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How kids benefit from starting a collection

How kids benefit from starting a collection

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kids benefit from starting a collection

When you think of kids starting a collection, it may seem like just a silly obsession. However, there are some great skills to be learned when your child actively collects a specific item, whether it’s baseball cards, figurines, or fun magnets from different cities. Read on to find out what your child can learn by starting a collection.

Foster research skills

As your child begins adding to their collection, they will want to know about each new addition. This is the perfect opportunity for them to learn how to research. For example, if they collect rocks, they can research about each new rock they get in order to find out what type of rock it is by analyzing its properties. They will love becoming an expert in something that their parents may not know so much about.

Learn the importance of money by starting a collection

Starting a collection is also a great opportunity for kids to get a better sense of how money works. If kids are encouraged to pay for new additions to their collection themselves, the items will be even more valuable to them and they will get more practice in money management. It is also great to teach them smart spending by helping them learn to figure out what a good purchase is. Taking them to garage sales or flea markets will help them learn what a bargain is and how to look for one.

Obtain exceptional organizational skills

This is an important aspect of maintaining a collection, as kids will actually gain a lot of valuable real-life skills through this. When collecting, kids spend a lot of time arranging, organizing, and maybe even cataloging their prized possessions. These skills are important for many different professions and even just around the house, so it is very helpful for kids to learn them at a young age. That way it won’t be so hard later in life when it becomes more of a necessity than a hobby.

Starting a collection will help your child become a better storyteller

Along the collection journey, every item your child obtains will come with a memory. It is important for kids to know the history of their collection and how to tell people about it. For example, they may have a rock that they got on a family trip to Yellowstone National Park. They will learn how to tell the story of how they got it, and will get practice storytelling whenever someone asks them about it. In order to do this, they also need to know all the facts of their collection. Then, they need to learn to tell them in an orderly and concise way. It’s great for kids to learn this while they’re young, as it will build confidence and give them good presentation skills.

Starting a collection gives kids an opportunity to gain some very important skills that will help them later in life. The subject of their collection can be absolutely anything they are interested in, as long as it is not too expensive or unsafe. So if your child shows interest in expanding their collection of a few quarters they have with interesting designs, encourage them to start looking for more!

Educational YouTube resources for better learning

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Educational YouTube resources for better learning

YouTube is a website that has become increasingly popular since it was created in 2005, and is now one of the main sources of entertainment for many people. However, this social media giant is not just for watching music videos, random video blogs (vlogs), or beauty tutorials. Many content creators on the popular site have dedicated their channels to educational videos, which can be very useful for people of all ages and interests.

Maybe your child needs some extra help understanding a biology concept, like the digestive system. Or, maybe your child is a bit bored and wants to get ahead with their understanding of school subjects. If there is a specific concept that interested them in one of their classes, but their class didn’t go into detail with it, they can learn even more about it on YouTube.

There are many excellent educational YouTube resources for enhancing your child’s understanding of a subject, or even teaching them a complete lesson. Educational resources in video format are also great if your child is a visual learner. Here are just a few examples of some great YouTube channels to check out, for kinds of different subjects!

Math YouTube videos

ViHart: This is a great channel for a visual learner who wants to learn more about math. Vi Hart takes a fun, creative approach to math, mostly through applying complex math concepts to doodles or music.

Mathademics: This is the perfect example of where you can go to get a simple, yet complete lesson on a certain math concept. They have everything from fractions and decimals, to algebra or geometry. This is just one of many math tutorial channels. If your child is having trouble with a specific math concept, search it up on YouTube and you will find many more tutorials!

Science YouTube resources

Veritasium: This popular YouTube channel is completely dedicated to science, (mostly to physics), and features everything from experiments, to interviews and video blogs (vlogs). Its creator has an educational background in explaining complicated topics to people through various methods.

The Spangler Effect: Here, Steve Spangler dedicates each video to a specific science topic and performs an entertaining demonstration. These videos are perfect if you do not have the materials for an experiment on hand, but still want your child to have the learning experience of one.

SciShow and SciShow Space: These two channels feature a person answering interesting questions science explains in a fascinating way. From why beaver butts smell like vanilla to how ‘ginger’ kids are formed, this channel entertains all ages with facts you can use at parties over and over again.

Minute Physics and Minute Earth: This is an animated drawn series that explains several scientific questions.

ASAP Science: This channel is similar in style to Minute Physics and Minute Earth, except the target here is to explain complicated matters in a broken-down, simple way. The creators choose topics that teens are likely to ask, or that affect teens. For example, they’re not afraid to explain the science of what a certain drug will do to the brain. They’ll face topics related to sex education, and do it in a way that makes it entertaining and easy to digest, while remaining as factual as possible.

DNews: Made by the Discovery Channel, this is a daily show that focuses on news-related items to do with science. They talk about new science discoveries and answer questions such as why you get angry when you’re hungry, as well as other ‘why’ questions that boggle our mind. For parents concerned about age appropriate material, watch out since this show can sometimes explore more ‘grown up’ topics.

Educational YouTube resources: technology

Kipkay: If your child loves to create and build things, and is interested in technology, then they will love Kipkay’s channel. Amongst various prank and hack videos, this educational YouTube resource has how-to videos demonstrating how to make unique and creative items from everyday things.

YouTube channels with mixed topics

CrashCourse: This is the ultimate tutorial channel, as it has crash courses on eight different subjects, and is extremely entertaining and engaging. John and Hank Green, also known as the vlogbrothers on YouTube, delve into both science and humanities courses geared mostly towards high schoolers. These concise lessons are perfect for previewing a subject before you learn it in school, or for review before a big test.

Mental Floss: This is a show that lists facts on various topics. At the end of each video they also answer interesting questions that we rarely think of and also rarely find answers to. For example, did the colour orange come first, or did the fruit precede it? Note: Mental Floss is also a magazine you can read.

CGP Grey: This is a channel full of animated videos that explain several topics in humanity. It is made by a teacher who explores complicated topics we never thought were that complicated. For example, did you know that there are many bizarre borders in the world, and the number of continents there are is actually hard to define? Also, if voting systems confuse you, or you question the cost of the British monarchy, CGP Grey delves into these topics from various angles to get you thinking in new light.

Good Mythical Morning: This family-orientated channel is made by Rhett and Link, who are popular for their other sort of quirky and funny music videos on YouTube. However, they started this channel to talk about unique news items that are not about Justin Beiber or the ‘big’ and also depressing things. They originally aimed to cover interesting items we often miss in the news. Lately they’ve been getting more topical and not so time-sensitive with their shows, but still fun to watch them to explore things like the weirdest jobs in the world.

Ted: This channel may not have tutorials on specific subjects, but there are many Ted Talks that will get you and your child thinking. There are also quite a few on the topic of education that are very eye opening.

No matter what subject your child is interested in, try searching it up on YouTube and see what comes up. Aside from these channels that are full of educational content, there are many people that have posted one-time videos that can be very helpful. For example, there are plenty of music videos on YouTube, made by teachers and students alike, that take a fun, creative approach on a variety of subjects. If your child is feeling inspired, they can even try making their own educational video.

Have fun exploring the educational side of this entertainment hub!

Get kids excited about math skills by showing them cool jobs that use it everyday

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A common question that we’ve all heard at some point in our schooling, whether in elementary school, high school, or beyond, is “why do I need to know this?” Sometimes, as a teacher or parent, it may be hard to think of an answer with specific examples. Here are some ideas of real-life applications to help your child see how math can be useful in the real world.

kids excited about math skills

Math skills used in iconic architecture

Some of the largest and most incredible examples of math in the real world are well-known monuments and buildings around the world. For example, the Taj Mahal has very impressive and perfect symmetry. Meanwhile, the Great Pyramid of Giza has some really cool hidden math concepts in it. In the measurements of the king’s chamber pyramids you can clearly see the Pythagorean Triangle, and the perimeter of the pyramid divided by its height is equal to Pi (3.14159…). By teaching your child about an iconic piece of architecture like these ones, you can have both a history lesson and a math lesson at the same time. You can also point out how the architects and construction workers who design and build these utilize their math skills in a very practical way.

Find math in nature with the Fibonacci Sequence and golden ratio

Another amazing example of math can be found right in your backyard and everywhere in nature. For example, the Fibonacci Sequence (1,2,3,5,8…) can be found all throughout botany, from sunflower seeds to pinecones and flower petals. These are also good examples of the golden ratio, as these two concepts are closely related. Even looking at symmetry in the human body can be intriguing, and can be combined into a science lesson for aspiring physiotherapists, chiropractors, doctors, and disciplines of anatomy. If you are looking for a way to tie science and math together, you can look up more examples of math in nature and go for a hike to see how many things you can find that use the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence.

Math skills in everyday tasks

Teaching math through everyday tasks is also a great idea, because no matter what your child’s math level is, there is sure to be something they are going to need math skills for eventually. For simple practice of addition and subtraction, have your child practice making purchases and learning to count money. You can also practice adding and subtracting fractions by baking and having your child use different combinations of measuring cups. For a more advanced learner, using the quadratic equation to figure out where a ball will land once thrown. It can help make the concept seem less abstract.

You can tie these examples into a lesson on an appropriate topic, or just point them out as you see them in real life. And of course, if you ever hear one of those questions escape your child’s lips, “why do I need to know this?” or “who actually uses this in real life?”, now you will be able to give them some specific examples. Enjoy!

Create your own math materials at home to help your child see how math works visually

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Math materials at home to help your child

Sometimes no matter how hard you try, a math concept will not ‘click’ with your child by using traditional teaching methods and math materials. It could be because they are a visual or kinesthetic learner. If they are, they may need to see and play around with other manipulatives before they get it. Or, your child might just be bored of doing a bunch of worksheets and need something new to regain interest. Either way, you can easily create some math manipulatives at home that mimic some of the materials you may find in your child’s classroom, but don’t cost a fortune.

Keep things colourful with math materials

The first thing to remember when making math manipulatives is to include different colours. Visual learners in particular will benefit from this, as bright colours will not only be visually stimulating to get them engaged, but can help them learn math concepts through colour association. For example, if you teach them to associate one colour with one operation, say blue for addition, that might resonate with them more than the simple subtraction symbol.

Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing with bottle caps

One idea to ease yourself into making math manipulatives is to write a bunch of numbers on bottle caps for practice with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You can have a pile of these numbered bottle caps, and you or your child can select a few to form an equation.

This is an easy way to use math materials to get your child practicing solving equations, while switching it up from a boring old worksheet. One way to incorporate colour here is to make the numbers one of four different colours, so that each colour represents an operation. You can stick to one operation for each equation, say addition, or if your child is ready to learn order of operations you can mix them all together.

Another use for bottle caps: make a multiplication table

Another math manipulative you can make at home is a multiplication table out of bottle caps. This will require quite a few bottle caps: 100 if you want to do a full 10×10 table. But if you collect bottle caps easily in your house this is the perfect way to use them.

Start by numbering 1-10 on two strips of paper and place them across the top and left sides of a square of cardboard or any other hard material. Then, fill in each row with 10 bottle caps. Your child can put beads or beans in the caps to visually see how much 6×4 or 8×2 equals. See this link for a visual example (though the writing is in Italian).

Put a creative spin on ordinary integer tiles by making your own

If your child is learning to work with integers, they might have had the opportunity to work with integer tiles at school. When learning to add and subtract with integers, integer tiles can be very useful to help kids see what is happening visually.

Instead of trying to get your hands on expensive math tiles, make some with your child out of paper. Use fun colours or pictures to make them more visually appealing. For example, flowers could be positives and fish could be negatives. Or you could even just colour in positive tiles with red markers and negatives with blue markers. This can turn into a fun craft and an easy way to learn integers using simple math materials at home.

These are just a few examples, but hopefully this gives you an idea of how easy it is to make math materials right at home! Don’t be afraid to get creative! Try to recreate manipulatives you see in your child’s classroom using simple materials from around your house.

Tips to prevent germs from spreading at school

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Keeping kids healthy at school is not always easy. Last week’s blog post talked about why kids are more likely to catch cold and flu viruses at school, but the good news is that there are ways to stay healthy. Here are some tips that you can follow for keeping kids healthy right from the start of the school year that help prevent germs from spreading in the first place.

Prevent germs from spreading at school

How can you help your child prevent germs from spreading at school?

A study was done to find out what the most germy spots are around schools. The lunch room tables, computer mouses and drinking fountains were some of the most infested places. Different kids are touching these surfaces throughout the day and spreading germs to each other. Getting sick can’t always be avoided, but the spread of germs can be reduced by following some general practices. It is good to educate your child at home so they can continue to use the same practices when they are at school.

1. Keep your kids hydrated, rested and full of vitamins

Drinking water is one way to keep your kids bodies equipped to fight off germs. Taking daily vitamins that are full of vitamin C are also ways to help boost your family’s immune system. Making sure to get plenty of rest also keeps your body strong to stand against illnesses. By keeping yourself and your family members healthy your kids will be more likely to avoid catching whatever bugs are going around the school. This is also a good step toward preventing the cold and flu viruses from taking over your home.

2. Wash hands often at home and at school

It might seem like a no brainer to tell kids to wash their hands throughout the day, but this is something kids tend to forget to do. Washing hands is not just important after using the washroom but also after coughing or blowing your nose and before eating. Kids especially eat a lot of finger foods, so it should always be a requirement to wash hands before eating a snack or a meal. Reminding your kids to wash their hands will help keep them and other kids from getting sick at school. This article shows why handwashing is so effective at keeping people healthy.

3. Avoid sharing food or drinks with others

Friends sometimes like to share food and drinks with each other. They may think it is harmless, but this is one way that is bound to spread germs to other students around the school. If your child enjoys sharing snacks with friends they can pack extra snacks or drinks to pass around instead of sharing the same food or drink item.

4. Promote health education at school

It is good to inform your children about how to reduce germs from spreading. Another way of keeping kids healthy at school is to have health education at the school. Sharing health tips with all of the students in the school will help get the whole school involved in preventing germs and sickness from spreading. Even if there is not a separate health class every classroom teacher can spend some time covering basic information with their classes.

These tips can’t guarantee that your kids will never get sick when they go back to school. However, by following these simple steps and reminders it will at least help to reduce germs from spreading and limit the numbers of students who have to stay home from school due to illness.

How do kids catch cold and flu viruses at school?

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Does it seem like as soon as kids return to school they start coming home sick? There are a variety of factors that lead to kids catching colds or viruses that take them out of school for days. Here are some of the reasons why kids catch cold and flu viruses at school.

kids catch cold and flu viruses at school

Why do kids tend to get sick when school starts?

There are a number of reasons why kids come home with runny noses and fevers once they return to school in the fall. Here are three of the main reasons why the start of the school year coincides with the start of cold and flu season.

1. Being around lots of new kids with new germs

One of the culprits to the spread of sickness is kids being around a lot of new people who they haven’t been around before. All the kids coming back to school bring all sorts of germs with them. Some kids have travelled to different countries during the summer where they may have picked up some foreign germs as well. Once all these kids come together, the school building becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Kids all touch the same door handles, sink faucets and paper towel dispensers. They also share crayons, play games with the same toys and little kids might still walk together holding hands. These are all avenues that enable germs to spread throughout the school.

2. Do changes in weather increase the chances of getting sick?

Some people believe that going outside when it’s cold out can lead to getting sick. Cold weather alone isn’t proven to cause sickness. It may however, weaken the immune system and make kids more susceptible to catch cold and flu viruses at school. Another factor that may cause people to get sick when the weather gets colder is that more people congregate indoors where it is easier to spread germs to one another. Regardless of whether or not the weather makes you sick it is still a good idea to keep your kids dressed with adequate layers to keep them warm when they go outside in cool weather.

3. Kids catch cold and flu viruses at school in the fall and winter

The changes in weather could be a major breeding ground for cold and flu viruses. Some research has indicated that cold and flu viruses are more easily transmitted in cooler, less humid weather. If viruses are hardier during these seasons then they can survive for a longer period of time and infect more people.

For kids to be able to focus at school they have to be feeling good. If your kids catch cold or flu viruses at school it is important that they rest at home before returning to school. Being at school when not feeling well doesn’t do much good for the sick child and there is a risk of spreading more germs to other students. Follow the school nurses orders and keep your sick child home for the recommended number of days before returning them to school.