Talking Early to Babies Helps the Brain (Research Article)

Study Shows Speaking Words to Infants Helps the Brain Form Categories
By Jennifer Warner, WebMD Health News, Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Words may have special meaning for babies long before they are able to speak.A new study suggests talking to babies as young as 3 months old influences their cognitive development and helps the brain learn to form categories.
Researchers found infants who learned to associate words rather than sounds with pictures of objects were better able to perform a simple categorization task.
“These findings offer the earliest evidence to date for a link between words and object categories,” says researcher Susan Hespos, associate professor of psychology at Northwestern University, in a news release.
Researchers say the results add to growing evidence that it’s important to talk to babies from an early age to foster infant development and cognition.

In the study, published in Child Development, researchers compared the effect of words vs. sounds on infant cognition skills in a group of 46 3- to 4-month old infants.
All of the infants were shown a series of pictures, such as a fish, that were paired with either words or beeps. Infants in the word group were told things like, “Look at the toma!” — a made-up word for fish — while they viewed each picture. Infants in the other group heard a series of beeps carefully matched to the word phrases for tone and duration.

Both groups were then tested on their categorization skills by being shown a picture of a new fish and a dinosaur side by side while researchers measured how long they looked at each image. If the infants had formed a familiar category in their brain with the fish from the previous exercise, they would look at one picture longer than the other.
The results showed infants who heard words had formed the category for fish, and those who heard sounds did not.
“We suspect that human speech, and perhaps especially infant-directed speech, engenders in young infants a kind of attention to the surrounding objects that promotes categorization,” says researcher Sandra Waxman, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, in the news release. “We proposed that over time, this general attentional effect would become more refined, as infants begin to cull individual words from fluent speech, to distinguish among individual words and kinds of words, and to map those words to meaning.”

When Kids Pray

I love interacting with kids. It's amazing to hear the beautiful things that go on in their minds. They are so innocent and say things the way they feel about them without meaning any harm. Here are some nice quotes from children. I enjoyed them and hope you will.
 

1. A little boy was overheard praying: “Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am.”

2. After the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, “That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.”

3. One particular four-year-old prayed,”And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.”

4. A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3 The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,’Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait. ‘Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,”Ryan,you be Jesus!”

5. A father was at the beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him,grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand.”Daddy, what happened to him?” the son asked.”He died and went to Heaven,” the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, “Did God throw him back down?”

6. Mrs. Adams invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” “I wouldn’t know what to say,” the girl replied.”Just say what you hear Mommy say,”she answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, “Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?”

7. A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service,”And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” One bright little girl replied,”Because people are sleeping.”

Teaching Our Children to Go Green

Climate change is one of the most discussed issues in our society today. Human activities is one of the causes of this change. The good news is that many of us can help in our own little ways to bring it under control by following some simple steps. When we live light on the earth, we are also saving money at the same time. Going green is an effective method that enables us to be more environmental friendly. When we go green, we are helping to save this lovely planet for our children's future and our grandchildren and their generation will be thankful for that.

Going green as parents/adults will definitely make a change but teaching our children/young ones to go green will make a greater and long lasting impact on our planet. Raising  green children will teach them to respect the environment and it's resources. It is good to start when they are young because the formative years of a child's life is the most important time to provide him with learning activities.

Here are some easy ways to help our children go green.

 * Teach them to Turn off Lights and appliances when not in use. Electronic appliances, even after switching them off still continues to consume energy. Teach the children to turn off lights, television,  etc. before leaving the room.

 * Turn off the water while brushing or showering.

* Say NO to food wastage.

*Start an organic garden. Kids loves getting dirty and getting dirty with can be so much fun. A good way to teach them about going green is by starting their own organic garden. This helps them understand the preciousness of natural resources and they also feel the sense of accomplishment. Allow them to help out in tending the organic garden everyday (eg watering the plants). If  you don't have a garden, planting a container herb garden  is a good idea.

  Reuse. Always learn the habit of reusing what you've got. Children will appreciate this virtue when it's passed on to them.

Teach them to give to others what they are not using. Children grow at a very fast pace. Most often their clothes, Shoes, Toys, etc are barely used. These items are still good and can still be good to others. Instead of trashing them, we are making others smile. Teaching them the benefits of sharing and caring for others will make them better adult.

What other tips do you have? Please share.

Multilingual Children

Trilingual kids who will never be tongue-tied

News like this helps to motitvate me as an Expat Woman in my  ongoing effort to make sure that my children (who are multilingual) speak all three languages fluently  without thinking that they are getting confused.

 

It’s not just bilingualism that has been in the news lately – here is an article from the Irish Times of April 10, about children with three, or even more, languages:

“You’d think speaking three languages would be confusing for kids, but don’t underestimate their ability to absorb…

…For English speakers in particular, it’s easy to be lazy when it comes to learning other languages, and, as any mature student knows, it is hard work, so if your children have the opportunity to imbibe other languages when they are young my advice is take advantage of their good fortune. After all: Tús maith leath na hoibre. It will broaden their minds, expand their horizons and provide a lifetime of pleasure.”

The article gives first-person, anecdotal and research evidence that children with multiple languages not only experience no difficulty but even thrive in their complex linguistic environment.

Here is the story of  IVA POCOCK

You’d think speaking three languages would be confusing for kids, but don’t underestimate their ability to absorb

MY FIRST experience of trilingual children was living in Sri Lanka in 2005, where many of the kids I met spoke Tamil, Sinhala and English. I was astounded when I realised that they could also read and write in these languages, a feat requiring knowledge of three completely different scripts – the Roman alphabet, Tamil script with more than 200 letters, and Sinhalese which has more than 50 characters.

 Read the entire article here.

Children's Body Image / Self Confidence

It's no longer a news that so many people (especially women and young girls) are not happy with their look or body but what surprises me is the alarming increase of the number of children who are found in this category. I was shocked when I heard of a 3rd grader who always snicked out to the toilet to vomit any food she ate because she didn't want to be called fat (by her mother and friends) like her elder sister. It is sad to know that our society through advertising and the effects of unrealistic beauty standards has made young ones not to be proud of themselves forgetting that beauty comes in all sizes shapes and colours. Parents should be good role models to their kids. When mothers who do not feel good about themselves say negative things about their body/look in front of their kids, it sends a wrong message to them and they may grow up to believe that physical appearance is more important than one's inner beauty.   

It's the work of the parents to raise a happy and confident child. A mother with inferiority complex and a very low self esteem will definitely influence (to a great extent) her child negatively. I've heard mothers call their children all sorts of names or say some bad things about their body, hair, size, colour, etc. This is disheartening. Speak bad about your child, that will be the bitter truth she will grow up to believe about herself.

Parents can start as early as possible to teach their little babies/children how to appreciate their bodies. This can be done through bonding with the child right from the infant stage. Touching, stroking, kissing, hugging, cuddling, and telling them how beautiful and special they are. By doing these, you are teaching them happy and confident body language. Lack of acceptance of one's own body in the first two years of his life is thought to be a reason for low self esteem. Touch, stroke, hug, cuddle,etc , give and show love. It's the essence of life. It's the child's spring board to an emotionally balanced future. It holds baby's temperature stable and breathing rate constant. 

Parents must know how essential their ability to give love is to the child. All they need is for the channel to open. Let the gates of love open and waves of love fill their lives and they will grow up to have a very high self esteem, be confident in themselves, love and accept their body and know that beauty comes in all colours, shapes and sizes.

As a parent, how do you raise a confident child and how would you help your child  accept who he/she is? Please share your tips with us.

Coconut Chicken Soup

Toddler Treat: Coconut Chicken Soup

 

Soups take the chill off winter and tastes oh-so good when you have the sniffles. This recipe for chicken soup has full Thai flavor and is sure to be a hit with the whole family, even the pickiest toddler. If you have a baby in your household, scoop out a little soup and purée it in the blender. It will be a nice consistency for the baby.  

 

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup 

 

Ingredients: 

 

2 Tbsp. Olive oil 

1/2 - 1 tsp. Thai red curry paste 

5 cups chicken stock 

1 can (13oz) coconut milk 

6 thin slices of fresh ginger 

3 Tbsp. lime juice 

2 Tbsp. fish sauce 

¾ lb boneless chicken breast 

9-10 oz. baby spinach, sliced into thin shreds 

4 ounces shitake or button mushrooms, thinly sliced 

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped 

 

Directions: 

 

Slice chicken breast into very thin strips and set aside. In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the red curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, coconut milk, ginger, lime juice, fish sauce and chicken breast. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add spinach and mushrooms and simmer another 5 minutes. Add cilantro just before serving. Remove and discard the ginger slices before serving. 

 

If you like this and want to get more ideas, subscribe here

Strategies to Help Children Develop Good Character

After reading  Dr. Helen LeGette’s book, Parents, Kids, & Character, which is a very nice book for every parent, here are  

12 Strategies I believe will help Children Develop Good Character:

1. Model good character in the home. It is critically important that those who are attempting to influence children’s character in positive ways “walk the talk.”

2. Be clear about your values. Tell your children where you stand on important issues. If we want children to internalize the virtues that we value, we need to teach them what we believe and why.

3. Show respect for your spouse, your children, and other family members. Parents who honor each other, who share family responsibilities, and who resolve their differences in peaceful ways communicate a powerful message about respect.

4. Model and teach your children good manners. Whether the issue is courtesy or other simple social graces, it is in the home that true thoughtfulness for others has its roots.

5. Have family meals together without television as often as possible. Mealtime is an excellent time for parents to talk with and listen to their children and to strengthen family ties.

6. Plan family activities. Involve your children in the planning. Family activities that seem quite ordinary at the moment are often viewed in retrospect as memorable bits of family history.

7. Model appropriate behavior regarding alcohol and drugs. Nowhere is the parents’ personal example more critical than in the area of alcohol and drug use.

8. Plan family service projects or civic activities. At the heart of good character is a sense of caring and concern for others.

9. Read to your children and keep good literature in the home. Great teachers have always used stories to teach, motivate, and inspire.

10. Help your children develop an appreciation for non-material rewards. In today’s consumerist culture, youth could easily come to believe that image—wearing the “right” clothes, driving the “right” car, etc.—represents the path to success and happiness.

11. Assign home responsibilities to all family members. Even though it is often easier to clear the table, take out the trash, or load the dishwasher ourselves than to wait for a child to do it.

12. Set clear expectations for your children and hold them accountable for their actions. Defining reasonable limits and enforcing them appropriately provides children with a sense of security.

St. Nicholas Day.

Today is St. Nicholas Day (the 6th day of December). In this part (South) of Germany, Sankt Nikolaus still comes as a bishop with flowing beard and a bishop's miter and staff (In Catholic Churches). Houses are thoroughly cleaned and children clean and polish their shoes or boots in preparation for the saint's visit. On the evening before St. Nicholas Day, children put letters to the good saint along with carrots or other food for his white horse or donkey on a plate or in their shoes. These are left outside, under the bed, beside a radiator, or on a windowsill in hopes of finding goodies from St. Nicholas the next morning. During the night Sankt Nikolaus goes from house to house carrying a book in which all the children's deeds are written. If they have been good, he fills their plate, shoe or boot with delicious fruits, nuts and candies. If not, they may find potatoes, coal, or twigs.

Get more information about St. Nicholas here

Here are what we  St. Nicholas gave the kids: 

How do you celebrate your St. Nicholas day?

Losing Our World’s Languages

Every 14 days a language dies. By 2100, more than half of the more than 7,000 languages spoken on Earth—many of them not yet recorded—may disappear, taking with them a wealth of knowledge about history, culture, the natural environment, and the human brain.

National Geographic’s Enduring Voices Project (conducted in collaboration with the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages) strives to preserve endangered languages by identifying language hotspots—the places on our planet with the most unique, poorly understood, or threatened indigenous languages—and documenting the languages and cultures within them.

Why Is It Important?

Language defines a culture, through the people who speak it and what it allows speakers to say. Words that describe a particular cultural practice or idea may not translate precisely into another language. Many endangered languages have rich oral cultures with stories, songs, and histories passed on to younger generations, but no written forms. With the extinction of a language, an entire culture is lost.

Much of what humans know about nature is encoded only in oral languages. Indigenous groups that have interacted closely with the natural world for thousands of years often have profound insights into local lands, plants, animals, and ecosystems—many still undocumented by science. Studying indigenous languages therefore benefits environmental understanding and conservation efforts.

Studying various languages also increases our understanding of how humans communicate and store knowledge. Every time a language dies, we lose part of the picture of what our brains can do.

Why Do Languages Die Out?

Throughout human history, the languages of powerful groups have spread while the languages of smaller cultures have become extinct. This occurs through official language policies or through the allure that the high prestige of speaking an imperial language can bring. These trends explain, for instance, why more language diversity exists in Bolivia than on the entire European continent, which has a long history of large states and imperial powers.

As big languages spread, children whose parents speak a small language often grow up learning the dominant language. Depending on attitudes toward the ancestral language, those children or their children may never learn the smaller language, or they may forget it as it falls out of use. This has occurred throughout human history, but the rate of language disappearance has accelerated dramatically in recent years.

The information contained in this article can be found by visiting National Geographic.

Children's Body Image Awareness

It's no longer a news that so many people (especially women and young girls) are not happy with their look or body but what surprises me is the alarming increase of the number of children who are found in this category. I was shocked when I heard of a 3rd grader who always snicked out to the toilet to vomit any food she ate because she didn't want to be called fat (by her mother and friends) like her elder sister. It is sad to know that our society through advertising and the effects of unrealistic beauty standards has made young ones not to be proud of themselves forgetting that beauty comes in all sizes shapes and colours. Parents should be good role models to their kids. When mothers who do not feel good about themselves say negative things about their body/look in front of their kids, it sends a wrong message to them and they may grow up to believe that physical appearance is more important than one's inner beauty.

It's the work of the parents to raise a happy and confident child. A mother with inferiority complex and a very low self esteem will definitely influence (to a great extent) her child negatively. I've heard mothers call their children all sorts of names or say some bad things about their body, hair, size, colour, etc. This is disheartening. Speak bad about your child, that will be the bitter truth she will grow up to believe about herself.

Parents can start as early as possible to teach their little babies/children how to appreciate their bodies. This can be done through bonding with the child right from the infant stage. Touching, stroking, kissing, hugging, cuddling, and telling them how beautiful and special they are. By doing these, you are teaching them happy and confident body language. Lack of acceptance of one's own body in the first two years of his life is thought to be a reason for low self esteem. Touch, stroke, hug, cuddle,etc , give and show love. It's the essence of life. It's the child's spring board to an emotionally balanced future. It holds baby's temperature stable and breathing rate constant. 

Parents must know how essential their ability to give love is to the child. All they need is for the channel to open. Let the gates of love open and waves of love fill their lives and they will grow up to have a very high self esteem, be confident in themselves, love and accept their body and know that beauty comes in all colours, shapes and sizes.

"This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival"
http://www.now.org/news/blogs/index.php/sayit/2011/10/19/lybd-blog-...

My Children's Rooms

Today, I'm taking it over to a wonderful blogger friend of mine. I'm quest posting at Mommyposh. It's all about my Children's Room. If you want to take a peek, hop over with me at Mommyposh and read the full post.

My Children's Rooms

Making over your children's rooms can be exciting. There are a lots of creative ideas that parents come up with and every child's room I have seen is always .......
Read on:

AT THE MUSIK GARTEN

Music garden is a music-educational concept, which suggests that children (starting from infant) and their parents come together for the common interest of making music. It helps children to develop the love of music and the ability to express it. Through musical children's games, dances and by singing can children as well as their parents discover their own voice, body and body movements, different sounds, colours, etc. and have fun at the same time.  


The Philosophy behind Musikgarten:
It is said that when music and movement are a natural, joyous part of childhood, children benefit greatly in many areas of life. Language development, self expression, memory skills, concentration, social interaction, fine motor skills, listening, problem solving, teamwork, goal setting, and coordination are all impacted by early music and movement education. What's more, as a child learns to play music, other areas of development - creativity, family bonding, self-esteem, confidence, emotional development - are also positively impacted. own voice, body and body movements, different sounds, colours, etc. and have fun at the same time.


I signed up  for a mother-child session (with younger brother) and I am very happy we have the opportunity to do this. He will always accept that he's not yet going to the Kindergarten, but will proudly tell everybody that he attends the Musikgarten.
I've benefited from the Musikgarten too. I can now sing some more German children's traditional songs (which I couldn't have learnt in the nearest future), made new contacts with some interesting moms whose children are also in the same age group as my son, found a new play group for him, and of course another opportunity to speak more German.


Here are some pictures I took at one of the sessions:

What Lessons has Motherhood taught You.

Did motherhood take me by surprise? The answer is No with capital N. I planned having my children. I longed to become a mother. I started reading some parenting books when I was pregnant. I didn't expect to be a perfect mother or to have perfect children and neither was I expecting a stress free life while raising up my children, but when the reality of motherhood hit me, it was as if I was taken by surprise. In parenting, so many things are easier said than done. What works perfectly well for one may be a joke for the other. In all things, I've always counted myself blessed. Motherhood has taught me and will still be teaching me a lot. Just as parents want to shape their children, I will admit that my children have shaped me. I have grown up, I think differently, talk differently,act differently, all thanks to motherhood and my wonderful children.
These are some lessons motherhood has taught me:

1. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, and more PATIENCE: Tell me where they sell this virtue and I'll order a truck load of it. With children, you will be dishing out dozens of patience daily and it's never enough. We all know how it is with meltdowns, tantrums and the rest of them. Only patience will make you overcome such stages and still keep your mind intact.

2. NEVER SAY NEVER: I could remember blaming parents for not doing enough when their children throw tantrums in the public places. I always watch as some toddlers throw themselves on the floor and cry (in public). I believed that would never happen to me. My children will know how to behave themselves in public. Now, with all my attempts to model good behaviour and teach good manners to my kids, public tantrums have become a way of life.

3. FORMING FAMILIES IS SERIOUS BUSINESS: You have to be committed, you need to plan thoughtfully ( even thinking of the right menu to put on the dinner table is not that easy). Some parents have emotionally abandoned their children to fame, work, personal pleasure, money etc. I have given a higher preference to my family over my career.

4. THERE IS NO PERFECT MOTHER: Super Woman simply died of exhaustion. One mom blogger wrote "show me a perfect mom and I'll show you a broken nose". In my struggle to have everything done right, I've learnt to compromise. At times, I forget about preaching table manners and let the kids sit down on the floor and eat their launch. I'm lenient at times when they come out from their rooms in the middle of the night to join us in our bed. We break some rules once in a while and they are not taking advantages of that. I'm not perfect and it doesn't disturb me and I'm very happy my children accepted me the way I am.

I want to hear from other mothers, What Lessons has Motherhood Thought You? Please share with us.

Always Nekky.

Praise that Child!!!

Children thrive off praises, who doesn't anyway. I found out that I have gotten lots of positive behaviours out of my kids through praises. You can raise your child's self esteem and confidence with positive words. Praise helps to encourage good behaviour in children.
I always look out for opportunities to praise my children and I'm seeing the results.
When I commend them for greeting and saying "Hello" to people, they tend to greet more and loudly too.
If I tell them how nice it was for tidying up their toys alone, they go on and tidy the whole house (as much as their little hands could).
Telling them how happy I am for dressing up the dinner table, they clear up their plates after eating. These are to mention but a few.
Praising them doesn't have to be a pretence and I think kids have this instinct that tells them when you are real or fake. I mean it when I praise them. I look into their eyes with a big smile from my heart. They know it and I think they feel it too and that's why they respond to it.
Kids are easily bored and that's why I wouldn't want to bore them with a repetition of some words of praise. I goggled something on-line. It is called 101 WAYS TO PRAISE A CHILD.
It's amazing and I love it. I printed it out and pasted it where I can always see it. With this, you don't have to use the same old one again and again. There are so many versions of it (101 Ways to Praise a Child) if you go to goggle. Print which ever one you like and start PRAISING.
I wish you good luck.

Always nekky.

Birthday with Hornolino

I like how creative mothers can be when it comes to birthday party/celebration. We've been invited to so many Birthday celebrations and each one is always unique in its own way. The kids are not only just invited to come and eat and drink (which they are least interested in) but the host mothers always have a theme for the party, some craft activities, games, stories, etc. I've also noticed that choosing an interesting venue for the occasion makes it even more interesting. If you have a Garden, you might not need to look far (especially in summer) because you can do a lot of activities outdoors.
We've attended Birthday Parties in places like croco-island, jumpinn-freiberg, Bauernhof (farm house/barnyard), and one of my friends even celebrated for one of his sons at a Fire Service workshop where the children all dressed-up and pretended to work as fire men.
Lately, Big Sister was invited to the Birthday party of one of her friends from the kindergarten. It was in a small Museum (Das Hornmoldhaus, stadtmuseum.bietigheim-bissingen) in our city.
The Idea was for the kids to tour round the Museum while in search of a Treasure and the mothers to go out for coffee. I couldn't join the mothers though. I had to stay back with the kids since Little Brother wanted to take part and he couldn't stay without me. I went round the museum with the kids and as always, I put my Camera to use.

This is HORNOLINO, He is the resident of the museum (HORNMOLDHAUS) and he took us round. The kids loved him so much, they've only drawn his pictures ever since.

They started off by welcoming the children, introducing HORNOLINO to them, explaining why they were there and what they would be doing and singing a Birthday song to the celebrant.

Kids painting Hornolino's picture.

They were thrilled to see the whole city (Bietigheim-Bissingen) at a glance.

This was what the city looked like in the 1700's. At that age, there were no cars.
A good look at the picture will show a man on a horse. The cattle were left to move freely on the streets.

A small farmyard.

A stop over for some light refreshments.

Another painting break. Here, they painted some precious stones and flowers with which the museum is decorated.

Some Carriages.

As they were going round the museum, they also searched for treasure at every nook and cranny (which they finally found). Inside the chest were some collections of a Japanese Artist who lived in the city in the year..............ouch, I forgot.

Craft of the day: A small cotton bag filled with dried Lavenders. The kids made the prints themselves.

The finished work.

Last but not the least: Refreshment.

It was so exhausting (at least for me). Everything was done under two and half hours. I couldn't help but marvel at the kids. Still full of energy, they played and ran around. Non of them wanted to leave.

FASCHING (Carnival in Kindergarten)

It's Fasching (Carnival) week in Germany. At least in Baden Württemberg ( I don't know if its all over Germany). It is usually done before Lent. It has a Christian background, but I don't know the whole story. This Carnival involves celebrations and parades and people often dress up with different types of costumes.
For children, this is a time for most of them to live their fantasies. When you listen to children in their make-believe plays, you can hear all the things they pretend to be - Pirates, Dragons, Superman, Police, Princesses, Fairy, Butterflies, and it goes on and on. Thanks goodness they can't be some of these things in real life.
Our Kindergarten has celebrated their own and it was great. Most of the kids dressed up and were treated to a buffet which was contributed by their parents.
Here are some of the pictures:

Most of the girls dressed up as princesses.

The boys - Pirates.

Breakfast Buffet - "LECKER".

I couldn't even pictures of all of them.

This is what their dinning look like every morning. The teachers are doing a great job.

The first day, my daughter cooked up her own dress-up. A combination of Tutu, Butterfly wings and a Magic wand. I don't know what to call her.

You can't DARE her!!!

On the second day, She finally agreed to dress as a princess. But she still had her wings(funny).

Kinderturnen (Children's Gymnastic)

We are still in that season of the year (winter) when you spend most of the time indoors with the kids. I still go for a walk with them but it's not always as it would be when the weather is warm.
There are many indoor activities I do with my kids like crafting, painting, puzzles, games, dancing, etc., but little kids need lots of opportunities to get physical.They learn how their body work and burn off some energy by climbing, running, dancing, jumping etc. Little kids are so active that they get the exercise they need simply from going about their daily routine. But when they are stuck inside, especially in cold seasons (where they are always cautioned to be careful not to hurt themselves, not to jump on the couch, not to climb and so on), then KINDERTURNEN is a good indoor sport activity for them. Kinderturnen is a recreational gymnastic for children of all ages. Participants can include children as young as two years old and sometimes even younger. The whole idea is developing skills and making fitness fun and not producing future Olympians.
Tiffany has been doing this for over a year now and I also signed  up for Bryan (mother-child group) for some couple of months now. All I have to say is that THEY LOVE IT.
See Photos:

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