Discovery Bottles For Your Favorite Bedtime Story!

Does your child just LOVE a great story? They may love it even more brought to life in a discovery bottle!
 
Discovery bottles are an easy activity to go along with a story to make it more fun. We found this awesome activity on TeachPreschool.org.

Example provided by TeachPreschool.org

Materials:
Well it depends on which story you choose. But, it’s recommended that you use a Voss plastic water bottle, water, baby oil, and a drop of dish soap, and/or food color. Depending on the story you can put things in it that relate back to the story’s theme.
 
Directions:
While you read a story to your child have them look at the discovery bottle and describe what they see. You can also display the bottle with the book in their room.
 
For discovery bottle examples visit TeachPreschool.org for more information!
 
This activity lays down the building blocks needed for reading and comprehension development. This discovery bottle activity helps develop your child’s cognitive senses for memory, reading and analyzing. If you try this activity at home, please share pictures of your discovery bottles in the comment section below. We’d love to see the kind of fun you had while putting these discovery bottles together!

Little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area has been serving Saline, Ypsilanti, Milan, Pittsfield Township, and the surrounding areas 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. Call (734) 998-0233 to schedule a tour!

How to Create a Natural Outdoor 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 Ypsilanti 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!

Water and Music Play Fun For All!

Does your child enjoy music? They’ll LOVE this activity that will teach them all about rhythm, pattern, tempo, pitch and tone! It was created by Alec Duncan, and we found it on ChildsPlayMusic.com.au:
 

Materials

•    Water trough
•    Stainless steel and aluminum bowls – various sizes
•    Stainless steel and aluminum pot lids – various sizes
•    Various strikers (plastic mixing spoons or bamboo or plastic chopsticks work well)
•    Short lengths of garden hose
•    Plastic drink bottles
•    Spray bottle
•    Random lengths of 90mm PVC stormwater pipe
•    A guiro made from 40mm corrugated plastic drain pipe (not the type with slits in it)
•    A shaker made from 40mm PVC pipe with gravel inside
•    A packing tape drum (see here for a video of how to make one for yourself)
•    A plastic canister (or any plastic container or small bucket)
 

Directions

Photo Credit: ChildsPlayMusic.com.au

Allow children to experiment with the sounds each bowl, hose, and pipe make when you dip them in and out of water while tapping on them with chopsticks. Repeat! 

Watch the water and music play video here for a demonstration!
 
This might seem like just a fun playtime activity, but you’re really helping your child to be set up for success. Want your child to be the next Beethoven? The earlier music is taught the earlier your child can fine tune his or her craft! This water and music activity develops both their small and gross motor skills which could help better their mobility. Also, this music activity is a great way for your child to learn math and science skills.
 
Little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area has been serving Saline, Ann Arbor, Milan, Pittsfield Township, and the surrounding areas 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. Call (734) 998-0233 to schedule a tour!

Everything You Need to Know About Kindergarten Readiness! Read Our Checklist!

Is your child ready for kindergarten? Let’s find out!
 
At Little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area we know how to identify when a child is ready to move on from preschool. Typically their fine motor skills, gross motor skills, social skills, and academic skills are vastly improved compared to when they were toddlers.
 
According to Scholastic, here’s what you should look in your child to know when their ready to start kindergarten:

1. Enthusiasm toward learning
Do they ask questions? Do they take initiative?

2. Solid oral-language skills
Can your child retain new words and use them in a conversation?

3. Ability to listen
Can your child follow directions? Can your child understand rhyming words or finish sentences to familiar stories?

4. Desire to be independent
Can your child hang up his or her coat? Fasten or unfasten buttons? Eat neatly and pour into a cup?


5. Ability to play well with others
Does your child share with other children? Can your child problem solve when a problem occurs?

6. Strong fine motor skills
Can your child color, cut with scissors, or hold a pencil?

7. Basic letter and number recognition
Can your child recognize most numbers and letters by sight?

After reading through this list of kindergarten readiness items, do you feel your child is ready for this next important step in their education? If you don’t think they’re ready, it’s important to take time after school to help practice some of these special developmental skills. You should also consult with your child’s teacher or the director of their preschool to ensure their readiness.

Little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area has been serving Ypsilanti, Saline, Milan, Pittsfield Township, and the surrounding areas 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. Call (734) 998-0233 to schedule a tour!

Make Teaching Letters at Home Easy!

Learning letters can be a challenge for anyone, but it’s almost never impossible. If you believe, you can achieve!

We recommend these great letter activities that you can do at home that were created by Lori, found on a Conversations in Literacy Blog. 

Highlight: Rice Boxes

Photo Credit: Conversations in Literacy Blog

Materials

• Rice
• Big spoon
• Letters
• Letter match-up worksheet

Directions:

Find a letter in the rice and match with the corresponding uppercase or lowercase letter.

This activity will develop the building blocks needed to understand how to read and write. This letter recognition activity helps develop your child’s cognitive senses for memory, reading, and writing.

Little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area has been serving Saline, Ypsilanti, Milan, Pittsfield Township, and the surrounding areas 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. Call (734) 998-0233 to schedule a tour!

3 Essential Tips to Childproof Your Smartphone!

Has your smartphone been broken too many times to count? We know the feeling! With the number of times juice has been spilled and the accidental tumbles your child has had with your phone in hand, it’s amazing it has made it this far! Sometimes we wonder if kids are the top reason your phone needs to be repaired or replaced. 

At our preschool in the Ann Arbor area we understand your

frustration. You want your child to be able to play the educational apps on your phone but at the same time you hope your phone is durable enough that it won’t break. We’ve come up with a few ideas to help you save some money:

• Buy a strong case! Is it waterproof? Scratchproof? Shatterproof? 
• Lock your screen with a passcode or fingerprint for entry.
• Enable parental controls to enforce restrictions.

Do you have other ways to help protect your phone? We’d love to hear from you! Please post your ideas in the comment section below.

Little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area has been serving Ypsilanti, Saline, Milan, Pittsfield Township, and the surrounding areas 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. Call (734) 998-0233 to schedule a tour!

Mom’s Health Factors Help Determine Risks For Preterm Labor

Babies are miracles of life, especially premature babies. Thanks to advances in medicine, it’s become ever more likely this day in age, to deliver healthy babies as early as 24 weeks.

Babies who are born premature sometimes face long-term health risks and vulnerabilities. However, it’s important to point out that premature babies aren't always riddled with problems -- a lot of cases turn out to be healthy births that lead to healthy babies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "in 2014, preterm birth affected about 1 of every 10 infants born in the United States." At little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area, feel that it's important to educate the general public on some of the things that can increase your risk for premature labor, if you're not already aware, including:

• Smoking
• Overweight or underweight
• High blood pressure
• Preeclampsia
• Diabetes
• Blood clotting disorders
• Drinking alcohol or using drugs
• Impregnated by vitro fertilization
• Family history

It’s important to know the risk factors so you can help minimize any potential risk and harm to your baby. If you have any further questions about premature labor risks contact your health physician.
 
Little Angels Preschool in the Ann Arbor area has been serving Ypsilanti, Saline, Ann Arbor, Milan, Pittsfield Township, and the surrounding areas 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. We have infant, toddler, and preschool programs available. Call (734) 998-0233 to schedule a tour!