Appletree Kids Plaza

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

What parents are saying about AKI

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

What day is today?

October has been a great month so far!

The weather even gave us a little taste of what it has in store for us this Fall!

At Appletree Kids and Kids Too we have celebrated Balloons Around the World Day and gave away TWO cookie cakes! As you can see here: Balloons Around the World Day
The rest of October is looking fun, also. We have a celebration up our sleeve for National Cupcake Decorating Day. If you have been with us at Appletree Kids, Inc. you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. If not, you won't be disappointed! (:

Here is a calendar of October with "National Days of..." so you can schedule some of your own home celebrations.

P.S. - One more thing to scare you... DO YOU SEE HOW CLOSE HALLOWEEN IS?
Do you have your costume ready? You kid's costume in mind at least? I know it probably changes by the day! A place to trick-or-treat? We'll have some help for you on these subjects in some of our upcoming blogs. Stay tuned!

11 Ways to Help Child With.... Math!

We've all been acquainted with this new school curriculum. Some are all for it; others, not so much. We can all agree that children aren't just common. They're unique and learn differently and some need more help in certain areas than others. Math seems to be the one most need help with. The way of teaching in school has changed, but remember: you have a great influence in your child's learning around the house and in everyday-life. He/She may not even consider it typical "learning" but there are things that undoubtedly enhance thinking and retention. This allows the child to go to school daily and feel like he/she is in for a great day!

Of course, you can come up with math problems for them to do as your own math worksheet. There are everyday, practical things you can do to help also.

11 Ways a Parent Can Help with Math:
1) Look for shapes and patterns in real life
2) Have your child measure ingredients for a recipe you are making
3) Ask your child to explain the math skills he or she is working on in school
4) Ask him/her to explain how he/she got the answer to problems
5) Help find age appropriate problem-solving games online (Apps on phones also)
6) Play card or board games that involve counting or patterns
7) Ask your child to count change at the grocery store or estimate total cost while you're shopping
8) Compare!: What's the tallest? Smallest? Fastest? Highest? Most expensive? Etc...
9) Have a ruler, scale, calculator, measuring tape available to use in house
10) Encourage child to graph/track stats for favorite sports team
11) Use dice or playing cards to make a game out of practicing math skills

These things will help your child succeed in school and encourage a learning environment at home!
Have fun with them also! (:
3 great free math apps: Teachly: Addimal Adventure, ToDo Math, Splash Math Kindergarten

If you have any extra tips, let us know.
Find us on Facebook or tweet us! (:

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Hydration Reminder - Applies to parents and kids!

Yes, it is heading towards getting cold outside again; however, that doesn't mean you can forget everything you know about hydration!

Let's get into some Good Hydration Tips:

Practicing good hydration tips is vital whether you are in the backyard relaxing or at the park jogging. Paying attention to hydration lets you enjoy life without feeling fatigued and while you receive some water from foods such as fruits and vegetables, the reality is eighty percent of your hydration is from water as well as other liquids.

It is a bad idea to let your thirst guide you as to how much to drink. If you get thirsty then you are in fact already slightly dehydrated! The best thing to do is to outpace your thirst, so it is a good idea to keep a water bottle on hand at all times.

Eight glasses of water (about eight ounces each) should be the bare minimum you consume in a day, not the end point. Nine glasses for women and twelve for men is the best suggestion.

It is important to keep in mind that some drinks will hydrate more than others. Water is the best option for hydration. Caffeinated beverages are actually better than commonly thought but alcohol can actually dehydrate you so is best avoided, particularly in large quantities.

Steering clear of alcohol and always having a bottle of water on-hand are best practices.
Also, teach your kids that water is essential!

Water helps digestion regulation. It helps keep skin looking good. It helps energize muscles.
It helps keep immune system stronger to fight sickness. Oh, the many roles of water.

Below are the links for water wonder-ers.

WebMD

FitDay

Friday, October 3, 2014

Nutrition (with some misconceptions)

Nutrition

Avoiding Shopping Mistakes

Even with the best of intentions about healthy food and nutrition, we can still make mistakes when we actually go out to shop. There are a number of common mistakes and misconceptions that even people who thought they were well-informed can make.

One common mistake is people paying more for brown eggs rather than white in the belief that the brown eggs are better for you. The reality is there is no truth to this whatsoever. The color of the egg is irrelevant to its nutritional content or its taste. The only thing that makes a shell a certain color is the breed of the chicken.

Another mistake is purchasing low-fat peanut butter to save on fat and calories. The irony here is that the fat in peanut butter is actually good for you so there is no point in avoiding it. Low-fat peanut butter also actually has higher sugar content in order to make up for less fat, with little if any difference in calories. When buying peanut butter, choose the one with the least ingredients, preferably with nothing more than peanuts and a small amount of added salt or sugar.

Some confusion also comes along with the multi-grain vs. whole grain conversation. Which is healthier? According to http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/multigrain/faq-20057867:

"Whole-grain foods are a healthy choice because they contain nutrients, fiber and other healthy plant compounds found naturally in the grain. Look for products that list the first ingredient as "whole wheat," "whole oats" or a similar whole grain. While "whole grains" may signify one of many types of healthy grains, "whole wheat" labels the specific grain used. Either term may identify a food that's a good source of fiber, several B vitamins and minerals."

Hopefully that helps!

Is there anything else you'd like to share? Anything you think we should discuss in our blogs?
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