Before the summer ends get your hands dirty with the kids playing these great outdoor games from Kaboose.com. Here’s our favorite:Dig for Buried Treasure:Start by finding trinkets in your house that you don’t mind losing. Then create a treasure-finding toolkit including:

•  a hand shovel (for digging up treasure)
• an old paintbrush (to clean off treasures)
• plastic baggie (to collect treasures)
• a map (showing kids where to start their search).

Bury the treasures somewhere in the yard or in a large bucket of dirt. Give the kids their toolkits, maps and then let them loose to find their treasures!

After your little one’s first birthday, pediatricians recommend daily vitamin supplements. Vitamins are especially important to stave off colds and flus during the winter months, but just as important for behavior and development all year round. Check out this quote from Dr. Alan Greene’s website.

While frank vitamin deficiency syndromes are uncommon among American children (even among picky eaters), many children get suboptimal amounts - low enough to affect their health, their intellect and their behavior. There are at least 13 nutrients where suboptimal levels are common. We live in an age of highly processed foods. Even when we get kids to eat the fruits and vegetabls we want them too, conventional produces is often grown using agricultural tecniques that minimize the vitamin and mineral contents. Thus, I like giving children multivitamins as suppliements to the vitamins they get in their food. - Dr. Alan Greene.

Can’t get your child to take vitamins? Try Gummy vitamins available at most groceries and Whole Foods and Trader Joes. They taste great and the kids love them!

This week we’re taking a trip to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium!

It’s just one of our activities for Zoo Week at Little Dreamers, Big Believers Day Care.

The little ones (12-18 months) will be going on Monday, June 9 and the toddlers along with the pre-schoolers will be going on Wednesday, June 11. We’ll be learning about all of the animals and their habitats. Depending on the weather forecast send your little one with either a hat for the sun, or a rain coat.

Kinderdance®, the original nationwide dance, motor development, gymnastics and fitness program for kids from age 2 to 12 will soon be giving lessons at Little Dreamers, Big Believers. The classes incorporate educational concepts in a developmentally designed curriculum that teaches to the total child. They strive to incorporate learning with dancing, as well, as encourage self esteem and self confidence.

Classes start at Little Dreamers on Tuesday, June 10.  The pre-schoolers will be taking dance classes and the 18- 30-month-olds will be taking gymnastics and dance lessons.

We have so many exciting events this June including our Parent’s Night Out Pool & Movie Night and a field trip to the Columbus Zoo.

June 1 - 7: Exercise Week

[Letter - R; Color - Red]

Tuesday, June 3

1:00 - 1:30 pm Fitness with James (preschoolers - *please, bring tennis shoes)

Wednesday, June 4

9:00 - 11:00 am Music & Movement Class w/Joanie Calern

Saturday, June 7

6:00 - 10:00 pm Parent’s Night Out (Bring bathing suits)

June 15 - 14: Zoo Animals Week

[Letter - Z; Color - Green]

Monday, June 9

Field trip to the Zoo! w/ Miss Kelsi, Beata and Sue (12-18 months)

Tuesday, June 10

1:00 - 1:30 pm Fitness with James (preschoolers - *please bring tennis shoes)

Wednesday, June 11

9:00 - 11:00 am Music & Movement Class w/Joanie Calern

Field trip to the Zoo! (18 months - 2 1/2 years and all “Big Kids”)

June 15-21: Let the Sun Shine In

[Letter - H; Color - Yellow]

Tuesday, June 17

1:00 - 1:30 pm Fitness with James (preschool, *please bring tennis shoes)

Wednesday, June 18

9:00 - 11:00 am Music & Movement Class w/Joanie Calern

Thursday, June 19

10:00 -11:00 am Singer and Kids Enterainer Marc Rossio

June 22 - 28: Splish, Splash, Wet in a Flash!

[Letter - J; Color - Blue] * PLEASE BRING BATHING SUITS THIS WEEK

Tuesday, June 24

1:00 - 1:30 pm Fitness with James (preschoolers, *please bring tennis shoes)

Wednesday, June 25

9:00 - 11:00 am Music & Movement Class w/Joanie Calern

Field Trip to Reed Road Water Park! (Pre-schoolers)

If you have any questions about any of the upcoming events please feel free to ask and as always, parents are welcome to pop in for any of the weekly activities.

At Little Dreamers, Big Believers our mission is to touch the future, one child at a time. We believe we offer the highest quality of child care available in Columbus, Ohio. It’s because we help your child grow mentally, physically and emotionally. Please contact us to enroll your child at 614-294-2922.

Tuesday

Turkey/Bocca burgers, oranges and wild rice

Wednesday

Cheese ravioloi, dinner roll and green beans

Thursday

Turkey breast, mashed potatos and snap peas

Friday

Grilled cheese, apple slices and homemade trail mix

Healthy Eating Hint for Parents

Can’t convince your little ones to eat vegetables? Read them “food-friendly” books like The Talking Vegetables illustrated Julie Paschkis.

Did you know 70% of the ingredients used for meals at Little Dreamers Big Believers day care is organic? It’s just another reason why Little Dreamers is the choice for so many parents looking for child care in Columbus, the Short North, Victorian Village and Grandview.

Mark your calendars…

When: Saturday, June 7th

Time: 6:00p.m.-10:00p.m.

Where: Little Dreamers Big Believers Day Care

Who: This event is open to all children enrolled at Little Dreamers and their siblings!

Why: Because you deserve a night out!

Cost: $40.00 for the first child + $10.00 for each additional child

This will be the big kickoff for the new water slide! Parents be sure to bring your child’s swim suit and a towl. We’ll be swimming from 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m., and then we’ll settle the children down for a movie - Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium! Pizza, snacks and drinks will be provided.

Please notify Sarah ASAP if you plan on your child attending so we can plan accordingly!

At Little Dreamers, Big Believers our mission is to touch the future, one child at a time. We believe we offer the highest quality of child care available in Columbus, Ohio. It’s because we help your child grow mentally, physically and emotionally. Please contact us to enroll your child at 614-294-2922.

In honor of central Ohio’s rainy and wet Mother’s Day, we thought we’d pass one of our favorite craft activities from Kaboose.com.

Baby Food Jar Garden

What you’ll need:

• Baby food jar with lid
• Small silk flowers
• Rolling pin
• White craft glue or hot glue gun
• Green play dough or green modeling clay (you can use our homemade play dough below)

How to make it:

1. If using the homemade play dough, follow recipe instructions below.
2. Roll out the play dough or clay with rolling pin.
3. Using the mouth of the jar as a cookie cutter, cut out a circle. If you use the lid as the cookie cutter you will not be able to close your jar when the time comes.
4. Glue the play dough or clay into the lid.
5. Stick flowers into the dough or clay. If using play dough, set lids aside to dry and harden over night.
6. Screw the lid onto the jar, carefully inserting the flowers into the jar.
7. Decorate the lid however you like. (We used a scrap of felt then tied a piece of ribbon on.)

Find even more creative indoor activites on Kaboose.com’s Spring crafts page.

At Little Dreamers, Big Believers our mission is to touch the future, one child at a time. We believe we offer the highest quality of child care available in Columbus, Ohio. It’s because we help your child grow mentally, physically and emotionally. Please contact us to enroll your child at 614-294-2922.

Thanks to our parents for supporting our the Little Dreamers bake sale. The kids played shop and were passionate advocates for their cause … raising the funds for this -

The Super Splash Water Park! Or as we like to call it, the smile factory. And that means one smile factory is coming soon to a day care near you!

On April 17th the pre-schoolers will be taking a field trip to the Upper Arlington Public Library to meet Lilly the Mouse from Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes!

Lilly arrives at 4:00 p.m. so we’ll be leaving Little Dreamers, Big Believers at 3:00 p.m. Getting there a little early will give the kids plenty of time to explore the library. Check with Sara for your field trip permission slips and parents are more than welcome to join us at the library.

Buy the book here on Amazon.com.