Stay healthy and bright, maintain a balanced diet

Health is wealth, and regular exercise and a balanced diet are the keys to healthy living. We’re sure your little ones have no trouble getting regular exercise – they’re so energetic and lively. But the most important aspect of healthy living is maintaining a balanced diet. When it comes to getting children to eat healthy, we know that buying and preparing healthy meals is not the difficult part – it’s finding a way to make them actually eat those nutritious foods that’s challenging! To make this easier and to ensure that your child is getting enough nutrients, they need to take in a balanced amount of protein, fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy. Also, added sugars need to be avoided, along with saturated and trans fats.

Some strategies to encourage healthy eating habits and improve nutrition include: serving a variety of healthy foods and snacks, having regular meals as a family, getting kids involved in the process, ad being a role model by eating healthy yourself.

Bear in mind that bargaining or bribing kids so they eat healthy foods in front of you is not going to work in the long run. A better strategy is to give kids some control, but to also limit the kind of foods available at home.

   

(Note: If you have questions about nutrition for young children or specific concerns about your child's diet, please talk to your child's doctor or a registered dietitian.)

Toddler Lunch Ideas from Second Home Nursery

New ideas for sandwiches, wraps, mini-pizzas and more tasty lunch recipes for kids. 

Honey, Almond Butter & Banana
Spread 2 slices of whole-wheat bread with almond butter or peanut butter. Top 1 bread slice with a drizzle of honey (for kids 1 and up) and a layer of banana slices. Cover with the other slice, butter side down.

Apple, Cheddar & Peanut Butter

Split a focaccia square in half crosswise. Spread the cut side of 1 half with peanut butter. Top with a layer of cheddar-cheese slices and then a layer of thin apple slices. Cover with the other half, cut side down and press gently.

Strawberry & Goat Cheese

Split a muffin and lightly toast the halves. Spread each half with softened goat cheese or plain whipped cream cheese. Top with a thin layer of strawberry jam, followed by a layer of thin strawberry slices. Place the top half of the muffin over the bottom half, and press gently.

>> IDEAS :

Cut It Out
Turn the ordinary lunch-box staple into a menagerie of animals with these sandwich cutters.

I Heart Turkey
A plain ol' turkey sandwich heart-shaped version. (Kid not a heart-lover? Stars or dinosaur shapes work, too.) Spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce on two pieces of whole wheat bread. Layer two slices of roasted turkey breast and sliced cheese. Use a cookie cutter to cut the sandwich into the shape of a heart.

Serve with:
Baby carrots with ranch dressing dip
Squeezable applesauce tube

55 Ways to Save the Environment and Make a Difference

As parents and educators, we have the responsibility to teach our kids to care for our world. And it is easier than most people think. Here are some tips to make a difference.

1. Take your family to the park and talk to them about the joy of being in green, clean, preserved places.
2. When you are outside, pick up your rubbish and teach your kids that, just as they do not litter at home, they should act the same in our “global home”.
3. Have a garden and teach your kids to care for the garden. If you live in an apartment building, have pot plants and take care of them.
4. Every year, plant new things in your garden.
5. When you go camping, put out your fire properly. Be careful with cigarettes and fire in the bush.
6. Have a compost bin and put your organic waste in it.
7. When you fish, make sure you follow the rules of fishing. The rules are there to protect the fish, but in the long term, they protect the people.
8. Turn off the lights when they are not needed.
9. Avoid long showers.
10. Use water-saving appliances. Consider the water rating before you buy.
11. Walk instead of driving.
12. Ride a bike instead of driving.
13. Walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator (it will make you healthy too).
14. Car pool if you can.
15. Install a “half flush” in your toilet,
16. Use public transport if you can.
17. Open your car windows from time to time.
18. Hang your clothes outside to dry instead of using a dryer.
19. Use your washing machine only when you have a full load.
20. Use your dishwasher only when you have a full load.
21. Use solar power.
22. Recycle your clothes. Donate them or use their fabric to make something else. The more you use, the less everyone needs to produce.
23. Separate your garbage and recycle.
24. Buy products with less wrapping and packaging.
25. Use reusable bags and boxes instead of plastic bags.
26. Do not print things you do not have to. Learn to adjust your computer applications to make text easy to read.
27. Use recycled paper.
28. Print on both sides of the page if possible.
29. Use emails as much as you can to save printing.
30. Pay your bills online (and choose to receive email statements) to save tons of paper waste.
31. Be careful what you wash down the sink (avoid disposing of oil, paint or hazardous chemicals).
32. Use a strainer in your sink.
33. Plan your shopping. If you buy more than you need and have to throw it away, everybody loses.
34. Use leftover food and make new dishes with it.
35. Turn off taps and make sure they do not leak.
36. Find ways to save water in your shower, toilet, garden and sink.
37. Wash your car on the grass.
38. Use energy-efficient light bulbs.
39. Reuse your containers (just be careful when using them in a microwave oven).
40. Buy in bulk to save on packaging.
41. When you use your oven, avoid opening the door.
42. When you heat water, heat only as much as you need.
43. When you bake, try to do all your baking on one day, so you only have to preheat the oven once.
44. Clean all your filters.
45. Use timers for electric appliances.
46. When you mow your lawn, use the cuttings for compost.
47. Borrow equipment from people to avoid buying something you rarely use.
48. Lend other people your equipment, for the same reason.
49. Find out natural alternatives for chemical cleaners.
50. Reuse envelopes.
51. Use old magazines and phone books for arts and craft.
52. Avoid using disposable plates, cups and cutlery.
53. If you can work from home, do it.
54. Buy used furniture.
55. Try to fix things before buying new ones.

Be the change you want to see in the world
– Mahatma Gandhi

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6 Ways to Inspire Creativity to your children in Second Home Nursery

Foster process-focused art with advice from Leslie Bushara, deputy director for education at the Children's Museum of Manhattan.

Prepare for a mess. Set up an art space where your kid can be free to experiment (and get messy!), advises Bushara. Throw a drop cloth or a newspaper on top of your kitchen table or in the garage. If weather permits, let kids paint outside.

1. Avoid giving direction. Don't tell your kid what to make or how to make it. Instead of saying, "Paint a rainbow," encourage her to "experiment with mixing colors using different types of brushes and paper," suggests Bushara.
2. Speak specifically about art. When talking to your child about his artwork, try to be precise in your comments. For instance, instead of giving a generic compliment, Bushara recommends saying, "I see you used a lot of purple. Why did you choose that color?"
3. Explore your child's process. Often the best way to encourage conversation about your child's art is simply to say, "Tell me about what you made," or ask, "Did you have fun making it?"
4. Don't draw with your child. When parents draw something representational while a younger child is sketching, it can frustrate him, warns Bushara. "It's better to be near him and let him know that you're interested and supportive of his art-making," she says.
5. Let it be. When a child finishes a piece, don't suggest additions or changes, advises Bushara. It's important for a child to feel that what she's created is enough -- even if it's just a dot on the page.
6. 
   

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Why Children Love Water Play!

Whether they're in a warm winter bath or a cool summer pool, most babies love water play. It's a sensory extravaganza as children feel the wetness, hear the splashes and sprinkles, see the bubbles and waves, and maybe even taste a few droplets. It's also a sensational learning experience for your child: As your budding scientist pours, splashes, and giggles, she is observing cause and effect, experimenting with water's fascinatingly fluid properties, and being introduced to basic physics (what floats and what sinks).

• cups and scoops (for filling and dumping)
• boats and fish (for pretend play)
• sponges and cloths (for squeezing and scrubbing)
• bath crayons and paints (for creativity that's easy to clean up)
• soaps and bubbles (for experimentation…and giggles)

You can also take the show on the road, especially in warmer weather. Outdoors, use a kiddie pool, a lawn sprinkler, or just a few buckets for water play (of course, you'll need to be vigilant about sunscreen and supervision). Back inside, fill your baby's high-chair tray with a half-inch of water and an ice cube or two and let her splash away. Or spread a large towel on the floor and seat your baby on it with a few small plastic containers, scoops, and spoons. Fill one container with a little water and let her dump, fill, and splash to her heart's content. So what if she winds up soaked? She's washable!

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