A moving child is a learning child.

That’s the central argument Gill Connell and Cheryl McCarthy make in their book of the same name.

“From grasping your finger to grasping her rattle to grasping the mechanics of crawling, standing, walking, jumping, and those hurtling-headlong-hugs, every move a young child makes—intentional or accidental—leads to learning,” they write. “Movement develops her physical capabilities, of course. But at the same time, it is building sensory perceptions and critical pathways in the brain necessary to reach her full potential.”

So when your son or daughter gets on the wooden swing set in your backyard, they’re having fun, but they’re also learning.

There’s even evidence that moving during lessons can help kids learn more effectively. A Dutch study published in the journal Pediatrics in early 2016 found that children who engaged in physical activities during lessons tested better than their peers who sat at their desks.

Want to get into the ghostly spirit of Halloween?  Why not decorate your swingset and enter our Facebook photo contest for a chance to win $100 Visa gift card?  The contest winner will be chosen at random on November 14^th. 

Need ideas to help you with your ghostly retreat?  You can get tips from our latest article titled “How to Turn Your Swing Set into a Haunted Mansion” including: how to make a bat cave, spinning a super spider web and much more. 

So don’t delay.   Submit your photographs today and invite your Facebook friends to join in this festive friendly competition. 

Of all the holidays on the calendar, Halloween might be the most fun: getting dressed up, watching scary movies, going to parties.

And that’s just the adults. For kids, Halloween is even more fun: you get to do everything we just described, and you get a night where you can roam the streets in search of free candy.

Part of the fun – for kids and adults alike –is decorating. Some people go all out, turning their homes into haunted houses to thrill trick-or-treaters.

It’s easy to think of stress as something that only happens to adults. But think back to your childhood: being a kid isn’t easy.

Sure, you don’t need to worry about mortgage payments or making your husband or wife happy when you’re in, say, third grade.

But being a kid isn’t all cartoons and playing in the backyard. Children have their own stresses: Grades. Hearing their parents argue about money or work. Seeing scary images on the news. The need to fit in at school.

Adopted or foster children often need to deal with these same stresses as well as the stresses that come from finding themselves in a new home.