Resources
Empowering children is a social-emotional topic that is applicable in so many areas of children’s lives. For example, let’s think about the journey children take to learn how to walk: The child experiments with standing as they reach for the edge of a table, they take steps as a caregiver holds their hands and walks […]
Throughout human existence, creative and curious homo sapiens have sought to solve problems. Whether they were figuring out how to roll heavy slabs of stone to build great structures, how to transport water across great distances, how to heal the sick, how to get to the moon, or how to communicate with loved ones on […]
At Rayz Kidz, we love reading with children for so many reasons. It can be a sensory break in a busy world, as you invite children to snuggle close and open a favorite book. Books create a beautiful bonding experience, as children listen to your calm, sing-song voice as you turn pages together, point at […]
Empowering children is a social-emotional topic that is applicable in so many areas of children’s lives. For example, let’s think about the journey children take to learn how to walk: The child experiments with standing as they reach for the edge of a table, they take steps as a caregiver holds their hands and walks […]
Throughout human existence, creative and curious homo sapiens have sought to solve problems. Whether they were figuring out how to roll heavy slabs of stone to build great structures, how to transport water across great distances, how to heal the sick, how to get to the moon, or how to communicate with loved ones on […]
At Rayz Kidz, we love reading with children for so many reasons. It can be a sensory break in a busy world, as you invite children to snuggle close and open a favorite book. Books create a beautiful bonding experience, as children listen to your calm, sing-song voice as you turn pages together, point at […]
Emotions are an important part of the human experience. Emotions are both mental and physical, as we experience the internal flutter of butterflies in our stomach, or feel our cheeks externally flush with embarrassment, or see our sibling’s eyebrows furrow with consternation. Empathy is the ability to understand and respond to the feelings of others– […]
First, to talk about the importance of having conversations with young children, let’s begin by discussing the value of what developmental researchers have described as “Serve-and-Return” interactions. This is terminology coined by scientists and developmental experts at the Harvard Center for the Developing Child, a research center dedicated to generating, translating, and disseminating scientific knowledge […]
Caregivers and parents are likely very familiar with school readiness pressures as children transition from toddler to preschool age. In a panic, they may wonder if they are doing enough, if children will be ready for school, or if their child will be far behind their peers when they join in preschool or kindergarten. However, […]
Consent is one of the essential elements of a respectful relationship. How do we explain and teach this important idea to kids? Just keep it simple. It can seem more complicated when we overlay our adult experiences on it, however, you’ll send a clear message when you just focus on the basics. 1. Teach kids […]
For kids to effectively identify and express their feelings, they need a feeling vocabulary. Most kids know the basics of happy, mad, sad, and frustrated. From that, you can grow their vocabulary to talk about the many complex and nuanced emotions such as pride, loneliness, shame, etc. Importantly you can also help them understand the […]
Apologies can be a really hard concept for kids to grasp. Sure, teaching the words “I’m sorry” is pretty easy, but helping kids understand the ideas of regret and forgiveness is much more difficult. Thankfully, most things kids apologize for are small infractions and are the perfect training ground for the lessons around apology. Let’s […]
Consent is one of the essential elements of a respectful relationship. How do we explain and teach this important idea to kids? Just keep it simple. It can seem more complicated when we overlay our adult experiences on it, however, you’ll send a clear message when you just focus on the basics. 1. Teach kids […]
For kids to effectively identify and express their feelings, they need a feeling vocabulary. Most kids know the basics of happy, mad, sad, and frustrated. From that, you can grow their vocabulary to talk about the many complex and nuanced emotions such as pride, loneliness, shame, etc. Importantly you can also help them understand the […]
Apologies can be a really hard concept for kids to grasp. Sure, teaching the words “I’m sorry” is pretty easy, but helping kids understand the ideas of regret and forgiveness is much more difficult. Thankfully, most things kids apologize for are small infractions and are the perfect training ground for the lessons around apology. Let’s […]
Gratitude doesn’t have to be just a feel-good thing you do on Thanksgiving or when celebrating a special occasion. Developing a regular gratitude practice can help your mental outlook become more positive and transform the way you move through your days. “Expressing gratitude can positively change your brain,” says Kristin Francis, MD, a psychiatrist at […]
Power struggles are one of the most common behavior challenges in working with kids. Children are hard-wired to differentiate themselves from others around them and from a young age, explore their own power and independence. That exploration is a good thing, although it can feel like anything but when we’re in the middle of it […]
As providers, we work hard to teach kids the skills they need for all kinds of things. We help them understand and stay within our expectations, learn the ropes of friendships, scale the tower at their favorite park, and so much more. We sometimes forget that within all those lessons, we have to allow space […]
We often talk about how we want kids to take responsibility for their feelings and actions, however, we often model something very different, usually without even realizing it. Let’s look at how we easily fall into the trap of blaming others for our feelings and how we can stop. 1. “You make me so…!”When a […]
Sometimes it’s hard to see things from a kid’s perspective and stay in the supportive role that’s needed for positive guidance. When we’re tired, stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, impatient, or whatever emotion is keeping us from being our best selves, we sometimes see a child’s challenging behavior as personal, on purpose, unjustified, or just over the […]
Setting and maintaining professional boundaries with the parents you work with is hard any time of the year but can be especially hard during the holidays. They often want schedule changes, ask for exceptions to payment policies, or push the limits in some other way. You want to help, you want to accommodate, however, you […]
We often talk about how we want kids to take responsibility for their feelings and actions, however, we often model something very different, usually without even realizing it. Let’s look at how we easily fall into the trap of blaming others for our feelings and how we can stop. 1. “You make me so…!”When a […]
Sometimes it’s hard to see things from a kid’s perspective and stay in the supportive role that’s needed for positive guidance. When we’re tired, stressed, overwhelmed, frustrated, impatient, or whatever emotion is keeping us from being our best selves, we sometimes see a child’s challenging behavior as personal, on purpose, unjustified, or just over the […]
Setting and maintaining professional boundaries with the parents you work with is hard any time of the year but can be especially hard during the holidays. They often want schedule changes, ask for exceptions to payment policies, or push the limits in some other way. You want to help, you want to accommodate, however, you […]
Children could watch recycling trucks all day–and why not? They are indeed fascinating inventions that use hydraulics to lift up and crush down on the recycling in the truck. If on garbage day children perk their ears up, look out the window, and ask to see garbage and recycling trucks, we invite you to listen […]
Sweden has a fun gift-giving tradition called Julklappsrim. Julklappsrim is translated as ‘Christmas present rhyme’. When giving gifts to each other, Swedish people like to write rhymes, containing clues about the gifts, and attach them to the wrapped gift. It makes opening gifts so much more fun – reading the rhymes and guessing what’s inside! […]
This activity is a great way to get children to work together outdoors. To begin, we love foraging activities as a way for children to move their bodies, improve their focus, and notice what plants and objects are available in your closest natural environment. Then, to make a mandala together is a great way to […]
Children could watch recycling trucks all day–and why not? They are indeed fascinating inventions that use hydraulics to lift up and crush down on the recycling in the truck. If on garbage day children perk their ears up, look out the window, and ask to see garbage and recycling trucks, we invite you to listen […]
Sweden has a fun gift-giving tradition called Julklappsrim. Julklappsrim is translated as ‘Christmas present rhyme’. When giving gifts to each other, Swedish people like to write rhymes, containing clues about the gifts, and attach them to the wrapped gift. It makes opening gifts so much more fun – reading the rhymes and guessing what’s inside! […]
This activity is a great way to get children to work together outdoors. To begin, we love foraging activities as a way for children to move their bodies, improve their focus, and notice what plants and objects are available in your closest natural environment. Then, to make a mandala together is a great way to […]
Learning through play
Children are never "just playing"
How do children learn through play?
