Blog - iKids Play

Fun and Unique Handicrafts for Kids

Post author:Darren
Post published:November 2, 2021
Post category:Handicrafts
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A British educator born over 150 years ago discovered a clue to childhood learning that still rings true: “The duty of parents is to sustain a child’s inner life with ideas as they sustain his body with food.” Charlotte Mason lived well before computers and screens of all kinds, yet she developed a lifestyle of learning that not only delivered a broad and generous education to the children of her day, but continues to inspire today’s educators all over the world!

Mason’s philosophy of learning resides in the belief that a child is a person and we must educate that whole person, rather than just the mind via dry textbooks or perpetual commands and directions. In her words, “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.” While there are many concepts to unpack in Charlotte Mason’s pedagogy, this article will focus on the significance she saw in prioritizing the introduction and application of unique handicrafts to kids.

Her key discovery remains that learning is much more meaningful and long lasting when ideas are simultaneously coupled with hands-on skills such as: garden work, cooking, sewing, woodworking, weaving baskets, and crafting jewelry and gifts.

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3 BEST Metal Detector for Kids in 2021

Post author:Darren
Post published:November 2, 2021
Post category:Activity
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A quintessential treasure hunt—there’s nothing quite like it! A common theme of epic adventure movies and endless folklore, treasure hunting can become a pastime for you and your kids too! It’s super simple to equip your children with just what they need for such an adventure—a metal detector! You can take a detector virtually anywhere which is a huge advantage as it keeps your child active and outdoors while they’re at the beach, a campground, play area, a school after hours, or the forest.

If you need any further convincing, consider the educational aspect as children naturally learn what resources exist in their environment. Your child may discover iron ore or even a meteorite! Depending on your location, you may even find your treasure hunter has become a reputable gold digger. This hobby encourages them to use their imagination too as they unearth an old piece of jewelry or coin and consider the origin story of each treasure.

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Fun & Unique Extracurricular Activities for Kids

Post author:Darren
Post published:November 2, 2021
Post category:Uncategorized
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“Play is the work of the child,” quipped Maria Montessori, who went on to craft an approach to education that builds on the way children learn naturally.

Young children quite easily find themselves at play, which opens them up to learn about the world around them.

Pay attention to what happens at the park as preschoolers begin to bump into one another, exchange a few words, and then ditch the playground equipment to traipse over to the woods where they turn tree overhangs into forts and wield sticks as magic wands. Imagination and play are at work, and your child’s world expands.

As children grow, play can go a few ways: it can get trumped by screen time or even by organized sports with soccer schedules that rival that of a CEO. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

In fact, colleges are looking for kids who practice play though an extracurricular activity—something that they regularly participate in outside of their normal academic classes.

While there’s nothing wrong with screens (they are necessary for most STEM-based extracurriculars) or athletics (a sport is a time-proven way to get exercise and gain invaluable life skills as a teammate), check out the many ways below where you can help your child develop through play once their preschool years are behind them.

We categorized these into four categories to help you search: art, exercise, STEM, and DIY. Scroll down for a full explanation of each category and lots of ideas to enrich your child’s life!

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