ways to encourage independence in our preschoolers

Ways to Encourage Independence in Our Preschoolers

By / 5 minutes of reading

While it may sound odd to think about an independent preschooler, we really do have to start somewhere with teaching our kids to be independent. And we can’t wait until they are 18. Independence is something we have to build in our children as they grow, and there’s no better time to start than right now. So let’s look at age-appropriate ways to encourage independence in our preschoolers. So what does it look like for a preschooler to be independent? We’re looking at things like dressing themselves, doing simple chores, handling some of their personal hygiene, developing social skills, and …

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easy summer meal ideas

Easy Summer Meal Ideas for Your Little Ones

By / 5 minutes of reading

We’re heading into August already, and the summer has been both long and short somehow. Pool days and splash pads, outings and play dates, vacations and other travel times…we’ve all been busy with summer fun. But many of us are getting weary at this point. Outings are getting tiring, we’re broke from buying sunblock, and decent meals are a thing of the past – like way back in June. So, here at the end of the summer, let’s find some easy summer meal ideas for your little ones. This just might get us through the next few weeks of feeding …

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today is monkey around day

Today is Monkey Around Day!

By / 3 minutes of reading

Today is Monkey Around Day! What on earth could that mean? Well, it’s a day to let go of stress and pressure, choosing instead to do whatever you feel like doing. Think of it as a goof-off day! And you can take this as far as you want to or keep it low key. How much would our kids love to have a Monkey Around Day?  Are there crazy ideas that you have set aside because they aren’t practical? Do your kids have silly or over-the-top ideas? Since today is Monkey Around Day, it’s exactly the right time to consider …

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Keeping Little Ones Entertained While Traveling

Keeping Little Ones Entertained While Traveling

By / 3 minutes of reading

We all long for stress-free travel with our little ones. While we can’t promise a completely stress-free travel experience, we do have a few tips for keeping your kids busy and having fun together. You have probably already chosen a family-friendly destination. And you have to think through which little kid gear you have to take with you, and which pieces you can do without. Even then, the gear list is a lot. All we can do is try not to say bad words while we try to get our vehicle trunks to close. But, the travel time – that …

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Strengthening Our Family Relationships

Strengthening Our Family Relationships

By / 4 minutes of reading

Each year, the time between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is designated as National Family Month. These special times in our calendars help us to notice a specific part of our lives, and they help us to do something about what we find. National Family Month is meant to help families by celebrating their strengths and by supporting them in their challenges. So in the time we have before Father’s Day, let’s think about how we can celebrate the strength of our own families. And let’s look at ways that we can work on strengthening our family relationships so that …

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easy STEM learning for preschoolers

Easy STEM Learning for Preschoolers

By / 4 minutes of reading

Sometimes the idea of STEM education can seem daunting. I mean, what if you’re not a math whiz? How can you even care about getting your kids interested in math or science if you’re not feeling capable? Thankfully, it isn’t that difficult to get your preschoolers into STEM activities and thinking. Even if you aren’t into the STEM fields, you can handle these ideas for easy STEM learning for your preschoolers. STEM learning is a major topic in education. This acronym, STEM, stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Now, these may sound a little too lofty for our preschoolers. …

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learn through playing

Can our Kids Learn Through Playing?

By / 3 minutes of reading

Play-based learning is gaining popularity as an important part of early childhood education. And there are good reasons for this. Play-based learning is exactly what it sounds like: learning through play rather than through lectures or drilling. Play and fun are the languages of our children. When we teach in a fun way, our kids retain information better. What better way to learn than through playing? Play-based learning is considered to be a very effective way to help preschoolers develop as a whole. Think about first-hand experiences, hands-on projects and experiments, lots of exploration and discovery, and both real-life and …

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make a difference for those with communication challenges

Make a Difference for Those with Communication Challenges

By / 3 minutes of reading

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. This designation is quite broad, but the focus is on raising awareness about difficulties in communicating. We’d like to think of this as an equal honoring of all forms of communication, even if they may be different from our own. Our friends with communication challenges are not always respected or treated with dignity. While it’s true that times have changed, many people still face hurdles that the rest of us do not have to face. There’s still room for us to make a difference for those with communication challenges. So how can we …

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ways to teach our kids about diversity

3 Ways to Teach Our Kids About Diversity

By / 3 minutes of reading

Here we are at the end of April already! April has a lot of special celebrations, and one of those is that it is Celebrate Diversity Month. Diversity is a hot topic in our society, but at its heart is the belief that we each carry value, and that this value should be celebrated and cherished. This is a worthy thought for each of us to hold on to. And it’s a belief that is important to teach to our children. So let’s look at 3 ways to teach our kids about diversity. Diversity is defined as the range of …

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get to know Hopkins the frog

Get to Know Hopkins the Frog This Month

By / 3 minutes of reading

April is a month full of celebrations, remembrances, and honorable causes. But did you know that April is also National Frog Month? Yup, it’s a month for us to get excited about frogs. So that’s what we’re going to do. We like frogs here at Signing Time, and we love our own Hopkins the Frog! So we’re all set to celebrate National Frog Month, and we’d love for you to get to know Hopkins the Frog this month. Learning about frogs is fun Along with getting to know Hopkins, it’s a good idea to learn about frogs in general. Frogs …

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