x10 Home Automation - Control Lights, Irrigation, Appliances

Smart Kids: Use it or Lose it This Summer

The brain is like a muscle -- you use it or lose it. During summer vacation is your child "losing it"?

Picture two different athletes. Athlete A is on a schedule where she trains ten months and then takes two months off. Athlete B trains year round. When Athlete A goes back to training after her two months of being a couch potato, she's going to feel sluggish, slow, and frustrated, while Athlete B is still in prime shape.

So, how do we, as parents, keep our children's brains in tip-top shape? Exercise your children's brains with these activities.

Writing Skills: Do your children have a favorite series of books, like The Magic Tree House or Harry Potter? They can write the next book in the series! Brainstorm the plot with your children. Provide them with a special notebook for writing the story -- and let their imagination take them on a journey. A chapter each week will really add up!

Reading: Enroll your children in your local library's summer reading program. These reading programs reward children for reading during the summer months, and are usually free to join. If your library doesn't offer a summer reading program, contact your local bookstore. Or make your own reading contest. Simply draw a chart with rewards at different levels. Every time your children reach a new level on the chart, celebrate their accomplishments!

Math: The easiest and most delicious place to incorporate math is in the kitchen. Doubling recipes, figuring fractions, adding, subtracting -- plus the experiments are yummy! It doesn't get much better than that.

Logic: Teach your children the classic card games like Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid, Crazy Eights. Older kids can learn the basics of Poker and Gin Rummy.

Music: Introduce your children to new styles of music on a regular basis -- Classical, Reggae, Jazz, Blues, Opera, Soundtracks from Musicals, Classic Rock, Popular Music from the 60's-90's, Music from all over the World. Not only will it stimulate their minds, but it's a lot of fun!

Art: Go to the library and find a great book about famous works of art. With your children, look through the book and ask them which pieces they like and why. Then, give them the opportunity to recreate the art they saw in the book, using whatever materials they'd like -- chalk, paint, crayons, glue, etc. Your children will surely surprise you with their creativity.

Summer is a fun time of the year. Take these ideas and run with them. Not only will your children benefit from keeping their brains active and in tip-top shape, but you get the benefit of seeing their creative, brilliant minds at work. Have a great summer!

Visit http://www.ShowKidsTheFun.com and Free Preschool Lesson Plans and Crafts for more fun ideas to spend time with your children.

MORE ARTICLES:

Another leap ahead in the software revolution!
This is undoubtedly a technologically-empowered generation. What the telephone was to the late nineteenth century, the Internet has been to the 20th century. Huge advances in communication today mean that distance is no longer the determining factor of everything. Businesses, trade, political transactions and, on a more personal note, relationships today are all blessed with the advantage of a great communications network to support and facilitate them. And while on this subject, who can leave out the enormously important entertainment industry? Technology has, in this field, made it possible for us to bring to life entire worlds and peoples in ways that would have been unthinkable even ten years ago.

Imagineng Launches New Windows Mobile Voice Recognition List Management Software for Your Phone
Imagineng, Inc. introduces "Memic List software for Windows Mobile devices". Memic List combines a simplified voice recognition approach with the capabilities of smart phones to expand how people list. The resulting mobile phone utility affords people a new luxury to list when needed and have lists at hand.

Home Based Business Ideas- Three Home Business Ideas Before You Start
Homebased businesses can be very rewarding. Here are three ideas for you to consider.

Carlo Gavazzi Computing Solutions Announces Sun Microsystems Solaris Ready Program Certification of its XP-10E? PCI Express Expansion System
Expansion System to Bear Solaris Ready Logo, a Sign of Interoperability

Are Accidents More Likely To Occur Closer To Home?
If you are going to be involved in an accident, chances are it will happen close to your home. Progressive Insurance polled 11,000 of its policyholders who experienced accidents in 2001.

Baby Gift Ideas And Mommy Sense
With another baby coming along, you think of tiny little things that would excite the mommies, too But being a veteran of three children does not always assure that you have the best taste for baby gift sets and mommy advice

21st Century Software Listed as Sample Vendor in Leading Analyst Firm's "Hype Cycle" Report
Report notes higher-level management visibility of business continuity

How to Halt Heartburn With 3 Home Remedies
Classical solutions only give alleviation in the short-term for heartburn, at the cost of multiple secondary effects, do not amount to much in the way of being truly effective and safe options for the long term Happily, home remedies can bring relief speedily and safely for most heartburn patients when chosen and used correctly

Keeping Up on Home Maintenance Saves Homeowners From Costly Home Improvement Disasters
With winter on the way, homeowners should take the time to prepare and protect their home for the coming weather.

6 Ways To Make Money At Home
If you are looking for ways to make money on the internet, you are one of thousands. As the internet continues to expand, so does the competition making it difficult to have success. However, despite the stiff competition, there are a number of ways you can make money at home. Here are 6 ways you can make money at home today.

Metamill Software Releases Metamill 5.0 -- Powerful UML 2.1 Modeling Software Available for Linux and Windows Platforms
Metamill Software releases Metamill 5.0, new version of its UML CASE Tool, now with UML 2.1 and XMI 2.1 support. Linux and Windows versions available.

Endometriosis And Birth Control: The Facts
To be able to explain more about the nature and prevention of endometriosis, it would be helpful to know more about the relationship of endometriosis and birth control pills. To be able to find solutions and relief for the painful symptoms of the disease, knowledge and understanding is necessary.

No More Melted Candy Bars -- SoftwareForKids.com Announces Innovative School Fundraising Program
SoftwareForKids.com is now offering an innovative way for schools, clubs, and service organizations to raise funds without the headaches associated with traditional fundraising methods. After filling out a simple application, organizations can earn 10% of their members' SoftwareForKids.com purchases.

eMail Manager Email Management Software for Business Releases New Version 4
IFModules (ifmodules.com), creators of web-based, team oriented email management applications for business, announced the release of eMail Manager Version 4 with features such as HTML editing, multiple signatures, a new look, bulk delete of attachments, increased application speed, support for OpenID logins, spell check for 5 languages and more.