Call to Action
Is Your Preschooler Playing Enough at School?
by Rae Pica
March 4, 2009
There are so many choices in preschools today, it's no wonder that parents are overwhelmed when making decisions about where to send their children.
In brief, the preschool you choose should be one that respects children’s intellectual, social/emotional, and physical needs. This describes a traditional, play-based preschool, as opposed to the academic-oriented education being touted – and sought after – in today’s superkid climate. So, when you visit ...
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Rae Pica is a children’s physical activity specialist and the author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity, and Free Time Create a Successful Child (Da Capo Press, 2006) and Great Games for Young Children (Gryphon House, 2006). She has shared her expertise with such clients as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Centers for Disease Control, Gymboree Play & Music, and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. She is also co-creator and host of "Body, Mind and Child," a radio program in which she interviews experts in the fields of early childhood education, child development, the neurosciences, and more. Listen at www.bodymindandchild.com.
Column Archive
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A Call for Active Gifts
December 12, 2007, 12:00 am
With the holiday season fast approaching (wasn't it just summer?), parents everywhere are putting together their gift lists and trying to find spare moments to sneak off to the stores. Considering the current emphasis on helping kids to be smarter, chances are good that many of the items on parents' lists are educational products. The children, of course, are also making up lists, and chances are good that those lists consist primarily of the most-advertised items on TV. Read More
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What to Do When It's Cold Outside
December 12, 2007, 12:00 am
So, winter has arrived and with it comes the inclination to head to the couch. What's a parent to do? Read More
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Finding Creatures in the Clouds
December 5, 2007, 12:00 am
Intuitively, you know that your child needs downtime. No one, even the most energetic among us, cares to rush through their waking hours, day after day after day. Read More
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Not All Games Are Created Equal
November 28, 2007, 12:00 am
Whether you're playing one-on-one with your child, she's got a playdate, or you've invited a group of kids for a get-together, games can teach something, without kids even realizing it. Read More
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Body-Part Boogie
November 21, 2007, 12:00 am
Body-Part Boogie is a musical activity that focuses specifically on listening skills while also helping children identify and isolate body parts, follow directions, express themselves, practice stopping and starting, and experience the mood-altering properties of music. Read More
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The Value of a Parade
November 14, 2007, 12:00 am
Young children love to march! With or without music, with or without instruments (or pots and pans), there's something about the motion of a march that appeals to their sense of fun. Read More
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Retell a Story
November 7, 2007, 12:00 am
The most important thing you can do to help your child become a good reader and a person who loves reading is to read to her. The experts are unanimous on that opinion. They will also tell you that memorization isn't as important to the process of a child becoming literate as comprehension. Thatâs where text retelling comes in handy. Read More
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Fun with Fruits and Veggies
October 31, 2007, 12:00 am
Fruits and vegetables aren't typically among children's favorite foods. Here are some games that make them seem fun and friendly. Who knows, you may get them into their mouths, yet! Read More
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The Art of Self-Expression
October 24, 2007, 12:00 am
We give a lot of lip service to the importance of creativity in our society. But the truth is, we value conformity more. If we didn't, the schools wouldn't be implementing standardized curricula that demand all children respond in the same way to all tasks. Why is conformity valued more highly than creativity? Read More
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Learning the Old-Fashioned Way
October 17, 2007, 12:00 am
Whatever happened to three-legged races? Once upon a time, they were all the rage at picnics and old home days. Today, we have organized sports and computer games. But those options don't have as much to teach children as many of the old-fashioned activities! Read More
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