Category: Well-Being

People might live in the technological age, but human hardware hasn’t changed. For your child to develop physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, they need sensory play to engage with the world around them. The young serve as a valuable reminder to us all to step away from our phones and iPads and embrace real life, not a virtual one.

Children have managed just fine without screens since the dawn of humankind and continue to do so in some cultures today. Depriving this population of their need for sensory play stunts their growth, prompting mom and dad to step away from the computer and go outside.

Why is limiting the hours your child spends on a tablet crucial to their development? Here are five reasons you should encourage sensory play over screen time.

1. It Encourages Oral Language and Communication Skills

You communicate as much by how you say something — your tone of voice, attitude and inflection — as you do by the words you choose. Interacting on a screen helps children build written communication skills but can leave them woefully behind in speaking with others. This inability will plague them through life, as research shows that relationships play a far more vital role in getting ahead than talent. Your kids need to know how to speak with other people.

How do children develop this skill? They do so in large part by engaging in sensory play with their peers. In such relationships, there’s no power differential — kids don’t have to defer to authority as they do when speaking with adults. Nature and science guide them.

How? Sensory play encourages new neural connections in the brain. This helps your child see the world differently, including through others’ eyes. They also develop mindfulness, learning how they should express things to others and assert their needs while remaining respectful of other people’s desires.

2. It Keeps Kids More Physically Active

The obesity epidemic continues among America’s children. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past several decades, and one in three qualifies as overweight or obese today. Part of the problem is too much sedentary time spent on screens.

Sensory play gets young bodies off couches and moving. Even children who don’t enjoy competitive sports get into activities like kiddie yoga and dance. What child hasn’t spontaneously jumped on a bed? While you might want to take your kids to the park for a safer environment for rough and tumble play, most youngsters love to move, given the opportunity.

3. It Engages Children With the Wider World Around Them

Some psychologists consider children “blank slates,” but this innocence extends beyond not knowing how to read or write. It encompasses everything — from how they relate emotionally to other living things to looking at a pile of sticks and realizing they could build a miniature log cabin.

Everything is new to a child, not only their minds. They need to use their bodies, senses and emotions, developing and honing those, too. They do so by engaging with the wider world around them, getting dirty, making mud pies, climbing trees and occasionally scraping knees.

4. It Encourages Creativity and Problem-Solving

Even the best educational tablet game can only present so many possible answers to multiple-choice questions. However, life isn’t as neatly defined as an academic test. There are often dozens of ways to get to the “right” answer — and there may be five or six correct solutions to boot.

Sensory play encourages creativity and problem-solving. For example, a child playing with homemade play-dough has to figure out for themselves how to change the consistency if it won’t mold into the shapes they want. Adding a little extra water might not be a huge thing for an adult, but it represents a significant problem-solving step among tiny tots.

5. It Builds Resilience and Emotional Regulation

Resilience is your ability to bounce back from difficult situations. Emotional regulation refers to being able to recognize and effect change in how you feel by choosing behaviors that improve your outlook. Both skills are important to making it in a highly competitive world where your kids will eventually meet with challenges and uncomfortable situations.

You can’t learn to regulate emotions that you haven’t first experienced. Sensory play allows children to encounter these feelings in a safe arena first, so they can develop the skills to manage them when the stakes are higher. For example, losing a little league game teaches kids how to handle disappointment while remaining a good sport.

How do you develop resiliency? It’s very similar — you have to first undergo adversity. Sensory play allows children to encounter this in a safe, natural way.

For example, a child who is building a sandcastle might try several different techniques until they create a recognizable structure, but there are no harsh penalties for all the “buildings” that collapse while they hone the process. Your child’s only hurdle to overcome is their frustration — but that’s a crucial lesson to learn.

Encourage Sensory Play Over Screen Time

Today’s children spend too much time on screens, affecting their physical, mental and emotional health and development. This is why parents and schools should encourage more sensory play at home and while learning.

The five above reasons justify encouraging sensory play over screen time. Doing so fosters healthy development and emotionally resilient children.

About the Author
Ava Roman (she/her) is the Managing Editor of Revivalist, a women’s lifestyle magazine that empowers women to live their most authentic life. When Ava is not writing you’ll find her in a yoga class, advocating for her children or whipping up something delicious in the kitchen!

Parents and guardians want the best for their children. We aim to assist young people in their quest for knowledge and growth. It is crucial to include mental and physical exercise in their everyday routine. Children can learn a lot from puzzles.

Puzzles in early childhood education have a long history. Although they are a simplistic form of entertainment, puzzles can benefit children’s development. Recognizing the good effects of this activity can have on your child’s growth and development is crucial.

Puzzles are a dynamic and excellent educational resource for young children. It supports development of hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and fine motor skills. In addition to this, it improves cognitive abilities, problem-solving and analytical thinking.

Working on a crossword puzzle can encourage imagination and creativity while teaching kids the value of perseverance and patience, and working on a sudoku puzzle can help develop logical thinking and pattern recognition skills. Due to the fact that they may be done alone, with a partner, or in a group, it’s an excellent way to foster social skills.

Overall, there’s great satisfaction and a euphoric sense of achievement after solving a a crossword puzzle.  Plus, it’s a fun and educational exercise for young children that fosters learning, development, and growth.”

Why Are Custom Puzzles Good for Children to Play?

Custom puzzles made from a photo can provide children with a novel and engaging puzzle experience. They enable children to create a puzzle made with a photograph with personal significance. This could be a photo of the individual, their family, friends, pets, or a significant event.

A terrific approach to involve and strengthen your relationship with your kids is through custom puzzles from a photo can encourage emotional wellbeing, strengthen connections to one’s own identity, and strengthen bonds with family.

Children have the chance to talk about the memories and tales connected to the image as they put together these personalized creations. Purchasing a personalized puzzle for your kids is a simple approach to improve the activity’s significance and everyone’s enjoyment.

1. Develop Cognitive Skills

Acquiring, processing, and analyzing information are cognitive abilities. They are the basis of learning and development and enable us to think, reason, solve problems, and make decisions. Children use their intelligence to solve problems.

Puzzles aid in children employing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills thereby fostering their development. Additionally, the activity can help children develop the capacity to recognize and visualize spatial relationships. This ability is required for reading, writing, sports, and transportation.

Puzzles play an important role in cognitive development, helping to cultivate reasoning skills in children. Jigsaw puzzles motivate children to think critically by investigating how the pieces fit together and how to create the entire image. Meanwhile, block puzzles, while in many ways similar, require children to consider how to arrange the pieces in the correct order.

The benefits do not stop at cognitive development, as they can also be used as a fun and engaging way to incorporate leisure and learning.  Parents and caregivers can further enhance their child’s growth by introducing the occasional puzzle into the routine, allowing them to develop the skills necessary to succeed in school and in life. For even more convenience and versatility, the Newverest jigsaw puzzle mat roll up makes storage and setup easy, creating a tidy, portable space for play and learning.

2. Enhance Fine Motor Skills

Puzzles enhance the growth of children’s fine motor abilities.  Fine motor abilities are used to grasp, manipulate, and hold objects. These muscles aid children in getting, manipulating, and assembling puzzle pieces. This activity enhances hand-eye coordination, spatial intelligence, and agility. Increasingly complexity teach children critical reasoning.

This popular hobby also makes for a special personalized gift and improve children’s memory and concentration. When solving puzzles, children must focus on the details and memorize the shapes and hues of the puzzle pieces. As they progress, they must remember which pieces fit together and where they belong. Cognitive challenges construct neuronal networks, enhancing memory, focus, and attention.

3. Improve Language and Communication Skills

Puzzles improve language and communication abilities in young children. To solve them, children must identify shapes, colors, and patterns. This enhances communication and vocabulary. Solving special problems requires collaboration so children can practice social skills such as turn-taking and idea-sharing. As the children work together to solve personalized puzzles for children, they are able to listen and convey themselves effectively.

Critical thinking is also enhanced, which is essential for developing language and communication. Putting together puzzle pieces teaches children how to scrutinize and reason. As they discover novel solutions, this can enhance their creativity and help children acquire these skills and speak fluently.

4. Boost Self-Esteem and Confidence

For many years, young children have been enjoying custom photo puzzles to relax and enjoy themselves. Children develop a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem. Children learn critical reasoning. They feel accomplished after completing a riddle. Positive feedback increases self-esteem and confidence, which can be applied in other situations.

Puzzles also provide a low-stress environment where children can make errors and learn from them. Children can surmount challenges as they complete the task and develops resilience, perseverance, and confidence through trial and error. As they work on more complex tasks, children may develop a growth mindset and view obstacles as opportunities to build.

5. Encourage Social Interaction

Puzzles for young children promote socialization. Puzzles instill teamwork and communication. To solve any perplexing tasks, children must collaborate and compromise. These activities teach children collaboration, an essential educational skill.

Through this is engaging activity children develop social skills and make pals. Personalized puzzles for kids make toddlers feel successful. This positive experience can foster connections and can help your child develop social skills and lasting friendships.

6. Improve Concentration

A puzzle is a great way for children to focus and concentrate. This endeavor requires intense commitment, which may help a child concentrate in other areas. Puzzles are enjoyable and can be completed at a child’s pace, making them a stress-free method for enhancing preceptive abilities. This helps children concentrate longer and may nurture a lifelong passion for learning.

Children are also inspired to investigate potential solutions and attempt multiple methods to solve a problem, not matter the task. This is essential for many aspects of life that requires focus and teaches children to think critically and logically. As children mature, solving puzzles aids them in overcoming real-world issues.

7. Relieve Tension

Puzzles assist kids de-stress. They can help children concentrate on the job at hand and forget about their problems. After a long day, it can help children unwind and stay calm.

Additionally, puzzles help children comprehend and govern their emotions. Children will most certainly encounter obstacles requiring perseverance and tolerance. Parents and caregivers can instruct children on deep breathing and how to remain composed during this time.

Solving puzzles helps children employ these skills in academic, social, and personal contexts.  They aid children in learning, maturing, and emotional regulation.

8. Practice Colour Recognition

Learning hues through puzzles is a great way for children to learn colors. They understand color and visual perception more effectively. Children must recognize color patterns and associate colors and objects. In this way, they are more prepared for the next level of their education.

It is also believed that color recognition helps with both reading and writing. Children learn color recognition and spatial awareness. Whether at school or home, puzzles can help children develop their skills and help them learn. They provide a low-pressure, pleasant environment for learning and play.

Conclusion

The seemingly simple activity of fitting different pieces together is an excellent method of teaching kids new things. Parental participation in puzzle activities can be fun to connect with your child while fostering cognitive growth.

Remembering, there is no universal puzzle for any age group. Consequently, select ones that are suitable for your child’s age and level of development.

You can aid your child’s development of lifelong skills by including puzzle-solving in their regular activities. So, grab some puzzles and play with your kids!

Today’s children are using technology more than ever. According to the CDC, kids ages eight to eighteen average 7.5 hours of screen time each day. There are many potential benefits to screen time, but too much time can affect your child’s emotional state. Moderating and monitoring your child’s tech usage can ensure that they develop healthy self-esteem while online.

Let’s examine the impact of tech use on children’s confidence and explore strategies for parents to find a healthy balance.

The Pros and Cons of Tech Use Among Children

Technology is a double-edged sword for children. Children can gain valuable educational opportunities through online learning resources, educational video games, and interactive educational websites. Online math games or language learning apps can help kids build their skills in a fun, engaging way.

Similarly, multiplayer video games allow kids to socialize with their friends and make new connections. Children can collaborate and work towards a common goal in games, which aids in the development of problem-solving and communication skills. Playing video games has also shown improved decision making skills.

Technology can also offer children opportunities for creative expression. Digital creative tools to help them develop their creativity, self-expression, and technical skills. Furthermore, tech can be used to explore topics that children are passionate about, such as science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) subjects.

However, negative impacts from excessive screen time have affect a child’s physical and mental health. They may begin to choose online time over physical play, leading to obesity, poor posture, and fatigue.

Moreover, social media can be a significant source of stress and anxiety for children. They compare their lives to those they see online, leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

How Tech Use Affects Children’s Confidence

Excessive screen time can have many negative effects on children’s mental health. When many children’s games and websites are designed to be addictive, reducing screen time may feel like an uphill battle. But here are a few reasons it is vital to do so.

For one, if your kids are spending most of their time in front of a screen, they are not able to practice their social skills like they would during face-to-face interactions. This can lead to increased social anxiety in offline settings and leave your child feeling less confident in themselves.

An over abundance of time spent online has also been linked to feelings of isolation and depression, which aren’t conducive to building healthy self-esteem.

Social Media and its Impact on Children’s Confidence

Social media can be one of the most significant factors impacting your child’s confidence. Children who spend multiple hours per day on social media may develop a distorted sense of reality, expecting their “behind the scenes” to look like a picture-perfect Instagram page.

Your children may also come across content they are not ready to handle while on social media. Many social media sites have inadequate content filters, and your young child could be exposed to adult content, cyberbullying, foul language, or other inappropriate sites. While there are ways to protect your child on social media, the chances of them stumbling upon unsafe content are high.

Children on social media also compare themselves to both their peers and online “influencers.” There is a significant link between juvenile social media use and body dysmorphia, as young girls feel the pressure to look like the edited photos they see online.

All these factors can inhibit a child’s ability to develop healthy self-esteem.

Balancing Tech Use and Building Confidence in Children

It’s essential that parents find a balance between tech use and empowering your child to develop authentic confidence. Here are some strategies to help:

Encourage Physical Activity

Physical activity can improve mood, reduce stress, and increase confidence. Encourage your child to participate in physical activities such as sports, dancing, or simply going for a walk. Even a ten-minute walk around the neighborhood after dinner can make a dramatic difference.

Monitor Screen Time

Set limits on your child’s screen time and stick to them. Install an app that stringently enforces screen time limits – and make sure the app cannot be uninstalled without it notifying you. Engage your child in other fun activities to keep them away from their device.

Foster Socialization

Encourage face-to-face communication with peers, family, and friends. This can help build social skills and increase confidence levels. Set up weekend play dates at the park or organize a backyard barbecue with neighborhood kids.

Introduce Technology Gradually

If you’re hesitant about giving your child unlimited access to social media, consider giving them a phone without social media access. This can help ease them into the world of technology without overwhelming them. Or you may consider restricting them to only using one social media app of their choice. This will help cut down on the hours it takes to interact on multiple social media avenues.

Practice Positive Reinforcement

Encourage your child’s interests and celebrate their successes – even if they use their devices to achieve them. If your child is proud of a piece of art they created on their tablet, share their enthusiasm! By being their biggest cheerleader, you help to build confidence and self-esteem.

The Recap

In a nutshell, monitoring your child’s tech use is job one. Secondly, work to find a balance between productive screen time and building their confidence levels IRL. Although technology can be a valuable tool, it should never replace face-to-face communication, physical activity, or other confidence-building activities. With these strategies, you can help your children build confidence while still enjoying the benefits of modern tech.

Team building activities are not just for adults, they can also be a valuable tool for children to learn important skills. Communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership are the main benefits for those taking part in a team building event. These activities also encourage creativity while fun with peers.

Let’s explore four exciting and engaging team building activities for kids that are sure to create lasting memories and valuable learning experiences.

#1 Marshmallow Tower

This classic team building activity is a unique and captivating task requiring teamwork and creativity. Divide kids into teams and provide each group with a set of marshmallows and toothpicks. Their mission is to work together to build the tallest freestanding tower using only marshmallows and toothpicks. Set a time limit to increase the challenge. The team with the tallest tower when time runs out is proclaimed the winner. Learn more about this and other games by visiting https://www.eteambuilding.org.

#2 Egg Drop Challenge

The egg drop challenge is an enthralling team building activity that requires kids to use their critical thinking skills. The primary goal is to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height. Divide the kids into teams and provide them with materials, including straws, tape, paper, and cotton balls. Instruct them to design a protective container for the egg using these materials, and then drop the containers from a height. The team whose egg survives the drop without any cracks or breaks wins the challenge.

#3 Human Knot

Have kids form a circle and extend both of their arms towards the center. Direct them to grab the hands of two different people on the opposite side of the circle. Both their left and right hands should not be connected to someone that is directly standing beside them. The challenge is for everyone to work together to untangle themselves without letting go of each other’s hands. This activity requires communication, cooperation, and problem solving skills to untangle the human knot. It can also be a great icebreaker activity to promote bonding among any group, as well as providing a fun alternative to classroom learning.

#4 Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a is a popular team building activity that can be done at any location, indoors or out. Create a list of items for kids to find, either in a specific location or around the house or yard. Divide everyone into teams and provide them with the list. Instruct them to work together to find all the items within a specified time limit. The winning team is the one that finds all the items first or the most items after a specified time limit. Scavenger hunts especially promote communication as everyone is separating to find different items more quickly before other teams do.

Team Building Benefits for Life

There’s no better way to foster team building skills than organizing activities that are also a ton of fun. Kids will naturally work together, drawing from their own personal skills, and offering them in service of their team to win any game set before them. The skills developed by each child will serve them well into adulthood, whether they are playing sports or games, working to develop their career, or volunteering with others for a common goal.