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HAPPY HEART SKATING EVENT
Please join us for our annual ice skating event at Centennial Lakes in Edina on Saturday, February 4, from 10:00-11:30 AM. Skate & sled rentals are available if you don't have your own. Please note that they require a photo ID as a deposit on all rentals. The concession stand will be open for hot chocolate & well-deserved treats! Let's hope we get some great weather to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate our Minnesota winter, together with the Edina and Bloomington EFC locations. We hope to see you there!
NOTE: We learned that as of 2/1, the rink is closed due to warm weather. However, they are flooding the rink today and hope to be open by the weekend. We will continue to check the status of the rink--please look for an email blast later this week as to whether we can hold the event. Thanks!
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VALENTINE'S DAY PARTIES
Each classroom will celebrate Valentine's Day on Tuesday, February 14. We will play games, and pass out Valentine's Day cards. In early February, each classroom will communicate how many children/adults are in the room. We encourage you to consider non-edible treats such as mini-toys and stickers, or healthier options such as whole-grain crackers or fruit. Here is a great website for fun non-edible ideas:
http://www.iheartnaptime.net/non-candy-valentine-ideas/
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STAR GUY WINTER ACTIVITIES
Indoor Bowling
Using small, empty water bottles and a rubber ball you can transform your family room into a bowling alley. If the bottles fall over too easily, fill them up with a little water, or dry pasta for some extra weight.
Indoor Skating
Use paper plates as skates. Take turns racing down a hallway, or in a large room. Use a timer to record each person's results.
Indoor Hockey
Use ½ pool noodle as a hockey stick, and cut a thin slice to use as puck. Set up a rink indoors and see who can score more goals!
Gymnastics
Use painter's tape and tape "balance beams" on the floor. Practice walking on the balance beams without falling off! Add skills & tricks as desired (but don't hurt yourself
)!
Indoor Basketball
Crumble newspaper into balls. Set up an empty garbage can, and take turns throwing the balls into the garbage can.
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STAR WELLNESS: QUICK AND HEALTHY BREAKFAST IDEAS
With our hectic schedules, finding the
time to prepare a healthy breakfast can
be challenging. Here are some tips for
making this important meal a little easier
to get on the table.
- Set up to-go bags the day before a crazy morning. Include low-fat yogurt, baggie of granola, hard-boiled egg and a handful of grapes.
- Have a smoothie. Just make sure to add some protein, like yogurt or tofu, to keep you satisfied longer.
- Make quick and healthy breakfast sandwiches with frozen waffles (toasted), peanut butter and sliced banana.
- Set foods aside the night before; cut up fruits, pour cereal or prepare mixtures for baked or scrambled eggs.
- Consider steel-cut oats for a super healthy and convenient meal. Combine the oats and water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let set overnight. The next morning, you just have to reheat them.
- Use your microwave. Most hot cereals have microwave instructions. Mix the cereal with liquid and flavorings, pop it in the microwave and finish dressing while breakfast cooks itself.
- Keep your freezer stocked with frozen waffles and healthy breakfast burritos.
- Don't think of berries as an extravagance. They're outrageously good for you and they turn the most boring bowl of cereal into something special.
- Keep hard-boiled eggs in your fridge -it's an easy dose of high-quality protein.
- Always keep a bowl of fresh seasonal fruits available for the easiest grab and go.
- Here at EFC, we make our own waffle & pancake "syrup" by mashing fresh berries with a food processor. The frozen berry sauce can be frozen and used anytime!
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HOW CAN I COME UP WITH ACTIVITIES TO GET US THROUGH THE WINTER?
Are you struggling with how to spend your time at home with your child during these months where it is harder to be outdoors for long periods of time? Here are some questions you might ask yourself as you decide how to spend indoor time with your child. Specific activities will vary, of course, by the age of your child, or children. But here are some good things to think about:
- Is my time spent with my child enhancing my relationship with him/her?
- What is my child learning about me when we are together?
- What am I learning about my child when we are at home?
- Are there skills that my child needs to work on that I can foster?
- Are there activities that will complement what my child is doing at school?
- Are there opportunities for me to provide activities at home that we can't provide at school?
On the internet there are many articles on activities you can do inside with children at various ages. My experience is that you don't need elaborate materials to get going. With your infant, snuggling with a book or introducing a new toy or pan and spoon from the cupboard provide the chance to totally tune in to your baby and respond
to his/her cues. Time on the floor talking with and singing to your infant are precious moments for each of you.
As your child becomes a toddler, everything old becomes new again. The books you have been reading to your child now become interactive tools. Allowing your child to point to objects you name or make the sounds of animals becomes a new activity. And then block building and pushing down the creations becomes a game that can be played over and over again.
In the evenings, your preschool child will love to show you things he/she has learned at school. Have crayons and various sizes and colors readily available. Find an old cardboard box and let that be the object to decorate. If your child is ready to cut paper, provide child-sized scissors and a space that is easy to clean up after the strips of paper fall. It may not seem like a big deal, but when a child acquires a skill like using scissors effectively, it is a huge milestone. Think about ways you can involve your child in cooking with you. There may be a few shells to dig out when you allow him to practice breaking an egg, but the pride in helping you create a product to eat is worth the effort. It is also a great science lesson to see what the egg feels like and what is inside when it is cracked open. One of the keys to surviving the winters indoors is to think ahead about what you need to do and find ways for your child to participate in the tasks.
Also, be aware of activities that your child might be able to do now that she is older. Simple board games, matching games and jigsaw puzzles extend children's ability to concentrate and provide another family activity. Think ahead and talk with your child about what you can do with him/her in the evening. Sometimes the fact that your child can anticipate special time with you makes all the difference!!
Our grandchildren having some indoor fun.
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TWIN CITIES
FAMILY EVENTS
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When your children need some time to run, jump and let out some energy but the weather outside is frightful, check out one of these
indoor play spaces the Twin Cities has to offer.
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