5 Top Tips For Visiting the Zoo With Your Daycare Student

Daycare may be one of the best times for a visit to the zoo. There are so many things there that small children have never seen, and a personal visit includes the sounds and scents as part of the experience. For small kids with so many things to learn about the world, a visit like this is a mighty adventure into the realms of the larger world they live in.

1. Before the Trip

Check out your local zoo’s website and get an idea of the animals they have on exhibit. With a list in hand, introduce the daycare kids to each species using pictures, books, and even short videos. This primes the kids for what they will see and experience during the trip, building up anticipation.

2. Be Prepared

Check the weather on the day of your zoo excursion and dress accordingly. It’s best to take zoo trips in the spring or fall, but any time of year is fine so long as you are prepared. With the wardrobe complete, plan for refreshments to take along. Simple fruit or vegetable snacks and water or juice are all you need for a trip to the zoo.

3. Ferocious Favorites

Large and dangerous animals fascinate children, but there is a certain amount of strategy surrounding when is the best time of day to visit them. Plan on visiting whatever animals your kids love the most near the middle of the trip, maybe even using a snack break as the lead-in to the major attractions.

4. Personal Interaction

Most zoos have a petting area where children can interact with select zoo and farm animals. This can be a truly amazing part of the zoo visit for daycare students who have very little experience with other forms of life. Learning about the feel, smell, and demeanor of different animals is a priceless practical life experience in and of itself.

5. After the Trip

In the days following your trip to the zoo, the children can revisit their trip by recounting exciting anecdotes about the experience, singing zoo-related songs, and creating artwork of the many different animals they saw and the details of those animals’ lives. 

Every child should visit a zoo during their daycare years, and return again periodically for as long as they wish. Exposure to wild animals helps foster empathy for them and reinforces the importance of taking care of our environment.

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How Are Circle Games Important for Preschool Children?

 Circle time is a valuable part of your child’s preschool day. Gathering the children in a circle for games or other interaction allows a seamless transition from one activity to another, helps the teacher address group issues, and gives children an opportunity to play socially interactive games. Because Circle time is so important, let’s take a look at some of the benefits it provides.

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How to Balance Your Laundry Load in the Washer

To get the best wash without residential laundry services, you need to make sure your washer is balanced. If your loads are too large/small, too heavy, or crammed into the washer, they won’t get an even wash. They might not even be washed properly. Your wash is only as good as your technique. See below for mistakes people make when balancing their wash & fold 2laundry—mistakes you also could be making.

Don’t use large or small loads

Loading up your washer until there’s little air space between your clothes and the walls will prevent your clothes from getting a thorough wash. There should be enough space for the clothes to tumble and get an all around wash. A good way to tell if there’s allowance for tumbling is if the clothes take up ¾ of the spinner. If the load is too heavy, the clothes pressed to the agitator spoke could take damage from constant friction. On the other hand, if the load is too small, you’ll waste electricity and water. Your energy bill will go up if you constantly use small loads, and it will chip into your free time. Wait until you’ve collected enough dirty laundry to fill ¾ of your washer before running your next load.

Check the manufacturer's guide for a weight limit

Filling your washer until it’s ¾ full isn’t the rule when your laundry contains heavy materials, like sweaters, coats, blankets, and other fabric that gains weight with water saturation. If your laundry is heavier than a typical load, check your washer’s manufacturer’s guide for a weight limit. If you go above it too often—even with a load that takes up ¾ or less space—you could damage the washer’s motor or frame. First, stick to within the weight limit, then make sure your load doesn’t exceed ¾ space.

Disperse clothes evenly throughout the machine

Finally, make sure your laundry is spread throughout the washer before you turn it on. Every article of clothing should have the opportunity to rotate and get its share of water and detergent. Instead of stuffing your load into the washer, put in a few articles of clothing at a time and keep them loose. Zip up and button any sleeves or pockets so they don’t catch and pull on fabric, or lace different clothes together into a net that prevents the rest of your load from a full tumble. 

 Properly loading your washing machine will get you a step closer to guaranteeing a complete wash. Once done, you’ll need to use the proper drying technique, whether it’s necessary to line-dry your clothes or tumble them in the dryer.

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What is the Importance of Coloring in Montessori Daycare?

Coloring is a common activity in the Montessori daycare. It is a perfect activity for quiet time because it occupies children in their own spaces, but it is also an excellent method of developing fine motor skills, learning to think critically and help her become more confident about her actions and choices.

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3 Helpful Tips for Teaching Courage in Preschool

 Children can begin learning about courage as early as preschool. Courage begins with having enough belief in their abilities to make an effort. Learning to continue in spite of fears and apprehensions helps little kids develop self-esteem, fosters critical thinking, and teaches them that being afraid to try something limits their own possibilities in life. These tips illustrate how you can help preschoolers overcome fears and strive for success.

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