Website Archive - December, 2006
Spotlight on Multicultural and Holiday Celebrations
Children
Primary Games, a website created by Susan Shuey Beasley, a Technology Support Specialist in Alexandria,VA includes Holiday Fun webpages filled with games, crafts, coloring pages and some musical postcards for Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan.
There is also a Seasonal Fun: Winter Fun section.
Disney Online’s Playhouse Disney teaches preschoolers a variety of skills through the characters in Disney’s programs. Visit Sheet Rock Hills with Handy Manny, join the Higglytown Heroes on their adventures, choose a mission with Little Einstein, and enjoy JoJo’s Circus. There are many other characters to choose and programs to enjoy with lots of music, activities and games. The website makes use of good graphics and animation and also verbal and visual cues.
NOGGIN and all the delightful Noggin characters offer many educational games and activities for preschoolers. The site uses great graphics and animation, and verbal and visual cues. Check out an interactive story at 64 Zoo Lane Storymaker, Move to the Music with visual and musical graphic performances featuring Moose A. Moose & Zee , and Scribble Vision plus many more games, activities and animated musical videos.Parents
Along with the excitement of the holiday season comes the pressure to decorate your home, bake cookies, buy toys and still be merry. Here are some tips for reducing holiday stress while still enjoying the holidays..
For Stress-Free Holidays:
About Parenting of K-6 Children has information by Kimberly L. Keith, a licensed professional counselor specializing in work with parents and children, on a Parent’s Plan for Stress-Free Holidays that also includes a holiday planning book and preparations.
About Parenting of K-6 Children also has an article Ten Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress adapted from The Book of No: 250 Ways to Say It—and Mean It and Stop People-Pleasing Forever by Susan Newman, PhD social psychologist.
On Having a Safe Holiday:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)wants to help ensure a safe holiday season and has Holiday Safety Tips, 2006 for safety with trees, lights, decorations, toys, food, visiting, and fireplaces.
On Buying Safe Toys:
The Parenting and Child Health website from Australia’s Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service provides a section on toys and how to buy safe toys and the dangers of some toys. Click in the left margin on Christmas and and check out ideas on planning for Christmas, buying gifts, coping with stress, and Christmas customs. If you click on Toys in the left margin, it will give suggestions for types of gifts to buy for various ages for children.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Kmart teamed up to provide Toy Safety Shopping Tips.
KidsHealth for parents has an article on Choosing Safe Toys that include age-specific guidelines for buying toys and safe toys in the home.
Two additional websites on choosing safe toys are:
About Pediatrics: Toy Safety – Choosing Safe Toys
Prevent Blindness America: The Vision Learning Center – Safe Toy Checklist
Teachers
First-School: Preschool Activities and Crafts features preschool lesson plans, early childhood activities, printable crafts, calendar of events, and other resources for children of preschool age. The December Holiday and Events pages include lots of activities and crafts on reindeer, poinsettias, Hanukkah, winter, snowmen, penguins, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.
Apples 4 the Teacher offers ideas and resources to reinforce curriculum and to integrate technology into the classroom and also offers online interactive games for preschool and elementary children. December Holidays and Occasions Activities for Kids showcases crafts, coloring pages, puzzles, music and reading lists for Winter, Hanukkah, Christmas Fun, and Kwanzaa.
Preschool Express by Jean Warren, teacher and author, is an online newsletter filled with ideas and activities for parents, teachers and grandparents of preschool children. Holiday Station contains activities and ideas for Las Posadas, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year. Also, check out the menu in the left margin for additional Stations and activities. Click on the Learning Station for 10 Holiday Stress Busters for Preschoolers by Jean Warren.
TheTeachersCorner.net offers online teacher resources, lesson plans, thematic units, seasonal items, and bulletin board ideas. The December Units, Lesson Plans and Activities pages have lots of information on ice and snow, penguins, Christmas, Hanukkah, and winter. There are many resources but you’ll need to scroll down past the “Ads by Google” to get to them.
[Posted on December 5, 2006]
