- Protein Bars

- Hard Boiled Eggs

- Orange Slices

- Broccoli Florets

- Green Salad

- Hummus

- Cherry Tomatoes

- Nonfat Yogurt

- Peanut Butter

- Frozen Mangos

- Frozen Yogurt

- Fruit Smoothies

- Walnuts

- Sunflower Seeds

- Soy Chips

- Bean Salad

- Sliced Apples

- Pickles

- Olives

Eating healthy snack foods several times a day can be good for the body. It helps to keep kids from binging on not such healthy stuff. Extra healthy snacking also means extra energy and nutrients and controlling hunger pangs to avoid feelings of deprivation which can lead to overheating.

To compliment the healthy snacking, try this super nutritious and delicious smoothie. It’s an energy booster and filling, so that hour or two before dinner time will not be as excruciating for  your child.

Green Supreme Smoothie

Ingredients:

-2 bananas

-a handful of spinach

-1/2 cup of frozen peaches

-1/2 cup of frozen mango

-1 cup water

-ice optional

-for an extra boost, a teaspoon of flaxseed and some spirulina powder

Combine all ingredients in the blender until smooth.  Serve instantly.

For more healthy snacking ideas for kids, click here.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By micmol 

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My son cheered and whooped along with every other adult as the football game played on the television.  Like many children, he enjoys watching sports with family.  Its one of his favorite past times. I believe as well that it’s a benefit to him.

Indeed, children can learn various positive lessons from sport, such as:

-rules and fair play

-respect for others

-cooperation

-personal sacrifice

-discipline

-relationships

-resilience

Then add the fact that often, kids are watching with their family, spending precious quality time sharing something.  It doesn’t matter what sport- it could be football, baseball, hockey or less popular sports like volleyball. It does not make a difference. Spending quality time together helps kids.

In fact, parents can really enhance the child’s experience by using commercial breaks to discuss the game or get up and practice playing on a smaller scale the game that’s on the screen. As the game progresses, parents can also take time to point out specific  things going on in the game, like good sportsmanship and teamwork, and other not so desirable stuff like sore losers and unfair tactics.

Media is often one of the best way to introduce a child to sports. A lot of times, families cannot afford to take part or get lessons for every sport. Unfortunately, there is not enough time or money.

At first, children may not understand the rules of the sport parents introduce them to but they can soak up how the game is played. Parents can also gain understanding of which sports their child responds most to so that they can then try them in real life.

For easy to explain sports rules, click here.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By Robert Couse-Baker

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I am always searching for activities my 10 year old son and 20 month old daughter can do together. It’s hard since their interests and skill levels are so different.

Recently I found a great activity that sparked both their imaginations- creating a fairy garden.

From the little bit of research I did, I found fairy gardens are like a worldwide craft phenomena. People are creating fairy gardens in public parks, on their own property, on the side of a highway, just about anywhere.

Its a simple project since it is small in size, but it can get very involved. It could take up an afternoon, or go on for months. A fairy garden can occupy whatever space you have no matter how small, in the ground or in a basket on a patio or stoop. The only requirement is that it be small enough so that it is cozy, inviting and magical to your child.

Your child can learn a lot by taking part- about basic gardening, construction, color and design, even ‘building’ planning experience. Though supply and craft stores have plenty of materials to use in this project, including pre-made furniture,it is more educational and fun to try to build everything from nature; with items they would find in the yard or on a hike. For example, an acorn cap could be a tiny pond, a nut shell could be a tiny birdbath. An established plant could be a tree in a fairy garden.

My little one loves moving all the pieces of the garden around while my son enjoyed building the house and tiny bridge.  It’s been a wonderful endeavor.

For fairy garden ideas, visit Ehow instructions here.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By Southern Foodways Alliance

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I often wonder what goes on in my child’s head. I always look for opportunities to glimpse his ideas and thoughts.  Recently, we started an ongoing project that really helps me see how he sees himself.

My son’s self-portrait is a reflection of what he looks like and how he interprets himself and the world around him.  If I want to get to know my child, I need look no further as the self-portrait is his personal story. I could not get a third of the information if I asked him to write down an answer to the question “who am I?

In order to make the process a slow and deliberate one, I set up a corner of the room with an easel and any art supplies he wanted to use. For example, acrylic paints, brushes, a couple of glasses of water, stencils, oil pastels, pencils, crayons, glue, magazine cuttings, stencil letters, and other unexpected materials. These included branches, rocks, twigs, feathers, tinsel and many others – all of which he used in interesting ways.

I purchased a canvas so that it had the feel of something important. Everyday, increasingly so, he worked on it, adding a little here and there. I never pressured or even mentioned the project. It was his to do as he wished. After it started taking shape, he really got into it.

The end result was incredible.  It’s an activity we will repeat every year to tell the story of his growing up.

To get some great self portrait art lesson ideas, click here.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By edenpictures

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Who says learning needs to stop after kids exit the school building? Most parents enroll their children in afterschool activities geared to direct and guided learning of some sort. How about setting things up so that children  learn without realizing they are learning?

“Learning through osmosis” is an analogy for natural, organic and  indirect way of learning. To learn through osmosis means to learn by immersion an exposure. For example, children learn their family’s native language through osmosis.

So if you want your child to learn something, immerse them as much as possible in whatever it is as a way of learning seamlessly. Learning a language is a prime example of this, however it can apply to anything, through a gradual, unconscious process.

My son surprises me all the time with comments about subjects we have discussed around him but never with him. Subjects we thought above his level of understanding.  It’s amazing to me how often this happens.

With this in mind, lately, when no other activities are planned  in the afternoon, and only  when he is engrossed in a quiet activity, like playing with Legos or reading, I will do any of of the following within his earshot to offer opportunities for learning through osmosis:

- play classical or other music

- listen to books on audio (fiction, self help, non fiction and on a particular subject)

- play Ted talks (www.ted.com)on a laptop

- have intellectual conversations with visitors or on the phone

- read out loud

Without announcement or fanfare, any of the above offers a way for a child to learn quietly, almost in the background.  You never know what they will pick up and what connections they will make.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By daveynin

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For his birthday, my husband received a Disaster Survival book. He put it on a shelf and forgot about. I have seen my son reading it more than once, with avid interest.  When I asked him if he liked it, he responded, sagely, I think this  is the kind of information everyone should know.

It makes sense as parents that we make sure to train those most vulnerable during disasters – our children- to take care of themselves and others if need be.  Its imperative that the young learn about preparing for emergencies. If your child is part of your preparation process in your home and family, he has the opportunity to learn important life skills that could save his and other lives.

I was a little worried my son would develop fears from reading about survival skills and possible natural and man-made disasters, however I now realize learning about how to handle himself in these situations actually empowers him. Being prepared ensures his using his natural resilience or his capacity to overcome the damaging effects of any adversity that comes his way.

I am now in search of a hands-on, activity-based, disaster survival skill development program which harnesses my child’s instinctual by teaching him to recognize, avoid, and if necessary, respond in a myriad of practical ways to potential danger. Until then, I will encourage my son to go on the FEMA Ready Kids site which provides a great interactive resource that helps teach kids emergency survival skills.

Article By Nuria Almeida

Photo By Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

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