Author: mindseed@admin

“Oh, what fun it is to sing and dance and play on a bright sunny day”. It is this song that the little ones were singing as they reveled in the excitement at ‘Funderland’. Mindseed had organized a fun-filled educational event called “Funderland” at select centers in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune on 4th February 2023. The well-planned event was for children between the age group of 2 to 6 years.

Children learn best when they are having fun. At Funderland, children learnt and explored new life skills while immersing themselves in a lot of fun learning activities. Let’s have a look at these activities that not only added to the little one’s learning experience but were also creative and engaging.

Art and craft – Free hand painting encouraged children to express themselves through art. Children were given different colour paints, paint brushes, rollers and sponges. White chart papers were stuck on the wall at the child’s height. Children were free to use colours of their choice and paint whatever they wished to.

Shape Art – Different shape cut outs and art sheets were given to children. They were free to stick the shapes to create any design or object they wished to. Both these activities ensured a splash of colour and oodles of creativity.

Fireless cooking – Getting children involved in regular cooking helps inculcate in them a sense of healthy eating habits as well as the importance of teamwork. Here the project was “decorate your own cookies”, sounds fun, doesn’t it? Children were given Marie biscuits and different decoration ingredients such as jam, honey, gems, grapes, pomegranate, choco-chips and colourful sprinklers. The children got to decorate their own cookies and eat it too! That’s yummy!

Games – The “Feed the clown” game was super fun where a child needed to pop a plastic ball inside the joker’s mouth. The joker definitely would have been well fed that day! Another game needed children to stand at a distance and try to ring the biscuit packets and chocolates kept on the floor. That surely needs skilled eye-hand coordination.

Skill stations – There were six dedicated skill stations set up for fine motor development, pattern writing, pre-math, pre-reading, reading and writing activities. Each of these activities were targeted towards development of that particular skill. These activities were engaging and enhanced the skills of each child.

Mom and Me Dance – A room was dedicated where the teacher played music and also showed a few steps. Pompoms, sticks and hoola hoops were some of the props that were kept for the mother and child to use for their dance together.

Mechanic puzzle – Finding your way out of a maze is a game that children and adults enjoy alike. Here, a magnet was used to reach the end of a maze which was interesting and exciting too.

Science Experiments – Science is used in our daily life and what better way to learn these concepts than through interesting games. In the activity “Volcano”, a mountain of mud was filled and a disposable glass was placed in between. Children poured the ingredients kept in the glass to witness an explosive volcanic eruption. Wow, that sounds fascinating, isn’t it?

Balloon Pops – Here children added vinegar in an empty bottle using a funnel and one spoon of baking soda to it. They attached a balloon to the bottle and saw the balloon popping as a result of the chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda. There was excitement and happiness all over the children’s faces when they saw the end result.

Such an exciting and interesting event was Funderland! Mindseed left no stone unturned in ensuring that children and their parents had a creative, interesting and joyful time at this well curated event.

Working parents frequently fear that young children in daycare appear to be constantly ill and may carry illnesses back to the family. Because they are concerned about the long-term consequences on their children’s health, some parents in the daycare centre near me avoid group activities.

Germs are unavoidable. But does that mean you should keep your kids at home instead of sending them to a daycare centre for hygiene reasons?

A recent study aims to ease some of those worries: In spite of the fact that young children who start childcare tend to get sick more frequently, they appear to stay healthier throughout primary school than other children because of their daycare experience, which has boosted their resistance to colds and other infections.

Does early contact with germs strengthen a child’s immune system?

After being exposed to a virus, your child’s immune system trains itself to resist it the next time. They produce antibodies to fight off that specific virus strain.

Unfortunately, there are numerous, often hundreds of strains of each virus. Consequently, contracting one cold won’t stop you from getting another.

What can parents do to keep their children healthy?

Caretakers at a daycare near me remind kids to wash their hands frequently, especially before eating, after using the restroom or changing their diapers, and after handling anything in a public location. Parents can guide their kids to follow it religiously. Vaccinating your child is also important. They can guard against deadly illnesses but they won’t stop minor viruses.

Can a healthy diet help build immunity in children?

Including specific foods that support the immune system in kids, a regular diet can be quite successful in preventing a variety of health issues. Dairy products or other calcium-rich foods and healthy fats like vegetable oils are other components of a balanced diet that should also be included in their diet. While regular consumption of these meals can considerably help to strengthen your child’s immune system, young children should consume five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Conclusion

However, illnesses will eventually affect kids. Regardless of whether their children are in daycare or not, parents should understand that they cannot completely shield them from illness. Allow your kids to play with friends, get dirty outside, and just be kids. Not all bacteria and germs pose a threat to your child’s health. Children can build a robust, healthy immune system by being exposed to the common germs found outside in nature, including dirt.

People huddled up in sweaters, shawls and monkey caps is proof that winter has finallyarrived in Mumbai and is here to stay. On one hand winter brings respite from the scorching heat, but on the other hand it also makes you susceptible to illnesses such as
cough, cold, flu, respiratory issues and the like.

Children love the outdoors irrespective of the weather. They love to run, play and explore their surroundings rather than being indoors. They also look forward to being set free ofthe multiple layers of clothing. All these factors coupled with low immunity makes children more prone to catching the bug.

Let us have a look at some of the most common winter illnesses along with simple and easy home remedies.

Common cold – this is characterized by running nose, chest congestion, cough and alsofever in some cases. Common cold can happen because of the dip in temperature and associated allergies. It is indeed a hassle to look after a child with a cold but nevertheless it's not difficult. Regular steam inhalation, home-made kadha, warm liquids, chest compressions and ample rest is required for a child to recover from a common cold.

Flu – this is a contagious respiratory virus. The symptoms are running nose, high fever, cough, congestion, body ache and even mild conjunctivitis. Regular steam inhalation, plenty of fluids, a good diet and ample sleep is essential for recovery.

Sore throat – this is a contagious bacterial infection which is more common between the age group 5 to 15. The symptoms include sore throat, trouble swallowing, fever and headache. This can be easily treated with simple home remedies such as salt-water
gargles, warm milk with turmeric and by resting one’s voice.

Stomach flu – this is an intestinal infection which can cause severe cramps. Commonsymptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, mild fever and fatigue. Parents should give plenty of fluids and easy to digest soft foods to children. They must also ensure that children maintain good hygiene by washing their hands frequently, especially before
mealtime.

Dry skin – here the skin becomes very dry and itchy causing rashes. Even the lips tend to become very dry and chapped. The easiest remedy for this is to apply a chemical free moisturizer like almond oil or coconut oil gently over the skin or pure ghee on the lips after a bath and during bedtime. This keeps the skin lubricated and relieves itching.

Last but not the least ensure that your child drinks plenty of water, eats fresh, warm home cooked meals, observes good hygiene, is exposed to natural sunlight and gets ample sleep. Reduce the frequency of eating out and replace it with colorful and attractive finger foods made at home. Once these factors are taken care of, their immunity will improve gradually and they will be less susceptible to such illnesses. So go-ahead, grab that mug of hot chocolate and goodies and enjoy a humorous children’s movie at home with your family

The birth of a child brings inexpressible joy to the parents.  From that moment itself, they start dreaming and planning the child’s future.  They look forward to all the developmental milestones and cherish each moment of their child’s growth and development.

However, sending a child off to a preschool is a bittersweet moment for every parent.  They are eager to give them an exposure to the outer world, yet it is hard to let them go.  In the midst of these mixed emotions, parents are often plagued with many questions regarding a preschool.  The most common question being, “What is the right age to enroll a child in a preschool?” Let us answer this question with a scientific approach.

The age of 2.5 to 3 years is the accepted age for children to start preschool. While most parents are eager for their toddler to begin preschool early, there are a few things to consider. Let’s look at a few things that a parent should add to their checklist that will determine the child’s readiness for preschool.

Routine Preschoolers have different times for various activities like playing, having meals, bed time etc. It is important to start practicing a schedule at home first. Parents can do this easily by making a basic timetable for each activity so that the child knows which time is meant for which activity.

Stamina: Preschool is about exploring, projects, field trips and games. These require both mental and physical stamina. Evaluate if your child is comfortable in undertaking different activities and also consider the time of the day when your child is most active.

Independence: Assess if your child is independent enough to do tasks on their own such as eating, washing their hand, tying their shoe lace, potty training etc. At home give them small tasks that will boost their self-confidence and will make them eager to take control of their life.

Communication skills: Is your child able to express himself or herself effectively? Is your child able to use short words and sentences in English or Hindi? It is necessary that your child should understand basic instructions and also communicate with others. Encourage your child to express himself in simple sentences.

Time away from parents: Spending time away from parents can be stressful for toddlers as they have never been away from them for a long time.  To ensure a smooth transition, introduce your child to a new environment and also schedule weekly trips to meet their grandparents or have them spend a few hours with other children or friends. This way it won’t be overwhelming for a child once he goes to a preschool.

Each child is different, and so are their growth parameters. It is strongly recommended that parents thoroughly go through this checklist and gently train their children to be ready for this beautiful transition from home to preschool. So go ahead and nurture your child’s uniqueness and help him/her grow in their own special way.

Mindseed is the best preschool in Mumbai and Pune. At Mindseed the development and growth of each child is taken into consideration and the best learning experiences are given to them. Thereby a strong foundation is built ensuring that your child not only learns new things but also has a lot of joy in the process.

Mindseed offers a wonderful new program ‘Start Early’ which facilitates an easy start to the child’s learning journey. In this programme the new academic year is in the month of January itself. By commencing the term earlier, the child’s period of settlement also begins early thereby facilitating better social skills as well as enhanced academic knowledge. Go ahead and aim to foster holistic development of your child with the best school.