Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Parenting Pointers: Back to School and Fine Motor Skills

Getting your child school-ready…what do you really have to do?

First, the best way to prepare your child for pre-school or kindergarten is to establish routines since he or she may getting up earlier than normal.  Gradually introduce an earlier bedtime if necessary and have the schedule in place a few weeks before schools starts. Second, it's important to keep your child interested in learning, even over the summer when school is out. This ensures that no time is lost when class is back in session! If you haven't spent the summer doing learning activities, it's not too late to get them back in the habit with some fun educational games and toys.

According to Aimee Ketchum, a pediatric occupational therapist, “You can guide your child’s play with toys that promote school readiness such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, visual skills, and even early STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)."


Edushape makes some fun learning toys that are great for kids of a variety of ages. Their Fish 'N Spell is a fun bath or wading pool toy, promoting fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to catch letters, and early literacy skills in letter recognition and word creation. I had a chance to review their Magic Shapes, and even my older kids liked it. They are really fun to use for building, with bright colors and a soft surface. What sets them apart from other building does is that they're lightly magnetic, so the towers have more stability. The magnets aren't so strong that it's hard for kids to pull them apart for other creations. They come in a case that makes it easy to take anywhere, and their size is perfect for tucking into suitcases for trips away from home.

You can visit Edushape for more product information, ideas, and tips for parents (coming soon).

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