Legos the ultimate toy

This is my first of many posts I am sure to have on the best building block in the world...Legos! I am an admitted Brickhead. I am an adult who loves Legos! What are children learning while playing with Legos?

1. It builds creativity -it's a ship, no it's a double decker couch

2. Develops fine motor skills - snapping bricks together and taking them apart

3. It helps build confidence - "I can't do it! I did it!!!"

4. It helps build problem solving skills - "I don't have a window! Oh I can make a window with this!"

5. Properties of physics, math, engineering. - if my tower is too high gravity will bring it down

6. Patterns - red brick, yellow brick, blue brick...repeat A,B,C pattern

7. Cooperative play - many Legos allows for many hands building together.  "Do you have a yellow Lego?"

8. Language skills - 

9. Three dimensional thinking

10. Critical thinking

11. Hand-eye coordination

12. Provides a sensory experience - children love digging their hands in a big bin of Legos

The list goes on and on! Mothers of daughters skip the dolls and get your girls some giant bins of Legos. They can play dollhouse with Legos but can they build a rocketship with the doll house? The open ended play benefits of Lego is never ending. Stop buying things that dictate what the child does with it.

In the words of Lionel Richie, "Well my friends the time has come. To raise the roof and have some fun. Throw away your work to be done. Let's play with Legos, Legos, Legos..." Wait? That's not what he says? That's what I heard...

Lego on people, Lego on!!!

Kinder Readiness Step #1 Dress the Part

One of the number 1 things you can do to prepare your child for Kindergarden is to help them with self help skills. These are things that children can do on their own. Yes, it may be easier and less time consuming for you to continue to do them for your child but you are not helping the child in the long run. Showing up to school in clothing that is conducive to learning is essential.

SHOES:
Sending your child to school in shoes that they can put on and take off on their own is essential. School is not the place for cowboy boots, high tops, fancy shoes and shoes with buckles. Shoes should be flexible and have adequate traction for the multitudes of activities they will be partaking in.

PANTS:
Children should be able to maneuver going to the bathroom all on their own. This means pulling pants down and up (and although not a "dressing" issue, lets not forget that your child needs to be able to wipe themselves at school). Children should be taught that underpants are pulled up separate from pants instead of just grabbing the underpants and pants in one swoop and yanking up (this method is rarely successful for the child and results in wadded up underpants.) Pants that fit without the use of a belt which children cannot do on their own and even if they can, rarely can they do it under the stress of having to go to the bathroom really badly. Adjustable waist pants are great. As are good old elastic waist bands.

DRESSES:
Sure dresses are cute. Sure your daughter wants to/begs to wear them. Dresses are ok, if they are playground and bathroom friendly. What I mean by this is, can your child ride a bike in the dress without the dress getting caught in the pedals, tires etc? Can she climb the climber, slide down the hot metal slide? Can she go to the bathroom without the back of the dress falling into the toilet? No? Then wear a different dress or something different entirely. Also, bike shorts should be worn under dresses to save your daughter the embarrassment of children seeing her underpants.

And lastly, children play in mud, sand, paint, glue, markers and so much more. This is their job. It is not my job as a teacher to keep your child clean. Getting messy is part of the learning process. It is a sensory experience. It is a responsibility experience. It is a cause and effect experience. I will not stop your child from playing in water or mud or any of the other things that could ruin their clothing. Things stain and we will use them in class. So dress in clothing that you do not care if it gets dirty or potentially ruined. Preschool is not the place for expensive outfits.

Preschool is an exciting time for children they are learning so much. Dressing the part can reduce frustration for them allowing for more freedom and time to explore.