Water Safety

 We are gearing up for Summer here at The Academy, which means Water Days! I thought it would be important to share some Water Safety Tips to ensure that your kids have fun and are being safe at the same time.  These also great tips to use if you have a pool at home or are planning a beach vacation.  We hope these tips help and we hope you all have an amazing Summer!

• Walk, don't run, near water. 
• Wear a life jacket, especially when you are in or near larger bodies of water.

• Always ask an adult for permission to swim.
• Have an adult watch you at all times.

• Get in the water feet first.
• Always try to swim with a buddy.

• Stay in the designated area.

• Get out of the water when you start to feel tired.
• Don't float where can't swim or put your feet down and touch the floor.
• Empty Tubs, buckets, containers, and kids' pools immediately after use.

Bug Safari

This week we had The Bug Safari come visit and the kids had a blast!  The kids got to explore in the jungle and look for bugs and insects.  Then, they got to sort them by color and number of legs or wings and talk about them.  It was definitely fun and educational.  What is your favorite insect?

 

Mother's Day Tea

We wanted to celebrate and appreciate all of the mothers out there, especially our Academy moms.  We hosted a special Mother's Day Tea including finger sandwiches, fruit, cheese & crackers, and of course sweet tea.  We also gave the kids crowns to decorate to give to their moms.  They all had so much fun.  Happy Mother's Day!

 

May The Fourth Be With You

Happy Star Wars Day!  We celebrated Star Wars Day by having a fun Grab N' Go with "light sabers" and coloring pages.  We also had so much fun dressing up as well.  Which is your favorite Star Wars character?  Which movie is your favorite?

 

National Pet Day

Today is National Pet Day!  Mrs. Autumn, our director, brought her dog named Nash to visit everyone!  The kids LOVED him. They even got to run around and play on the playground with him.  Do you have a pet at home?  What is your favorite animal?

 

Butterfly Garden

We have started a butterfly garden!  We watched the caterpillars grow and grow as they ate.  Then, they made their cocoons.  Once they did that, we transferred them to their new habitat so they can grow into butterflies!  What is your favorite kind of butterfly?  What colors do you think our butterflies will have?  We will keep you updated on here and our Instagram page!

 

Fun Family Spring Activities

 Now that the weather is becoming warmer and we're having some beautiful days, we thought it would a great opportunity to give you some fun activities to do with the family.  These would be great for all ages and all of them can be done outside.

1. Plant a garden.  Gardening can be such a wonderful activity to do to connect.  You could also do a small herb garden in the kitchen window.

        Materials:

            Seeds, shovel, dirt, gloves

    

2. Play Putt Putt Golf.  It can be for all ages and you can talk and share stories.  You can also go for pizza together afterwards.

3. Go Fishing.  You can also have a picnic, look at the stars, or play hopscotch.  There are so many great outdoor activities to add to this.

        Materials:

                

                Bait, Fishing pole, Tackle Box

4. Outside Yoga

        Examples of poses

                Bee Pose: Start on your knees.  Rest your bottom back on your heels.  Turn your body to the left then to the right. Repeat, twisting your body side to side.  Add a buzzing sound.

                 

                Frog Pose: Squat on the floor with your weight on your toes.  Spread your knees as far apart as you can.  Make sure your hands are in between your knees on the floor.  Look up and breathe in.  Breathe out, look down and try to straighten your legs as much as you can.

5. Make a bird feeder.

 

            Materials: Pinecones, Peanut butter or sun butter, Plastic Knife, Bird Seed, Yarn, Scissors

            Directions: Use the plastic knife and cover the pinecone with the peanut butter or sun butter.  After the pinecone is covered, roll it in the bird seed.  Attach yarn to the top of the pinecone.  Place it on a nearby branch so you can observe the birds eating.