Thursday 28 August 2014

Summer Days: Nature and nostalgia on crest!

When we think of summers, our mind immediately takes us back to the days spent playing in hot scorching sun, relentlessly drinking lemonade, catching butterflies and fire flies, making us nostalgic. The fact that these days have made a huge impact on us during our childhood makes it all the way more special. As parents, we also want our kids to have perfect memories to cherish.


Summertime not only is hot, but it speaks of vacations and what better time it is to spend with family. This is the period of year where you can do whole lot of different things. For starters, let us remind you of things that you used to do as kids, and what you should be doing for your children as well!
Powerhouse fun: While this season might not be perfect for adults in terms of ‘fun’, but for kids it is the right time to play till the end of the day. Fill up a splash pool for them, take them to nearby sports club or get them a bike. Let them use their energy in a good way and make sure that their safety isn’t compromised.
Outdoor activities: Since kids these days are not that enthusiastic about spending time outdoors, it is the right time for you to bond with them. Take them on a tech-free holiday, a mountain hike, or just let them explore the nearby farms. It’ll be a delight to see your children connecting with Mother Nature.
Dig a garden: It would be double fun to plant a small garden if you already have a backyard. Ask your kids to get their plastic shovels and spades to dig the ground perfectly and plant some veggies or fruits. Put your children in charge of taking care of the plot and assign them duties like watering the plants timely.
Summer cooking: Most of the people find cooking process very calming. Try to inculcate some bits and pieces to your young ones also. A yoghurt smoothie, salad made from the fresh greens (out of your own garden) and similar cooking activities can create a healthy eating habit among your brats. (Tip: Gift them books like Summer: The Magic Blanket.)


This season can be really harsh, boring and intimidating - all at one time. Make sure you ease out your children and make them love it. Interesting activities like camps, food, DIY art and craft, and recreational sports will surely divert their mind from the constant nagging about how bad the weather is. During this season create memories with your family!

Inspire your kids to read this summer!

Summertime usually is a vacation period, but that also means assignments and projects for kids. As any wise parent would do, it is essential to help the children finish it off timely and at the same time encourage them to make friends with books in their free time. This will help the,  a lot. However, encouraging them to do so isn’t easy. So let’s go through the ideas that can help you inspire your kids for summer reading.
But before you do so, make a plan  so that they don’t see the whole process as boring. Let’s see how you can do it -
Hummingbirdpublications

·Genre Selection: Don’t push them to go for one particular genre or a subject per se. Take them out to a nearby library, let them stroll through the aisle and let them pick the print that they want to have.Once your young ones are into this habit, they can easily spend their time in a worthy activity.
· Books as Gift: Gift them something that you enjoyed to go through on your own. Sure it maybe off beat, but it’s better than talking your daughter or son into something that isn’t worth it. Books like Summer: The Magic Blanket by LitsaBolontzakis can really trigger the young ones to appreciate seasons and nature. If you’re a parent of a toddler, then you can get even get podcasts for them as well.
· Make it a Challenge: You don’t have to tempt your kids to get through these books,rather let them take it as a challenge. A simple task to go through a chapter daily or a particular number of pages can boost them to make it a habit.These pieces of writing are for all age groups, but for kids the benefits are too good to resist. These will help them feed knowledge to their brains, making them more intellectual and active.
· Role Model: If you want your children to start reading, it is important for you to set an example for them. If the kids don’t see anybody at the home with a similar habit, then expecting them to study is of no use. So be a motivating parent and inspire them to start reading this summer. Your kids will love you for introducing them to the amazing world of books!
If they are more inclined towards illustration based documents, comics or magazines then let them have those. However, reading a piece of paper is more relaxing and effective as compared to an online document or a podcast. 

Thursday 21 August 2014

Your Kids Should Know This About Spring & Summer!

Did you know that the four seasons we have are responsible for different weather conditions and hugely impact our vegetation and produce? Well you knew, but surely your kids still need to learn! Sit back and relax as in this article we will tell you all the know-hows of the most beautiful seasons, i.e. Springtime & Summer!

We all know there are 4 seasons - autumn, winter, spring and summer. Due to the variation between all these, we experience a different temperature and totally different ambiance throughout the year. Each has a different set of weather condition, fruits,  vegetation, holidays and so on. Here are some fun facts that you and your kids should know:
·      Firstly, the seasons all over the world is never the same at same time. It varies across the regions and continents.
·        Spring usually comes with a lot of rain, pouring life all over again and rejuvenating everything in the environment.
·         It is during this time that wildlife can be seen at its peak.
·         At the same time, everything blooms! Leaves on trees can be seen budding, colorful flowers can be seen blossoming and at full vibrancy. The nature seems to come alive.
·         Dandelions, lilies, primroses, azaleas, lilacs and many more are just a few plants that can be seen at its pinnacle in this time of year.
·      Many crops are planted during this period and it brings forth some of the best produce i.e. vegetables and fruits.
·    The temperature is just about right to be outdoors, a time most loved by all the humans especially kids. Teach your kids more about this season by giving them books like Spring: Trees in Bloom.
·      Summer on the other hand gets the most warmest days of the year with plenty of sunshine adding to the length of days.
·         Just like spring tide, summer is also one of the most preferred period of time to stay outdoors and be more active.
·    Summers scream vacations and getaways but for kids it also means holiday homework, assignments and projects!


These two seasons, apart from the others are more like a blessing to us humans. Make sure you involve your young ones in it. Take them outside on long hikes, perhaps a trek to mountain, a walk to the nearby farm/orchard or a stroll down the beach to bring them closer to nature. Don't forget to share these facts with your kids!

Friday 8 August 2014

How to turn your Kids into Eco-Friendly Citizens


Getting your family members interested about environment can be both an exciting as well as tedious task. You never know how they will react to the idea of being environment-friendly and learning about it. Whether you want to educate your young one or a teenager, there has to be specific ways to approach them with the concept of environment awareness. This approach will help them take some substantial steps in order to make this world a better place.


Home is where you can initiate this education; all the family members can be a part of the drill. So here are couple of ways in which you can start offering the knowledge to your kids and make them eco-friendly!
Givethem easy home chores: From an early age, you should start involving your young ones in household work. This enhances their functionality in family and they learn how to be responsible. You can get them to separate the recyclable and non-recyclable materials so that they be disposed off properly. This is a certain way to teach them about recycling also.

Recycler: Tell them to build their own recycler, i.e. a box in which they can throw in stuff that can be recycled for future use. This could be made out of any unused carton. Rough paper, torn bits and pieces etc. can be tossed off for recycling. Paper mache is one of the brilliant ways to use the waste.

Little Gardeners: Children can be amazing gardeners and caretakers! The easiest way is to let them be out in backyard and dig a garden themselves. You can help them build either a fruit or vegetable garden, whichever is their favorite. If you don’t have enough place for a nursery, then you can gift your child a plant in pot and let them care for it. Also, give them Spring: Trees in Bloom, a book that is about nature and everything else that children need to learn.

Lessen the use of Resources: Water, electricity and all similar sources of energy, whether renewable or nonrenewable hold an important part in our survival. Therefore, telling them to switch off the lights when not in use and how to minimize the water usage will make them little nature warriors. 

Apart from the points mentioned above, you can ask your kids to be vigilant about not disposing garbage just about anywhere, make them responsible about small things such as volunteering for cleaning their rooms, maintaining the backyard, turning off the taps and other things. It is the small efforts that make the big impact, and this is how you can incline your kids towards loving nature and conserving it for future!


Friday 1 August 2014

Make your Kids Love Spring!

Being a nature lover is a blessing in itself! The immense love and gratitude for the world we live in, can help us become more responsible and sensible. If the seeds of being thankful be sown at an early age, then it can work wonders for a blossoming future because the coming generation would be well aware with how earth has to be maintained, taken care of and, most importantly, loved!

Well, this process has been taken care of by people across the world at different levels. For example parents teach their kids about nature, environment, seasons on a personal convenience. Whereas, the same knowledge is taught in schools in an elaborate way such as camping trips, excursion to local reserve and so on. It has become downright important to impart the knowledge about environment to our children and help make this world a better place.

How to make your kids love Spring?
As seasons change, it should be important for you to get your child enlightened about it. Here are some of the fundamental tips you can get your kid to love and appreciate the most fabulous season of all - Spring!

·Build them a Tree House: It will be fun for your children to spend some time in their own tree house with friends, where they can form their secret club and do activities such as bird watching.
·Get them Garden Supplies: It is such an enjoyable activity to build a garden on own, and kids will love it as long as you make the whole activity exciting. Buy them some garden supplies such as tools, gloves and let them be the gardeners.
·Gift them Educational Material: It’s always interesting for young ones to go through illustration based educational books where they can learn from the images alone. Books like Spring: Trees in Bloom educate the children in a different way and similar ones should be a part of their learning.
·Take them on Seasonal Trips: Be it local hiking trip, or some place far from your city; it is always good to take the family out on seasonal getaway. Going out, getting back to nature, appreciating the natural wonders will surely make an impact on their lives!
·Let them be Artists: Another great way to ensure that your child understands the outdoors is to let them recreate it on a canvas. Give them a chance to draw, paint and be artists describing their surroundings.


It is not just Spring, but all other seasons that one should learn to enjoy and be thankful for. With every season, comes different fruits of nature that are so worthy and deserve our love and attention!