Spring and Summer Allergies and Kids

Is your child sneezing and sniffling during the spring months?

Are you wondering if it’s more than just a cold due to the weather changing?

Is it true that a child under the age of 2 can’t develop allergies?

According to Parents.com, “for a long time, doctors believed that babies under 2 couldn’t develop allergies because their immune systems were not developed enough.” However, we now know that isn’t true! A baby can have an allergic reaction to anything he or she is exposed to on a consistent basis, like dust, mold, pet dander, and even certain foods.

Keep in mind that seasonal allergies (things like pollen or grass) tend to manifest later in life because it takes at least one allergy season for a baby’s immune system to “learn” to be allergic to them.
In babies and toddlers, symptoms of allergies can include:

• Runny nose
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Sneezing
• Hives
• Dark circles under the eyes (sometimes called allergic shiners)

If you notice any of these symptoms, or just have an unhappy baby at home during these high pollen seasons, it could be allergies! Talk to your pediatrician and find out if natural or prescription remedies could cure your child’s springtime blues.

After all, enjoying the changing of the seasons is one of the best parts of living in Michigan! Taking the steps necessary to make sure your child can be happy and healthy during the spring and summer will mean a more fun, more adventurous time of the year for your whole family.

To learn more about our illness policy and find out how we can help your child with allergies still enjoy their time at our daycare in Ann Arbor, visit our website! You can also talk to your child’s teacher and Little Angels management if your child needs special attention during allergy season.

Creating a Natural Play Space at Home

Did your parents ever say “fresh air is good for you?”

Well it turns out our parents were right! Creating a natural outdoor play space in your backyard is easy if you have access to natural materials, which most of us do.

According to LetTheChildrenPlay.net, elements to include in your natural outdoor play space should include:

• Water 
• Vegetation 
• Animals
•  Insects 
• Sand 
• Natural Color 
• Places to sit on, in, under, lean against, provide privacy, shade or shelter 
• Different levels, nooks, crannies, places to hide 
• Structures or objects that can be changed, including lots of loose parts 

The outdoors is richer in sensory experiences than are indoor environments. Very young children learn predominately through their sensory and physical experiences, and that learning supports brain development.

Children who have nature experiences demonstrate more advanced cognitive development by improving awareness, reasoning, and observational skills.

At Little Angels Preschool & Daycare in Ann Arbor we focus on growing the WHOLE child, not just academically, but also their character and well-being. Studies have shown that being outdoors is great for your child’s intelligence and their character, as well as their physical and mental health.

Little Angels is dedicated to spending much of your child’s day exploring nature. We feel that it’s the best and most effective way for children to learn and grow. Call (734) 998-0233 to schedule a tour!

What Does "Reggio" Mean?

Little Angels Preschool & Daycare in Ann Arbor is  a Reggio inspired learning community! We know that children learn best when they are challenged to think for themselves.

Children must be given the opportunity to the experience of empowerment. These tools allow team work, or a chance to work alone. Children need to develop problem solving skills using past knowledge, trial and error, and logic.

We strongly believe that children learn best through experiences and a balanced program that includes a negotiated curriculum of both teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. Our teachers are co-collaborators with children. They act as guides, mentors, and models, as we observe reflect, and hypothesize.

Our commitment is to foster an open and cooperative relationship between home, school, and community. Little Angels seeks to be responsive to families’ needs. It is our desire to have parents, teachers, and staff work together to build a foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Schedule a Tour of Little Angels Preschool & Daycare Today!

We've been serving the Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Milan, Pittsfield Township and Saline area for more than 20 years. Your child will gain positive self-esteem, confidence and a healthy sense of value through Experienced-Based-Learning at our daycare center.

 Do you know of a parent looking for a quality daycare or preschool in Ann Arbor or the surrounding areas? Please encourage them to contact us to schedule a tour of Little Angels Preschool & Daycare.

How to End the Pacifier Habit with Your Toddler

Pacifiers, or “binkies” are your child’s first loves. For many parents, this is the first tough decision you’ll have to make – when to introduce a pacifier, and when to take it away. Pacifiers are often used to soothe colicky babies, and it’s okay to feel relief when you hand your child a binkie mid-meltdown.

So, how do you know when the right time is to take a pacifier away? First, you should make sure you’re making safe choices when using a pacifier in the first place, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Look for a one-piece model because two-piece models can break apart
• The shield should be at least 1 inch across so your baby can’t swallow it
• Get a dishwasher safe pacifier for regular washes
• Inspect pacifiers regularly for damage and replace them when the rubber starts to change color or tear

Weaning Your Child Off of Pacifiers

Richard Dowell, PhD, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania says, “Ultimately, children develop higher strategies to manage their distress – usually beginning at around age two. They phase out their pacifiers as they develop skills to replace them.”

Parents.com recommends to start removing the pacifier in “zero-distress” situations, like when you and your child are at home, and happy. Once he or she is used to not having the pacifier at home, try to eliminate use outside of the home.

Try to replace the pacifier with a blanket, or family photo – something that will bring your child comfort as you try to get them to only use the pacifier at home.

Remember: this will be a trying time! Be patient, and don’t give in to temper tantrums. Giving the pacifier back after a tantrum will teach your child that all he or she needs to do to get their way is throw a fit.

For other tips about toddler development, check out our other blog posts and visit our website!

Mud Pie Kitchens

Spring is finally here, and as May gets into full swing, lots of rain creates new opportunities for fun and learning outdoors for your toddler. As the seasons change, so does the environment, and so do the types of activities you can do outside with your child.

At Little Angels, we go outside every single day, rain or shine! We value outdoor play as a very important part of a child’s education, and we want to share some fun ways you can incorporate this idea at home, too.

To exercise your child’s imagination and take advantage of spring’s wetter weather, consider making a Mud Pie Kitchen in your backyard!

Outdoor play kitchens are a fun way to use your outdoor space for playtime all year long, and you can find a lot of the materials needed for this space at garage sales. You can also use real pots, pans, pie tins, and cupcake molds that you find second-hand to make the “kitchen” feel more real.

 Use wet sand or dirt and water to have your child get a little dirty and see what they can “cook” for you! Outdoor kitchens are also a great place for picnics and tea parties with friends.

Play stoves are a great addition to these spaces, but small desks or tables and chairs work just as well. This space is all about creativity, so help your toddler decorate the space however he or she wants!


For more outdoor activities and to find out how we use outdoor learning as part of our curriculum at Little Angels, check out other posts on our blog, and visit our website! You can also schedule a tour of our facility to see our outdoor play space.

Week of the Young Child

The Week of the Young Child is an annual event hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) that celebrates young children, early learning, teachers, and families. This year’s event is April 16-20!

NAEYC has nearly 60,000 members and many regional affiliates that work together to “focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families, and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.”

NAEYC plans the event and the themes for each day, and the individual communities find a way to really bring those events to life for the children.

The themed days this year are:

·         Monday, April 16, 2018: Music Monday

·         Tuesday, April 17, 2018: Tasty Tuesday

·         Wednesday, April 18, 2018: Work Together Wednesday

·         Thursday, April 19, 2018: Artsy Thursday

·         Friday, April 20, 2018: Family Friday

As you celebrate this event with your kids, check out these great resources and events in the Ann Arbor area, and also check out the Michigan Association for the Education of young Children:

·        

 Music:

• Sing With Me Baby!
• Music for Little Folks Ann Arbor

 Cooking and Nutrition:

• Let’s Eat (Well!)

 Building Together:

• Five Essentials to Meaningful Play
• Ann Arbor Hands On Museum

 Open Ended Art:

• Supporting the Development of Creativity
• Ann Arbor Art Center

 Engaging and Celebrating Families:

• Turn Any Walk into a Nature Walk 
• Domino’s Petting Farm 
• Gallup Park River Kids (ages 2-6 with a caregiver)

At Little Angels Preschool & Daycare, we love to celebrate children and their families, and all the ways that they learn and grow. To find out more about our facility and our teachers, contact us today to schedule a tour!

How to Spend More Quality Time with Your Child

You lead a busy life when you have a toddler, and the hectic, noisy days can seem to go on and on. However, while the days with your babies or toddlers can seem long, the years will fly by! How can you make sure that you’re spending enough quality time with your children?

Harley A. Rotbart M.D., from Parents Magazine, writes, “Every day brings new growth, new milestones, and new wonderment, but the challenges of juggling our adult lives often prevent us from fully appreciating the delicate nuances of childhood.”

Rotbart recommends these ideas to optimize the time you spend with your kids:

• Practice parenting meditation: When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s easy to switch into auto pilot with your kids. To try to stay in the moment with your kids, focus on really seeing them, hearing them, understanding them, and really take a minute to be amazed by the little one you’ve created.
• Take pajama walks: The hour before bedtime can be chaotic, especially with young children. To help them calm down, weather permitting, take a walk in your pajamas! Not only will it give your kids time to decompress, it will also give you time alone with them that might otherwise be spent in front of the TV.
• Don’t drive everywhere: If you’re able, try to go to the park, or a friend’s house by foot. Walking with your kids is a great way to get exercise, and spend some quality time together.
• Have a special treat day: Create traditions like having ice-cream sundaes after dinner on Friday nights, or a movie night once per week where you have popcorn. 

The key to all of these tips is to focus on turning every minute you spend with your children during a busy day into a memorable moment, rather than worrying about how much time you can spend each day with them.

At Little Angels, we spend a lot of time promoting friendship, creativity, imagination, and exploring nature. At our preschool in Ann Arbor, we know that every minute your child is learning and growing is important! To learn more about our teaching approach and curriculum, schedule a tour of our facility! Visit our website to learn more.

Fun Activities to do in the Snow

Enjoying another Michigan winter? Around here, snow and cold is a way of life. When the temperatures aren’t bitter cold, and the sidewalks are shoveled, it’s time to play!

There are so many great ways to enjoy the outdoors even in cold weather, and Parents.com has come up with some great activities to make sure you and your child are getting outside for fresh air every day.

Remember: bundle up! Exposed skin in temperatures 20 degrees or below is susceptible to frostbite! Make sure to layer your kids’ clothing. Avoid cotton, as it tends to hold moisture. Keep their body heat up by properly covering their little feet, hands, and heads.

Next up: fun in the snow!

1. Cool snow critters: take a break from the everyday snowman, and try making animal sculptures out of snow! Long caterpillars will come to life when you use sticks for antennas and pine cones for eyes.
2. Ice maker: when the temperature drops below freezing, you can blow bubbles with your child and watch them freeze on the end of the wand.
3. Tic tac snow: Draw a grid in the snow and use crisscrossed sticks and pine cones as game pieces.
4. For the birds: String cranberries, popcorn, and cereal onto fishing line and decorate the trees. Watch as the birds come for a snack!
5. Build a fort: You can use sand buckets, loaf pans, and even cut-up empty milk cartons to form the shape of a snow castle!

At Little Angels Preschool & Daycare, we go outside every day (except in the bitter cold, when we utilize the large play space in our building)! At our preschool in Ann Arbor, we’re always trying out fun new games that allow the children to use their imagination.

To find out more about our nature-inspired curriculum, schedule a tour today! You’ll meet our team and see our one of a kind outdoor play area. In addition, make sure to check out our friends at Hike It Baby Ann Arbor, a parent group in the Ann Arbor area focused on getting families outdoors together in a supportive and safe environment.