Events & Updates - Young Scholars Academy

Finding Santa In Colorado Springs

December 10, 2018 by Admin Leave a Comment

Children love the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus coming to town has made many Christmases merry and bright. Santa can be found in many different locations during the holidays but finding the perfect Santa experience for you children and family can be a little daunting. Listed below are a few of the Winter Wonderlands you and your family can visit this year.

Santa at the Chapel Hills Mall is a fun and convenient way to let your children visit Santa while also getting some Christmas shopping done. Santa is available Monday-Saturday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm with breaks from 1:00-2:00 pm and 5:00-6:00(Even Santa has to stop to eat), Sunday 11:00 am – 6:00 pm with a break from 2:00-3:00 pm, and December 24th from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm with a break from 1:00-2:00 pm. He will be at the Mall through December 24th. Do your fur babies want to meet the big guy? Chapel Hills Mall offers pet night every Monday through December 17th from 6:00-8:00 pm. Pictures can be purchased at the time of visit.

Another convenient way to meet Santa is through the Citadel Mall. They have the same hours for Santa as the Chapel Hills Mall but instead of offering pet night, the Citadel has partnered with NORAD Tracks Santa. Their web page https://www.noradsanta.org opens December 1st and tracks Santa though the Christmas season.

Santa’s Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops offers a different free craft each week, a free 4X6 photo, and games and activities. From now through December 1st Santa is available Monday-Friday 5:00-8:00 pm and crafts from 5:00-7:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm with crafts from 12:00-5:00 pm, and Sunday 12:00-5:00 pm with crafts those same hours. December 2nd-24th hours are Mon-Sat 10:00 am – 8:00 pm and Sunday’s and Christmas Eve from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. with crafts on weekday evenings 5:00-7:00 pm and weekends 12:00-5:00 pm.

If you are looking for a Santa tradition for your family, catch the Santa Express Train from the Royal Gorge Route Railroad. Pricing Varies from day and seating; $44-$74 for adults and $34-$69 for children ages 1-12. Guests can pre-purchase meals or purchase them on the train. Passengers can also buy a photo to document their Santa Express experience. Call or log on to make reservations 719-276-4000 or https://royalgorgeroute.com/santa-express-train/ Santa Fe Depot off of Highway 50 Canon City CO 81212

Holiday Evening at Rock Ledge Ranch invites you to celebrate an old fashioned Christmas with light tours, blacksmithing demonstrations, barn dancing, Victorian celebrations, Edwardian festivities, and a visit from St. Nicholas. The general store will be open for purchasing hot cider and other goodies. This event takes place December 15th starting at 4pm. 719-578-6777. 3105 Gateway Rd 80904. Adults $8, Seniors $5, andChildren 6-12 $4.

Here are just a few places near Colorado Springs to bring the magic of Christmas to your family. No matter how you chose to visit Santa, with kids and/or pets, in the mall or on a train, be sure to have fun and enjoy time making new holiday memories.

-Ms. Blair
Health & Wellness Coordinator
Lead Early Preschool Teacher

Hard Conversations, Where to Start?

December 8, 2018 by Admin Leave a Comment

Did your kid really just ask you that deep question about life? Where babies come from? Why does she have two daddies? Where did grandma go? The list is endless, and perhaps your answers are not. Have books help you with those hard conversations. As a parent it is your job to explain the good, bad, and the ugly to your children. Some of these conversations we dread, some we look forward to, and others we just plain hope they never pop up. Those are the ones that you may need a little more help on, but you might not want to go around asking others for advice. The best option is to find a book that can prepare you for the conversation as well as guide your child through it. Books offer a great concrete way to talk about possibly abstract subjects. It will help your child gain a better grasp on things. Some books might even have multiple pieces; one for you and one for your child with pictures or activities.

You have on your superhero capes every day, and your children look up to you as someone who knows everything. Then one day they ask you a question that stops you in your tracks. Do I answer? What do I say? Do I ignore it? Are they asking other people this? So many questions may flood your mind. If you are not ready to have the conversation at hand, then give your child an answer along the lines of ‘we will talk about this together at a special time’. Or ‘please hold your questions and I promise we will talk it all through before the end of the week’. Not to say that they are going to like that answer, but give them the best answer you can; you know your child the best so go with your gut. Now luckily the younger they are the less they are going to ask. The older they are, the more likely they will be able to understand what you mean when you say we will come back to this conversation in a couple of days. You’re not off the hook though, kids remember EVERYTHING. They will not let you forget this conversation. You will need to be prepared in the near future, so a book will be a great place to help you start. Next stop barnesandnoble.com with rush delivery!

Some topics are not what we ever thought parenting would be, but we are our children’s first teachers, and we want to be their best. It may be a sensitive subject, but wouldn’t you rather your child hear it from you rather than asking anyone else. You lose the control of subject that way. They will remember the way they were told first. The second person who changes things is the liar in their eyes and the one that will confuse them. Be the first person! You have lots of resources at your fingertips to help you get your point across in a graceful way. You’ve got this.

-Ms. Brooke
Curriculum & Literacy Coordinator
Lead Pre-K Teacher

Let’s Skip Stuffing Those Stockings To the Max

December 6, 2018 by Admin 1 Comment

little girl reading a Christmas book — Get exciting Christmas books

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, the countdown to Christmas is in full swing! Decorations all over town are going up, Christmas lights are shining bright, and the Christmas music is blaring. As you walk into every store all the Christmas displays are set up and all the advertisements are filled with Christmas sales. I’m sure your kiddos have started to make requests about things they want for Christmas and all the relatives are asking what to buy. Some might be feeling a bit of anxiety as the season approaches when this should not be the case. I would like to share how to take a step back a little on the Christmas presents this year and to focus on what matters most.

As you start to plan out what your Christmas will be like this year, it doesn’t have to be consumed by the number of presents under the tree. This is something to really think about when your children are young. As you begin starting your Christmas traditions, don’t make it about filling the stockings to the brim. If you are stacking gifts under the tree to the max, they may start to expect it as each year passes and they become more aware of what is going on. This could cause your kiddos to loose sight of what Christmas is all about.

A really awesome idea I heard about a few years ago was to plan your gift giving around this mantra: Give your child what they want, need, wear and read. So simple! It really narrows it down to four easy categories to shop for and will drastically cut down on over giving. This really works great for all ages! Maybe you feel compelled to do a few items in each category depending on your family dynamics, but still stick to the categories. Buying even 2 items from each one will still cut down on the overflow of gifts. Continue to have fun and have your child create their Christmas list, but have them break it down into these categories.

Include them in the idea of not buying all the toys off the shelf and help them to understand as they grow older as to why. Also, it’s super important to not spend beyond your budget. Set a budget for each child and really stick to it! It is hard, I know! But doing the want, need, wear, read breakdown really helps!
Be intentional about filling Christmas time with other things instead of presents. Make the memories and show kindness to others during the holiday season. There are lots of events around town to attend, looking at Christmas lights while drinking hot coco is always fun, or even reach out by having you and your children do kind things for others or those in need. Christmas is really not about checking every item off your child’s Christmas list; it’s about spending time together, creating memories and starting lasting traditions as a family.

-Ms. Whitney
Curriculum Coordinator
Lead Pre-K Teacher

Celebrating National Family Stories Month this November

December 5, 2018 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

With Thanksgiving around the corner, many of us will be gathering with our families. This will be an excellent time to share stories, and listen to grandparents talk about family history. Because wonderful and interesting stories get passed around during this time of the year, November is called the National Family Stories Month.

It is exciting to have this celebration, but the National Family Stories Month is not just about collecting and sharing family stories. It’s also about preserving family traditions. Be sure to enjoy and make the most of the National Family Stories Month with these brilliant ideas!

Share stories about your childhood

One of the most interesting stories everybody loves listening to is the story of your childhood. Share your fondest memories of when you were your kids’ age. What were the funniest things you did? What was the most memorable? Reminiscing on your childhood is a fun way to bring laughter to the group. Make it more exciting by flipping through old photo albums and showing photos of when you were younger.

Talk about your family traditions

Family traditions are important because they strengthen family bonds. Share with the younger members of the family the traditions you’ve kept. Explain why you have maintained them. Even if they are as simple as saying a prayer before a Thanksgiving meal, putting up a Christmas tree or hanging stockings on Christmas Eve, these traditions are always meaningful.

Document memories

It’s always fun to relive the good old days, especially when the memories were documented. Continue to add entries and include your children’s. Keep their baby photos and take note of important milestones. They would love to hear funny stories of when they were little. These keepsakes are something that your child will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Ask grandma and grandpa to share the story of how they met

Another exciting story the family would love is the story of how grandma and grandpa met. Times were different so many years ago and it would be interesting to find out your grandparents’ love story. During their time, communication wasn’t easy. There were no mobile phones or internet and it’s romantic to learn about courtship from back then.

Listen to some good, old music

There will always be those songs that bring feelings of nostalgia when played. Play the songs that bring back good memories, or ones that you danced to back in the day! Does your family have a favorite song to sing or dance to? Find a record or a CD of that music and put it on! Tell the younger members how it all started and share this tradition with them.

Play a movie the entire family has always loved watching

Did your family have a favorite TV show or childhood movie when you were growing up? Why don’t you watch it together? No matter how old it is, nothing’s more fun than everyone gathered around while watching a family favorite!

Start a new tradition with your kids

Aside from the existing family traditions, it’s also a good idea to start a new tradition with your kids. You can bake a favorite cookie recipe or learn a new game. Any activity will do as long as it creates new wonderful memories together.

Family stories are some of the best things that bind us for years and years. Continue to celebrate them while you create new family memories together! Use this guide and make use of these ideas to make your National Family Stories Month more fun and meaningful!

8 Tips to Help your Children Calm Down

November 27, 2018 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Just like adults, children get mad. When they do, their reactions and words can be ugly and mean. They tend to get overwhelmed by their feelings and lose their self control. A child’s inability to manage anger and regulate emotions can have lasting effects. It can also significantly impact their lives as adults. For this reason, parents should make it a point to help their children process their emotions and teach them how to calm themselves down. It may not be easy, especially for children with low self-regulation. However, you can make use of the following tips to help your children calm down and ease their aggression.

Go outside for a walk

One of the best ways to help your children calm down is by going outside to take a breather. Take them out for a walk and let them breathe in fresh air. Go to the park and bring your pet with you. It’s also a good idea to do some exercise together like running or jogging. It will help them loosen up and feel better. In fact, at least 10 minutes of exercise offers more benefits than meditation.

parent taking a walk with child — Take your child for a walk to help them calm down

Take deep breaths

Taking a deep breath when you are upset is an effective way to calm down. This strategy works for both children and adults alike. Shallow breathing can keep us anxious and agitated. When you try to take deep, slow breaths, you will notice how your body physiologically calms down. This action leads to a calmer mental state. This applies to children as well. Practice taking deeper breaths together. Also, talk to them about how breathing can help them calm down.

Listen to relaxing music

Listening to a soothing and relaxing song can also help an upset person. Make a playlist of some calm and happy songs on your phone. Better yet, encourage your child to make their own playlist.

Count from 1 to 100

Literally counting to 100 can help anyone take a moment to pause before responding with words they might regret. Teach your children this strategy when they are angry. While adults prefer to do this in their head, it would be better to encourage children to do the counting out loud. Have them recite the numbers until the end.

Discuss together what they’re feeling

As soon as your child has calmed down, talk him through what they are feeling. Discuss it with them and ask them what bothers them. Ask why they feel bad and what made them upset. Like adults, children have a variety of feelings. It would significantly help if they learn how to label these emotions at a young age. Let them recognize when they’re happy, angry, or upset. To help them, ask them questions like “Were you angry?” or “Did you feel scared?”

Teach them empathy

We can’t expect children to be mindful of how their behavior affects others. It is something we must teach them. If they did something wrong, it is the role of parents to make them understand how their actions impact other people. If they said something bad or hurt another child, ask them how they would feel if they were in that child’s shoes. Be sure to ask calmly. You don’t want to make them feel judged or accused.

Give them a warm hug

Getting a warm hug may not be appealing to your child but it can go a long way. Hold them still and give them a tight and loving hug. It will help them calm down and feel better.

Go to a chill spot

Does your child have a favorite spot in the house where they feel happy and relaxed? Do they have a favorite couch or chair by the patio? Bring them to that spot in the house whenever they feel upset. This pleasant spot could help alleviate a stressful moment. You could also use this designated place for discussing their feelings and issues so they will feel comfortable talking and opening up.

Easing a child’s aggression when they’re upset and angry may be tough, but these tips can help you manage their behavior and help them calm down.

Looking for the best preschool in Colorado Springs for your little one? Please feel free to visit Young Scholars Academy.