Doing Good

Looking for something good to do during spring break? Try Doing Good Together:  http://www.doinggoodtogether.org/

Podcasts

Below are some links to early childhood podcasts. Thanks for sharing Mike!

 

Value of early education--

http://freakonomics.com/2015/11/19/does-early-education-come-way-too-late-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

How children learn--

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/25/179010396/unstoppable-learning

How our brain learns through play--

http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/390249044

Fix-It Clinic

Bring your broken, non-functioning things -- electronics, clothing, household goods, toys, etc.-- for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair.  We'll provide workspace, specialty tools and guidance to help you disassemble and troubleshoot your item.  Whether we fix it or not, you'll learn more about how it was manufactured and how it worked.  This is a family friendly event.

WHAT:   Fix-It Clinic

WHEN:   Saturday, Dec 12, noon to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Maple Grove Community Center, 12951 Weaver Lake Rd, 55369

BRING:  your broken or non-working thing (carry-in only: no oversize items)

COST:   Free!

WHY:    To learn how things work, fix stuff and have fun!

URL:     hennepin.us/fixitclinic

 

"The pure joy that follows when you fix a gadget that was once broken is hard to match."

http://lifehacker.com/when-gadgets-should-be-repaired-not-replaced-53

Family Fun for the Weekend!

Friday, December 4^th 

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. in St. Paul. See the animals and enjoy a little tropical getaway at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory. Admission is FREE. A voluntary donation of $3 for adults and $2 for children is appreciated.

Preschool Storytime with the St. Paul Public Library. 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at the Saint Anthony Park Library. Preschool storytimes incorporate stories, song, puppets and other activities to help teach social skills, listening comprehensive, letter and number recognition, and vocabulary. Preschool storytime is a FREE event.

Wells Fargo WinterSkate. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. at Rice Park in Downtown St. Paul. Bring your family ice skating at Rice Park this winter. This event is FREE and open to the public. If you don’t have your own skates, you can rent them at the outdoor rink for $4 each.

Discipline and Limit-Setting: 24 to 36 Months

From Zero to Three

In order to follow rules and understand limits, children need to have self-control. Self-control is the ability to cope with strong feelings and stop ourselves from doing something we want to do, but that is not allowed. Developing self-control begins at birth and continues across our lives. Young children learn self-control through interactions with peers and guidance from parents and other loving adults.

How cultures around the world think about parenting

Amy S. Choi

What can American parents learn from how other cultures look at parenting? A look at child-rearing ideas in Japan, Norway, Spain — and beyond.

The crisis of American parenting, as anyone who has looked at the parenting section of a bookstore can attest, is that nobody knows what the hell they’re doing. Yet despite this lack of confidence and apparent absence of knowledge, many American parents zealously believe that their choices carve out their children’s futures. Indeed, they seek the advice of expert after expert in the field in order to succeed at one goal: to raise the happiest, the most successful, and the most well-adjusted leaders of the future.

Let the Kids Learn Through Play

Bjorn Lie

By DAVID KOHN

TWENTY years ago, kids in preschool, kindergarten and even first and second grade spent much of their time playing: building with blocks, drawing or creating imaginary worlds, in their own heads or with classmates. But increasingly, these activities are being abandoned for the teacher-led, didactic instruction typically used in higher grades. In many schools, formal education now starts at age 4 or 5. Without this early start, the thinking goes, kids risk falling behind in crucial subjects such as reading and math, and may never catch up.