Author: bridget

3 Outdoor Activities Children Love Making sure children get plenty of outdoor time is a given – the benefits of kids spending time outside have been proven in study after study. The great outdoors is one of the best ingredients to help your young ones thrive mentally and physically. While there are countless things to […]

4 Ways to Use Technology Productively With Children The best way for kids to learn is by doing. By going outside, by having new real-time experiences, making friends to build relationships – drawing, coloring, and painting to learn to express their creativity. In a perfect world, children could practically live outdoors as they learn. But, […]

5 Home Art Projects Children Will Love It’s no secret that we love arts and crafts projects here at Simon Center. The endless benefits of letting kids engage in art activities are no secret, either. But while your children are certain to get a healthy dose of arts and crafts at school and daycare, there […]

Preschool: Does my Child Need it? Preschool is a huge part of early childhood development. As your child is getting ready for kindergarten, opting to enroll in a preschool program that helps them prepare for their journey sets them up for success. The benefits of a preschool program are robust. Children: Develop social skills Adapt […]

Dealing with Separation Anxiety: The Challenges of the Early Years of Child Care We will be frank – sending your child into a child care setting for the first time can be hard… Very hard. Whether you start care when your child is an infant, in their toddler years, or wait until preschool, the first […]

The Major Milestones of Childhood Growth & Development One Google search for “early childhood development” or “normal stages of child growth and development” will yield you anywhere from 10,000 to, oh, 1 million results. Some of which contain various charts and PDF files spelling out exactly what your child’s growth should look like, how they […]

Art and Kids:The “Artful” Benefits “Every child is an artist.” If Pablo Picasso said it, there’s probably some truth to it. I think we can all agree he knows his art. But, what does that mean? We can be honest in saying that not every child is the next Pablo Picasso, nor does every child […]

A Letter to Parents-You’re Doing Great! It occurred to us recently that in this strange 2020 climate there is no one feeling more stress and pressure than parents. Do you send your kids back to school? Do you not? Do you settle on half virtual school, half in person? The decisions are never ending, and […]

A Guide for Parents Transitioning Children Back to In-Person Care We’ve talked a lot on the blog about the effects of quarantine on children, all the changes we’ve seen in the past few months, and the difficult decisions parents have had to face. However, as we start to resume somewhat “normal” routines, we know that […]

Quarantine and Children What We’ve Seen and Where We Go From Here 2020 has been a challenging year. It’s a simple way to put it, but it really does encompass the broad range of obstacles and changes that we have all experienced in our respective lives. As adults, it’s easy for us to communicate to […]