The merits of arts and crafts such as drawing and coloring  for kids are regularly argued by child development experts, educators and parents alike… especially so for the impact they have on child development. However, it is difficult to argue with the top three reasons why we should all encourage the children in our care to  take part in arts and crafts.

Creativity – If you were to ask a cross section of individuals what is the first personality characteristic that arts and crafts will develop in a young child – most would answer ‘creativity’. And they are certainly correct.  Everyone has natural talents and skills and it is possible to improve and boost them… even if you only have a little natural talent. Creativity enables your child to try out and profit from new ideas, options and alternatives in any future career. Kids learn to do things in new ways and literally profiting from thinking “out of the box”.

Perseverance – Perseverance is perhaps the single most important quality for any successful individual – be they a a business person, sportsman or other professional.In fact, most well-known accomplishments in life have been attributed to perseverance alone. Arts and crafts improve everyone’s level of perseverance.  For instance, children learn to keep trying until they complete the task, be it a sculpture or a coloring in sheet. If something goes wrong… they are encouraged to perservere by trying different ways and means and the outcome is a wonderful piece of art that they have created.

Concentration – Akin to having perseverance, developing concentration is another quality well-worth having as an individual. Drawing, coloring, sculpting, painting and even doodling will definitely teach your child to focus on one  specific task at hand… ignoring other distractions. In short they overall concentration will definitely improve.

Even from a young age kids can draw and color – therefore give them blank pieces of paper or coloring in sheets so that they can scribble away to their hearts content whilst also improving their fine motor skills.

For example at sites like Spiderman Coloring you’ll find Spiderman coloring pages as well as coloring pages, funny pics and more.

Little girls on the other hand tend to prefer images of fairies and princesses – however, favorite characters such as those from Disney movies  are also hits.

Give your child several opportunities to experience being creative, concentrating and perservering through the fun medium of arts and crafts. Provide them with materials and resources and the occasional special canvas so that they can be creative and feel pride in what they create. 

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Toddlers are interested in the world around them. They are inquisitive and always very eager to learn. Teaching a toddler something new isn't always easy - however because their attention spans are short and not all of them are ready for a 'lesson' just yet. If you plan teach your toddler all about the different colors, here is the best way to start.

The first activity you do together should be just fun, simple and basic.Find some crayons and either a coloring book or some plain white paper. Start with the  primary colors: red, yellow and blue.

Show your toddler each colored crayon, say the color to him, then together. If he does not want to say it, that’s okay – he is still learning by looking at the color and listening to you.

Together, chose a picture to color.  Little boys enjoy coloring pictures of cars and trucks while little girls usually enjoy coloring images from fairy tales and princesses  -  at sites like Barbie Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Barbie printables

If you are using white paper, let your toddler choose something to draw and color together. Now it’s time to color!

As he colors, tell him what color he is using. Then try to say the color together. Do not insist that s/he tell you the color. This activity should be FUN for your child – not a military drill! Make sure to compliment his coloring by saying things like, "What a pretty red flower!” or “I love the way you colored the yellow sun.”

After you have colored together, make sure to put his picture on display somewhere prominent where visitors to your home can comment on it.This will give your child confidence and boost his or her self esteem – which is great for you because s/he will want to color and draw with you again – and you will have yet another opportunity to talk about colors together.

Once your toddler recognizes the basic colors of red, blue and yellow – you can move on to other colors – don’t overwhelm him/her with the rainbow just yet!

Remember that crayons pose a serious choking hazard - ensure you always supervise your child while he or she draws and colors.

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Parents and caregivers can promote drawing and coloring  as a way to improve physical, social, emotional and cognitive development-and to have a lot of fun along the way too. Here are some suggestions:

The simple acts of drawing and coloring are  literally childs’ play, however, they both play an important role in a child’s physical, emotional and cognitive development. Like no other activity, drawing  and coloring allows young children to express emotions, experience autonomy and build their confidence. 

1.Provide children with drawing materials, blank sheets of paper and coloring pages that are nontoxic.

2. Model drawing. Show children that you like to color and draw as well – make designs but do not show your children what they should draw.

3. Encourage all drawing and coloring  efforts by talking about the beautiful colors, the lines and  shapes the child has made.

4. Rather than ask ”What is it?,” say “Tell me all about your lovely drawing”. Asking “What is it?” suggests to the child that s/he may have failed to depict what they intended.

5. Talk about concepts like  thin, thick, wide, narrow, dark, light, edge, shape, contour, etc.

6. Display their art on the kitchen fridge, in their room and in places where visitors to your home will see them. Point them out to visitors – the praise for the work will boost a child’s self esteeem and confidence. 

7.Let children choose the subject of their drawings and the types of coloring sheets they would like to color. For example little girls  may enjoy coloring images of  Barbie and at sites like Barbie Coloring Pages you’ll find the best Barbie coloring pages

Little boys on the other hand tend to prefer images of cars, trucks and machinery – however, favorite characters such as those from Disney movies  are also hits with little boys.

8. Crayons pose a choking hazard – so always supervise younger children while they draw and color.

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Science has understood the benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids for some time and these benefits extend to the health of our kids. Omega 3 fatty acids are as important in the diet of our children as it is in the diet of adults, and right from conception.

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are primarily found in fish oil. Kids, like adults, have a minimum requirement for levels of omega 3 essential fats in their bodies for proper and healthy development. This has now been emphasised by a new study from the University of Wollongong’s School Of Health Sciences in Australia which has concluded that Australian children are highly deficient in omega 3. Children in America and the rest of the developed world will be the same.

In fact the study found that on average the intake of omega 3 fats in 3-year-olds was just 47 milligrams which the professor describes as “desperately low”.

The 2 essential fatty acids that are commonly found in fish oil are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). And it is well known that the levels of these essential fatty acids in adults in the US are way too low. This now applies to children. Omega 3 levels in our children are also way too low and there are a range of health implications from this.

A child’s requirement for omega 3 fats starts right at conception. The study noted that brain development was extremely fast during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and that for adequate brain development an adequate level of DHA was essential. And it also noted that the first 2 years of infancy was equally important for brain development and placed an equal demand on DHA levels.

A child cannot supplement its diet own with omega 3. Children have these decisions made for them by their parents. Parents should consider increasing their own intake of fish oil as well as increasing the amount of fish oil in children’s diets because their own health and the health of their kids depends on it.

It’s not just brain development that is affected by a child’s intake of omega 3. Kids have a whole range of health and development issues which can benefit from an increased intake of fish oil. Inadequate levels of essential fatty acids can put them at a higher risk of asthma, poorer visual development, slower brain development, lower IQ as established on IQ tests, an increased incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and others.

It is quite clear that there are important health issues involved when we consider dietary supplementation of omega 3 in children. It is possible to increase children’s fish oil intake by increasing their intake of fish however fish can be contaminated with mercury and other contaminants, is expensive and is generally not liked by children.

I supplement the diet of my own children with omega 3 fish oil capsules. When they were too young to take capsules it was a simple matter to cut the top off the capsules and pour that fish oil on their breakfast. They don’t even know fish oil is there.

The decisions of parents about what their children eat are important ones affecting the development of their children. Omega 3 supplementation is cost effective and simple and is important right from the conception of the child. Even during breastfeeding omega 3 supplementation by mothers increases the amount of DHA available to the infant in the breastmilk.

However not all Omega 3 capsules are as good as others. There are many issues relating to the quantity of DHA present in the capsules, the freshness of the fish oil used, (fish oil oxidizes quickly) and the effectiveness of the fatty acids.

To find out which Omega 3 capsules I give to my own children and take myself visit my website.

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Bath times can either be great fun or a real drag for both parents and children alike. Kids don’t often enjoy being cleaned and unless bath time is made to be fun, they will make such a fuss you’ll regret putting them in the bath in the first place. There are some fantastic bath toys that can supplement bathing perfectly and get everyone enjoying themselves, here are the best 3.

Rubber duck. You really cannot have a bath without the iconic rubber duck. It’s still the best selling bath toy around and it’s easy to see why. It’s bright colors and ability to squeak or spurt water are great fun and the fact it is an animal adds another element of interaction with the toy. They have proved their popularity over the last 100 years and won’t be disappearing any time soon. They also make great gifts for men who don’t like baths, as it will take them right back to their childhood and they wont be able to resist having a splash.

Squirters.If your rubber duck comes without a water squirter then its worth getting a separate one. Most kids loving playing with water guns and squirters and if they can do it in a safe and suitable place, no one gets annoyed. Additionally it’s a very good way to get their whole body washed if they don’t like doing it the usually way. Just keep filling it up and soaking them down using it.

Stick on numbers. There can often be more to bathing than just playing. Kids learn best when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves so it’s good to have some learning toys or educational toys to use in the bath as well. There are a number of such toys that are suitable for water such as the box of shapes that teaches children how to select the right hole for individually shaped block. The best choice though are the foam sticky numbers.Children are able to brush up on their math whist also learning about the physical qualities of water and the notion of friction. Also, check out this site for great gifts for women

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I am sure that there were various times during your childhood that you thought the world had fallen down around you – this is a feeling that all of us have experienced. Quite often, as we look back on those times as an adult, the things that upset us seem kind of trivial, but at a young age even the slightest problem can result in floods of tears.

At this time it was commonplace for one of our parents to hand us our most beloved and trusted cuddly toy. Indeed, our favorite soft toy went through a lot of childhood experiences with us. They are as much of a part as growing as training wheels on a bike and your first day at school.

The undoubted familiarity and comforting capabilities of a soft toy mean that they will always stay in your mind and heart long after the day that you were told you were too old to have one anymore. They may be inanimate and wordless in reality, but for a child their presence is something overwhelmingly positive and reassuring.

Children have plenty of toys to choose from, many of which are more ‘cool’ than a soft toy, but none of the others available offer much in the way of personality and friendliness. Due to their softness and their floppy arms they are far more huggable than any other toy, and they act in much the same way as a comfort blanket for many children. In fact, look at the most favored childhood toy of anyone now grown up and you are likely to see it a little threadbare due to its use as a comforter.

One of the most wonderful things about a cuddly toy is that it is safe enough for a child to have in bed with them as they try to sleep. Having a familiar face next to us as we tried to sleep is something that made being alone in the dark easier to deal with.

That they have remained cherished through out the generations, gives little room for argument against soft toys being the number one toy. Something classic about the way they look and feel just makes them ideal for young children, and few among us would fail to admit that we had a faithful cuddly friend as a youngster who got us through some tough times.

Didis.com is the online toy store and online toy shop that provides quality toys and stuffed animals for all your gift needs.

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Holidaying as a couple or with friends should be appreciated for the amount of flexibility it grants you and for how easy it all it to arrange. It’s a bit of a shock to the system when you find yourself with little ones however, as you suddenly find you are limited to where you can go and the type of resort you can stay at. Lets take a look at some of the most appropriate places you can visit with your kids.

Orlando Holidays. We could not have a list of top children‘s holidays without mentioning the most well known resort in the world. You have Disney Land Resort for starters, which is a two week holiday in itself, but there are lots of other places in Orlando that are well worth paying a visit to. The Kennedy Space Centre is not only incredibly fun but also one of the most educational USA holidays around, whilst Sea World allows kids to see animals they have only dreamt about or seen in movies.

Europe. You should never underestimate the importance of temperature when vacationing with children. Adults can put up with temperatures that are at either end of the scale, but children are very rarely happy unless they are comfortable with the climate. So you don’t want to be taking them on Alaska holidays or indeed a trek round the Sahara desert, but instead find somewhere with modest climate. Most places in Europe during spring and autumn are ideal and you have plenty of choice where to go.

Theme Parks. You don’t always have to travel long distances or go to exotic places to have a great vacation. You’ll find that a great many theme parks now have their own accommodation or places that you stay very close to the park, so you are not forced to make your visit just a day trip. Most children have the attention span of a peanut and need something to do all the time. Theme parks are the ideal place to keep your kids stimulated so you don’t have to worry about constantly finding the next thing to do.

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