Young Scholars Academy

Where Children Develop a Love of Learning

 5815 Tutt Center Point - Colorado Springs, CO 80922
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7 Benefits of Daycare for Children

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Kids on a daycare swing
Daycare provides the tools for kids to learn

There are many things parents worry about when it comes to a daycare, which is perfectly normal. As a parent, it is natural to be concerned about leaving your little one in someone else’s care. Some people also believe that young children are better off at home. However, if you’re worried about putting your child in a daycare, know that a good quality daycare program is beneficial to toddlers in many ways. Daycare can help with their mental, social, and emotional growth and development. Read on to find out the amazing benefits that a daycare can offer your child.

More opportunities to grow

A quality daycare program is important to a child’s future success. In a high-quality daycare, teachers and care providers are capable of dealing with toddlers’ tantrums and behavioral problems. At the same time, kids are also given plenty of opportunities to socialize and learn. The daycare environment gives them the affection and stimulation they need while growing up.

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Celebrate National Picnic Month by Going on a Picnic with the Family

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family on a picnic
A picnic is a great way to spend time with family

Everybody celebrates Independence Day in July. But, what many people don’t know is that we also celebrate National Picnic Month in July, too! Going for a picnic is an excellent time to embrace nature and breathe in fresh air. It is also a great opportunity to bond with friends, family and loved ones. While a picnic is understood as a simple excursion with meals eaten outdoors, there are some interesting facts about the origin of picnic that not many of us are aware of.

  •  The word picnic was taken from the French word “pique nique” which refers to an outdoor meal. The first picnics took place in the Middle Ages when the members of the upper class society would “dine out” or eat their meals outdoors during a hunt.
  • The first recorded use of “picnic”, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was in a letter written by Lord Chesterfield to his son in Berlin in 1748. The word picnic here was used in the sense of a social gathering.
  • In the early 1800’s, picnic was already being used to refer to a social meal eaten outdoors.

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Welcoming A Family Pet 

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There are so many benefits to welcoming pets into your children’s lives. Not only are they cute, but they can teach some important lessons that our four legged friends teach the best. Pets relieve stress, provide a safe haven, boost self-esteem, and give the opportunity to care for another and create a special bond.

Pets make amazing friends!
Pets make amazing friends!

After a hard day at school your child will feel so much better being able to hang out with their pet and cuddle or talk to them. Many children talk to their pets knowing that it is a non-judgmental space. They may find that they can share their secrets with their pets; it provides your child with a healthy outlet.

Pets can relieve stress and boost self-esteem in many children through the therapy of love. Think about walking into your house and how excited your pets are to see you no matter what kind of day you’ve had. Your pet will love you unconditionally; children need that extra cheer leader in their lives too.

Pets encourage nurturing behavior. Being nurturing is something that has to be learned; it isn’t something that we are born knowing how to do. Being nurtured by our own parents is just a part of it; children also have to be given opportunities to be the nurturers. Owning pets gives boys and girls equal opportunity for this. Depending on the age of your child this can be a great way to teach being gentle. It can help in learning patience and kindness as well.

With a pet to care for your children are given more opportunities to play outside. This can create a stronger bond with the entire family by going on nightly walks with the dogs, and taking them on special outings with the family like camping and picnics.

Caring for pets promotes responsibility. It is a huge responsibility to care for another being. Not meaning that it will be too much for your child, but meaning that they will be gaining the best understanding of others by having a pet. It will teach them empathy and how to think of others; a part from themselves. A pet just might be their first friend outside of the immediate family, which will become a part of the family very quickly. Your child will have an understanding of bonds, and what really makes a family; not just blood.

Perhaps pets are a stretch for you for a few different reasons, so consider something small and simple to handle. Fish and small caged animals can have the same positive effects. It gives your child a better understanding of how precious life is, no matter how small. Seriously, consider a pet for the social and emotional well-being of your children.

~Ms. Brooke
Lead Pre-K
Curriculum Coordinator
Literacy Leader

5 Reasons Why You Should Teach Kids About the Great Outdoors—National Great Outdoors Month

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June has been proclaimed as the Great Outdoors Month. This is a perfect time to share the glory of nature with your child!

There are plenty of reasons why you should pack your stuff and enjoy the Great Outdoors with your kids.  Here are just a few of them:

  1.       Manage Your Kid’s Excessive Use of Technology

There are so many distractions these days competing for your child’s attention.  Gadgets, video games, the Internet, you name it, they’re all out there. And you know, once your child gets their hands on any of it, they give it their undivided attention.

There’s nothing wrong with exposing your kids to technology.  But too much of anything can negatively impact your kid, physically, socially and emotionally.

What is alarming though, is how children spend so much less time outside the home and seldom interact with kids their age. (Sometimes, they don’t even talk to their own parents!)  Technology is creating a reclusive generation who’d rather spend time in front of a mobile phone or a computer monitor. Even recess has been reduced or eliminated at many schools, further reducing the time spent outside.

Want to prevent this gloom and doom horizon? You can, if you manage how your kids use technology. Giving them interesting alternatives such as exploring the Great Outdoors tops the list.

If you have limited time because of work, look into having your child attend a child care program.  There are child care centers that offer outdoor activities in their curriculum.

  1. national great outdoors month

     Explore the Grandness of Mother Nature

The US is well known for its majestic outdoors. Go explore some of it! Kids can learn a lot from actual, experiential discovery. Going camping, fishing, or just playing catch in a neighborhood park? Being outside gives you and your child the opportunity to be one with nature.

Imagine your child responding to a live butterfly flying above her head, instead of watching a some video about insects on the web.  It’s amazing to see your child discover new things about nature. Better yet, you’re there to teach your kid about nature itself!

  1.       Bonding with Family & Friends

This June is the best month to bond with your child together with friends and other family members. During the National Great Outdoors celebration, there are plenty of fun activities you and your child can enjoy, such as:

  •         Boating
  •         Camping
  •         Family Fun
  •         Fishing
  •         Hiking
  •         Stewardship

Ask the director of the child care center your kid is attending if they offer any of these outdoor activities and how you and your kid can make the most of it.  Child care centers often align their activities with the Great Outdoors Month celebration, by including field trips to parks and other outdoor activities. And most centers need and appreciate volunteers to join them on these field trips, so ask how you can help!

Spending quality time with your kid this month while being out in nature is a wonderful and enriching experience.  Your child is guaranteed to enjoy endless opportunities for adventure, recreation, and renewal of family ties.

  1.       Health Benefits

There’s no denying taking long walks outside can result in long-lasting and far-reaching health benefits.  Nature offers an opportunity to explore and get active while strengthening our bonds with family.

The health benefits are not just limited to physical health.  Sure, climbing a steep hill or backpacking with your kid builds endurance and improves overall physical well-being. But there’s more to physical health when you enjoy the great outdoors, including:

Mental Health Balance

Spending time with your kids outdoors is also beneficial to your own mental health.  It’s a wonderful stress reliever especially if you work in an office all day. Hiking, biking, and climbing can help relieve you of the stress that you deal with on a regular basis.  

Social Bond Strengthening

People who love the great outdoors or any kind of outdoor activity usually do well at group work.  Outdoorsy folks improve their social skills over time and they do so while learning how to effectively work with others.

Imagine what it will be like for your kid.

Encouraging your kid to enjoy nature also gives them important skills, such as team building and problem-solving skills. These will be extremely valuable when she grows up.  

Increased Productivity

Believe it or not, people who spend more time outdoors are more productive in their job and personal life.  Kids who spend more time with friends playing in the park tend to show more IQ and EQ than those who spend more time tinkering with their gadgets.

They are more motivated to get involved in activities and they bring this “grit” to solve life’s riddles and challenges.

Healthy View of the Environment

By exploring the world, kids develop a deep appreciation of nature.  Teaching your child about nature opens their eyes to how important and interconnected the environment is.

Talk to your child about simple, but pressing, environmental issues of the day and teach her how she can make a big difference in her own small way.  Besides, big changes take place with small steps.

  1. national great outdoors month

     Contribute to the Local Economy by Boosting Local, Small Businesses

Last, but certainly not least, exploring the great outdoors with your kids can bring great value to local and small businesses in your area.  Every time you go out to enjoy nature, you contribute to your local economy’s coffers.

The Great Outdoors Month of June is a time for everyone to share what nature has to offer.  It helps heighten your child’s understanding of nature and their place in it. Plus it’s just a great place to relax in!

7 Reasons a Summer Camp Benefits your Child

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Summer camps can provide the most rewarding and memorable experiences in a child’s life. With the help of caring mentors and counselors, a summer program can help develop valuable life skills that will prepare a child for a bigger and brighter future. If you are still contemplating whether to send your child to a summer camp, here are some important reasons why you should.

A summer camp encourages kids to try new things

If this is the first time you’re sending your child to a summer camp, expect them to be pushed out of their comfort zone. It is going to be a whole new environment with lots of different faces. It could be scary at first but it is a perfect opportunity for children to learn how to engage with other kids. A camp pushes and encourages kids to try new experience and activities that they may not be familiar with. This is an excellent time for them to discover new hobbies and interests. Through various activities, kids may just discover something they will excel at.

summer camp
Children get the chance to socialize with other kids in a summer camp

Camp develops social skills

A summer camp teaches kids to communicate and work with other campers. If your child is the shy type, sending them to a camp can make a big difference when it comes to developing their social skills. In a camp, there won’t be parents or teachers to l guide a child on how to approach others. This means that they will learn how to make friends on their own. They will learn how to be more confident in introducing themselves to other campers.

Going to Camp fosters independence

At a summer camp, children learn how to make decisions without the guidance of their parents. There won’t be moms and dads who will make the decisions for them. They will learn the responsibility of taking care of themselves within the safe environment of the camp and under the safety net of their counselors.  As they continue to discover new facets of themselves, they are free to take the risk of finding out what works and what doesn’t. It is in a camp that children, even at a young age, will learn how to overcome their constant parental dependency.

Summer camp teaches the value of hard work

Some children don’t recognize the value of hard work because parents do everything for them. At camp, kids are exposed to various challenges that encourage them to take healthy risks. It teaches them the significance of working hard and never giving up on achieving their goals.

Going to summer camp builds character

Summer camps do not only encourage a child to make friends; they also help campers build the character that will cultivate their relationships. At camp, kids are equipped with the core values of a moral individual, learning about honesty, respect, and responsibility.

Camp gives a child the chance to relax

Of course, camps are not just about learning new skills and developing character. Camps also provide children plenty of opportunities to have fun and enjoy the outdoors. Even kids need time to relax and break away from the daily stress of life and school. They also need to unwind, and summer vacation is the perfect time to do it. Camps allow children to make the most of their childhood by giving them the chance to enjoy carefree living and unstructured play.
summer camp

Attending camp lets your kids unplug

Most kids these days spend a lot of their free time on the screens – watching TV, playing video games on the laptop or mobile phones. While there is nothing wrong with using technology for entertainment, too much screen time isn’t healthy for kids. By sending your child to a summer camp, you’re allowing them to unplug and spend more time for outdoor playing. And that’s exactly what they need.

Summer camps provide great experiences for children to learn and develop skills. Because camps provide several developmental needs for your children, it’s a great time to enroll your child in a summer camp.