December News from Especially for Children

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FAMILY HOLIDAY EVENTS

SANTA AND ALBERT

Santa & Albert Rock Christmas on Saturdays and Sundays
starting November 19 to December 18, 2016.
Saturdays - 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm, 2:30 pm.
Sundays - 11:30 am, 1 pm, 2:30 pm.
Bachman's on Lyndale in Bloomington. Free to attend.

NIGHT TRAIN

Night Train - Twin City Model Railroad Museum, Saint Paul.

Saturdays, November 5 - February 25

Cost $15 and up. More information visit Twin City Model Railroad Museum website.

UPCOMING EVENTS

	SPECIAL DAYS THIS MONTH December 8 - Mis-Match Day December 13 - Wear your favorite Holiday Shirt! December 23 - Pajama Day!
	NEW YEAR'S BREAKFAST We hope you can join us Thursday, January 5, between the hours of 7:00 am and 8:30 am for a Come and Go - New Year's Breakfast with your child. There will be a variety of food for you to enjoy while celebrating the New Year with your child/ren and other EFC families. Look for a RSVP sheet soon! We hope to see you all there!

PARENT REMINDERS

	UPCOMING HOLIDAYS EFC will be closed Thursday, December 26, in observance of Christmas. We will also be closed Monday, January 2, 2017 in observance of New Year's. We hope you enjoy the holidays with family and friends.
	HOLIDAY ATTENDANCE We understand many families travel during the holiday weeks. Please let us know your child's attendance by signing the sheets on the classroom doors by December 12. This will help us staff classrooms correctly, and be able to give our teachers some well-deserved time off. Thank you!

PARENT RESOURCES

O CHRISTMAS TREATS

Take tree decorating to delicious new heights with this easy candy craft. Melt a 12-ounce bag of white chocolate chips per the package directions (this makes enough for about 18 trees). If you like, use food coloring to tint the chocolate. Transfer the candy to a squeeze bottle or a zip lock bag with one corner snipped off. Form the frame of each tree by arranging three pretzel sticks in the shape of an arrow on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pipe on overlapping rows of chocolate, then top with colored sprinkles or sparkling sugar. Let the candy set before serving.

Originally published in the December/January 2015 issue of Family Fun magazine.

ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS

THE IMPORTANCE OF FINE MOTOR SKILLS

In a world where technology is not going away and infants and toddlers are learning to "swipe and tap", we don't want to be fooled into the idea that these activities are what children need for the development of fine motor skills. From an early age children need time to play with and experiment with materials that help them develop coordination in their fingers and strengthen their hand muscles. These experiences start in infancy when a child learns to hold a rattle and pick up food to eat. Then children move on to skills like building with blocks, playing with play dough and eventually learning to zip and button, draw and form letters.

There is real concern across the country that children are not getting enough practice with real objects. Many are going to kindergarten lacking the basic fine motor skills needed to hold a pencil and write. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely no screen time for children under the age of two, and less than an hour a day for preschoolers. Parents should not give their smart phones to babies in car seats or strollers. They should not play videos for infants and toddlers to keep them occupied. They should not take iPads to restaurants. Preschoolers should not have televisions in their bedrooms.

Those are a lot of "children should not..." rules. But at Especially for Children we want you to be assured that we supply our classrooms with time-tested materials to help children practice fine motor skills. From crayons, markers, chalk, paints, pencils and scissors to blocks, Legos, dolls, play dough and finger paint, children have a multitude of materials that allow them to manipulate real objects and interact with people, not screens.

We thought it would be helpful to give you some ideas of activities you can do at home to help your child build fine motor skills. We have posted them on our blog with specific suggestions on how to incorporate them into your daily routines. Here is an example:

Kitchen projects : Making homemade play dough strengthens muscles in the hands and fingers. Roll snakes and balls of all sizes: build with the balls and snakes. Your child can play with play dough at the counter or table while you make dinner. See EFC's favorite play dough recipe on our blog.

Make peanut butter or sugar cookies that require the dough to be rolled into balls and smashed with a fork.

December is often a month with lots of cooking projects, so think ahead to how your child can participate. Not only will you be enjoying the activities together, but you can think about the important fine motor skills you are helping your child to develop. Look on the blog for even more ideas to do at home!