care Archives - MomStart

Science for 3 Year Olds? Absolutely!

August 19, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I’m super excited to be working with KinderCare over the next month. They have amazing resources for parents and they strongly believe what I believe. Little kids are sponges that absorb everything. So we should show them the world. Today we’re talking science for 3 year olds!!

Can 3 year olds really begin to understand scientific concepts like states of matter, force, and motion?

“Absolutely,” says Meg Davis, manager of curriculum development for Knowledge Universe. “Children are young scientists. They learn about the world around them through their senses.” This natural curiosity is the basis for KinderCare’s new early science education program, to be launched this summer.

Called Spectacular Science, the two-week program presents basic science concepts in ways three-year-olds can engage with and understand.

“The key is to provide children with plenty of hands-on opportunities to explore science in a playful way.” – Meg Davis, Manager of Curriculum Development for Knowledge Universe

For example, while learning about states of matter (solids, liquids, and gases), our children will pretend to be balloons filled with air that float up into the sky…and then fall back to the ground. That kind of physicality helps bring complex concepts to life for young children.

Can’t wait to nurture your own kids scientific curiosity? Bring a little bit of Spectacular Science home with these three ideas inspired by KinderCare’s new curriculum.

1. Science in Creative Expression: Shadow Art

• Scientific Concepts:

o Light and Shadows

• Materials Needed:

o Sidewalk chalk

Pick a sunny day to head outdoors with your sidewalk chalk, find a hard, flat surface, and search for shadows to trace. Encourage your child to identify a shadow and trace its outline with the chalk. Create your own shadows and trace each other’s outlines.

Ask open-ended questions: What does a shadow look like? What shape is it? How is a shadow made?

Extra Credit: Later, go outdoors to see how far the shadow moved!

2. Science in Motion: Freeze Tag

• Scientific Concepts:

o Liquids and Solids

Physical movement and acting out ideas and concepts helps children understand them more clearly, and this well-known child’s game incorporates a science lesson too: Freeze Tag. (Freeze Tag works best with a few friends.)

Explain the simple rules: One child is It and tries to tag the other children. If a child is tagged, the child “freezes” in a fun (or funny) position. If another child tags the “frozen” child, he or she becomes “unfrozen” and can begin running again. After several minutes, ask another child to be It.

During breaks, ask: What else freezes?…That’s right, water. When does water freeze? What is water like when it unfreezes?…What is another word for ‘unfreeze’?

3. Science in Everyday Conversation:

· Scientific Concepts:

o Critical Thinking

o Hypothesizing

o Science Vocabulary

Science learning at any age involves curiosity, exploration, and discovery. Families can support science learning in everyday conversations by asking “how” and “what” questions that prompt children to think critically and explain their reasoning.

Ask questions like, “What would happen if… of How do you know that…? Then sharpen children’s skills by inviting them to test their ideas. For example, if you are exploring what sinks of floats ask, “Will the rubber duckie float? Let’s try it…”

You can find more amazing activities like this one at Adventure Ahead: www.adventureahead.kindercare.com

Health Care Providers Care Through Providence Health eXpress #HealtheXpress #AD

August 8, 2015 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is a partnered post.

Wow, this has been a crazy year for me I’m always on the go. The kids are acting so we have to drive to auditions. Then of course we’re in traffic. I also home school the kids which takes up a lot of my time and then as you can see I work from home. So getting out of the house is quite a task. I hardly ever go to the doctor, in fact that last time I was sick I didn’t go to the doctor until Sunday. I had to go to the clinic in our neighborhood because it was a Sunday and most doctors do not work Sundays. My family doctor doesn’t.

I’ve just learned that Providence has created a new service available in Washington and Oregon where you can talk to a health care provider and get basic care without leaving your home. You may be thinking what’s the difference between this and talking to a health care provider over the phone? The difference is your smart device that you are using to chat with the health care provider has a camera on it, a really good camera too. So you can speak face to face and not just voice to voice. Seeing their faces makes the experience that much more personal. You can see the expression on their faces, they can see yours so they get an idea of what you’re feeling through your face to face connection. You can also show them what’s wrong if it’s a rash, so much easier than just describing the red ness. It just makes it easy for you to have a personal consultation with the health care provider.

Health eXpress is open Monday – Friday 8am-8pm and Sat/Sun 9am-5pm PST. There is only a 5 minute wait, so no more wasted time on a Sunday waiting in a clinic. YEAH! It’s a live virtual visit that uses secure video and audio. Providence uses their own doctors and nurse practitioners to provide the service. You get a diagnosis and treatment recommendations including a prescription if you need one.

They have providers you trust that are licensed and board-certified. Most other virtual health care services pull from a pool of third-party providers. Even if you think you’re choosing a service through a respectable Health System, the providers you’re seeing are likely not even part of that health system. They use secure, HIPAA-compliant technology, encrypting all communication over the internet. It’s so nice when all your information is in one place. I can’t even remember what dosage medication I take, or that I’m allergic to Z-pacs. Well I remember now because that last time I went to the clinic they prescribed one and I had terrible side effects. Health eXpress is a system built for the average every day person that has a full plate and going to see a doctor is difficult to manage with time or with budget.

Some great reasons to use Health eXpress:

You need a refill and you are out of them

You don’t have time to see a doctor but aren’t feeling well

Certain skin issues

You’re too sick to leave your home

You need a note from a doctor

You want a second opinion

How to use:

Visit www.healthexpress.com to learn more and create your free account so you’re ready when sick happens

Download the Health eXpress app from the Google Play or iTunes store

Fight Dry Skin: Lowila Cleansing Bar and Lac-Hydrin Five Moisturizing Lotion

January 20, 2012 by Momstart 4 Comments

By Orshi:

I have chronic dry hands and I have soft-hand-envy, too. Let me explain. The chronic part is just what it sounds like: my hands are always dry unless I slather them with hand cream 5 times a day (which I simply just can’t do). About the soft-hand-envy … you know when you shake someone’s hand and you feel their warm silky skin that is like baby skin … oh, I envy that, I envy that a lot. I have tried many tricks to reach that super-soft-hand-state – drenched my hands in hand creams, wrapped them in softening gloves, used special European creams, did mini scrub and spa treatments on them. They have all reached results – some better than others – but they were never to last. When I received the Lowila Cleansing Bar and the LAC-HYDRIN® FIVE Moisturizing Lotion, I knew I will be able to put them to the test.

Lowila is a soap free, dermatologist, pediatricians and physicians recommended bar to improve various dry, and sensitive skin conditions.

LAC-HYDRIN® FIVE Moisturizing Lotion is a dry skin care for elbows, knees, feet, and hands and even gentle enough for face. It is infused with ammonium hydroxide, fragrance free and absorbs fast. It is non-comedogenic, meaning that it will not clog pores and cause acne.

I put the bar of soap into the children’s bathroom and used it during bath time. I usually don’t believe in soap free ‘soaps’ but this one is quite unique. It lathers up very well, has a soft scent and acts just like a regular soap. My youngest son has dry skin due to allergies and his little ‘scales’ need regular moisturizing. I used the LAC-HYDRIN® FIVE Moisturizing Lotion on him after baths and noticed a huge improvement in this skin. First of all, the lotion is not greasy at all, goes on easy, doesn’t feel heavy and soaks into the skin fast. My little guys biggest problem when it comes to ‘buttering’ him (a term he has been using for moisturizing since he could talk) is that the sticky feeling bothers him for a long time. After using LAC-HYDRIN®, he forgets about it in a matter of minutes and his skin is itch free and soft. The only problem with this lotion is that if he has deeper itch marks on his skin, it burns when I put it on … I mean screaming burn – so it should not be used on skin that is very irritated by eczema or possibly has cuts from itching.

As for my dry hands … they are feeling quite soft now. I use LAC-HYDRIN® regularly and I only apply it once a day for lasting results. The lotion goes a long way and there is a lot of magic packed into it. I could make an 8 oz bottle last a long time between my little boy and my hands. Great product!!

Both products can be purchased online from Amazon.com, Drugstore.com or various other websites starting at $14.

Samples Received.

About Orshi:

Orshi is a teacher at UCIC where she works daily with children. She shows a great love for children as she has three of her own. She also loves Facebook, gardening and baking. She was born and grew up in Hungary and now lives across the street.