The Great Outdoors

Building off our recent blog post about the importance of regular activity and exercise, with spring in full-bloom and the weather getting nicer, why not take advantage of the longer days and beautiful sunshine by taking the kids outside to participate in some fun activities that will get their minds and bodies working.  Following are a few activities you can do with your children that will support their ongoing intellectual development while enjoying the great outdoors.

Plant a garden

What child doesn’t like to get dirty? Take that love of dirt and turn it into a love of gardening. Spending time building a garden with your child will provide them with an opportunity to develop greater knowledge of various types of plants, flowers and trees, the seasons they grow and what they need in order to grow. It will also heighten their appreciation for nature and fill them with a sense of accomplishment as the garden begins to grow.

Just as important to the educational benefits of designing and building a garden with your child is the quality time you will spend together in not only creating the garden, but caring for it throughout the spring, summer and fall. To get started on your garden, visit http://www.kidsgardening.org/family.asp.

Go exploring

Who is your child’s favorite explorer? Is it Magellan? Perhaps it’s Henry Hudson? Whoever their favorite explorer is or even if they don’t have one, children have wonderful imaginations and they love to play make believe, so get out and explore “the world” with your child. Go hiking and pretend you’re Lewis and Clark on an expedition to the Pacific Coast. Take a boat ride and pretend you’re Columbus traveling the Atlantic Ocean.  Build an imaginary airplane from boxes, set them up outside and watch as Amelia Earhart takes off from your driveway.  There’s plenty of information online about explorers that you can use to have fun and sharpen your child’s (and your) knowledge. To begin, visit http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/explorers.

 Outdoor Art Show

Don’t want to go to a museum because it’s too nice out? Well then, let the museum come to you. Host an outdoor art show with the neighborhood kids. First, have children work on a piece of art using whatever materials they can find.  Second, hang a clothesline between two trees in your yard. Third, hang the artwork on the clothesline for everyone to view. Don’t forget to invite the neighbors and be sure the artists are on hand to discuss their inspiration. For additional outdoor educational activities, visit http://fun.familyeducation.com/play/outdoor-activities/33394.html.

Learning doesn’t have to be an indoor activity; there’s plenty to learn outdoors as well. Simply find an outdoor educational game or project that aligns with your child’s interest and enjoy.

Exercise an Hour a Day

Children who engage in regular activity and exercise reap a number of benefits – both physical and cognitive.  Numerous studies show children who exercise perform better in school, have lower rates of obesity, sleep better, experience higher self esteem, and have improved bone and muscle development.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend children and adolescents get at least an hour of aerobic and/or strength-building or exercise each day.  It may seem like a lot, but remember that a number of activities count.  And with warmer weather around the corner, what child – and adult alike – isn’t looking to get outside and play?

Below are some suggestions for family fitness activities that are fun and won’t break the bank either!

Moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activities:

• Active games that incorporate running and chasing like tag, hop scotch, capture the flag, red rover, and hide-and-seek, Simon says, red-light-green-light, etc.
• Bicycling or hiking
• Sports or activities that require running, catching and throwing, or vigorous play
• Dancing, jumping rope, skipping and hopping
• Vigorous yard or house work like raking leaves, vacuuming or mowing the lawn
• Swimming or active play in the water
• Walking anywhere – to school, the park, the store, etc.
• Some “active” video gaming (The Nintendo Wii has a few good active video games, but remember, the objective should be to get your child outside and active when the weather is nice)

Muscle- and bone-strengthening activities:

• Swinging and playing on various jungle gym or playground equipment
• Tree or rope climbing
• Physical games like tug-of-war or tumbling
• Sit-ups, push-ups (modified or regular) and step-ups, or any other resistance exercises using body weight, hand weights or exercise bands
• Hopping, skipping and jumping activities

Parents and older siblings can set a great example for younger children and encourage them to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle.  Here are just a few local places in our community where physical “play” and activity is encouraged:

Salem Lake – enjoy a relaxing hike, bike or horseback ride around the seven miles of Salem Lake, minutes away from downtown Winston-Salem. The lake offers pier and boat fishing and the staff members are more than happy to help with equipment and bait supplies. Visit: http://www.cityofws.org/Home/Departments/RecreationAndParks/SalemLake/Articles/SalemLake

City Lake Park – with two playgrounds, miniature golf course, swimming pools, ball field and amphitheater, there’s plenty to do for the whole family. The park and lake are open year-round.   For more information, visit: http://www.high-point.net/pr/citylake.cfm

Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem – whether you make crafts, climb a giant beanstalk or build a cabin with oversized Lincoln logs, the museum offers fun and active ways for kids to play and learn. Take a trip through the Enchanted Forest where storybooks come to life or play in the sand in the Surprise Garden. http://www.childrensmuseumofws.org/

Being active is beneficial for the whole family and there are a number of things you can do together.  So, with spring break upon us, try to find some time to get your children outside and active.  It will be time well spent.

Try Some Pi

Math. It’s a simple and harmless word. Why then does it cause such dread for so many students? More importantly, since it’s such a critical tool in school and business, how can you as a parent get your child to embrace math? Make it fun, that’s how.

If you’re looking for a fun way to get your children excited about math, try some pi. No, not apple, cherry or pumpkin, but the mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter. You know, 3.141593.

Given that yesterday was March 14, or 3-14, why not celebrate Pi Day at home one day this week or next by participating in a variety of activities related to Pi. Courtesy of www.TeachPi.org, following is a list of ways to make Pi Day entertaining, educational and tasty for your children.

• Eat some Pi – Bake cakes, cookies and pies, of course, with a Pi Day theme.
• Memorize Pi – Sure we all associate Pi with 3.14, but the numbers go on forever. Hold a competition with your children to see who can recite the most digits from memory. Do this once a day for a few days to see who can get the farthest. Then celebrate with a slice of pie.
• Ode to Pi – Have your children compose an original song, poem or piece of art about Pi Day.
• Accessorize with Pi – Sure it’s a funky symbol, but that’s what makes it cool. So go ahead and decorate some of your children’s older clothing with the Pi symbol. Perhaps the new fashion statement will catch on.
• Pi Toss – Not afraid to get messy? Then have a good, old fashioned pie fight with your children. Toss cream pies at each other to see who has the best aim.
• Hula Pi – They’re circular. They’re fun. And they’re good exercise. Break out the hula-hoop and hold a contest with your kids. It’s not as easy as it looks. 

When you’ve had your fill of Pi, find other fun activities to increase your child’s understanding and appreciation for math. For more information or for other helpful tips on making math more enjoyable for your child, do not hesitate to speak to your child’s teacher or visit www.familyeducation.com.

Read to Succeed

Developing strong readers is a top priority at Forsyth Academy.  As parents and caregivers, you can help to lay the foundation for a lifelong love of reading for the children in your life. In celebration of National Reading Month this March, following are a few helpful tips that will have you on your way to turning your child into a lifelong reader.

Make Time to Read

Try to read with your child every day at a regularly scheduled time. If possible, choose a time when you can be relaxed and not rushed. If you have more than one child, spend time reading with each child separately, especially if they’re more than two years apart. On days that are particularly hectic, bring a few books when you take children along on errands. Taking time to read to children on a regular basis sends the message that reading is important and worthwhile.

One More Time…PLEASE?!

As every adult who cares for children knows, they often ask to hear the same story again and again. They delight in knowing what comes next and often learn a favorite book so well that they can quote it on their own. That favorite story may speak to your child’s current interests and emotional needs, so it’s important for the adults in their lives to be patient during this phase. Young children are eventually ready for different stories if they are continuously exposed to a variety of books.

Slow Down

It’s not just what you read to children, but how you read that matters. If adults rush through stories or read without enthusiasm, children quickly lose interest. Try to read with expression and use different voices for the characters. Reading at a leisurely pace with occasional pauses gives children time to take in what they hear, mull it over, and imagine the people, places, and events.

Choose Books with Care

Reading together often, you learn a lot about the kinds of books your child likes and understands. Winston-Salem is fortunate to have a number of exceptional public libraries, http://www.forsyth.cc/library, so don’t hesitate to utilize these as a resource for you and your child. Frequent trips to the library open a world of literary exploration to your child. Additionally, libraries often run fun and engaging programs, such as Family Storytime, that present excellent opportunities to increase your child’s love of reading. 

Start a Children’s Book Club

Nobody said reading needs to be done alone, so why not start a book club with a bunch of your child’s friends? Not only will this strengthen your child’s reading skills, but it will help develop his social skills as well. Simply find a group of parents who wouldn’t mind rotating as hosts and allow a different child to pick a book for the group to read each week. For more tips on starting a children’s book club, visit http://www.kidsreads.com/clubs/.   

Don’t Pressure Children About What or When to Read

Nagging children about their reading habits may cause them to resist reading all together. Some school-age children choose to read only comic books or fan magazines after their homework is finished. Try not to criticize – after all, they are reading. If a child makes a mistake when reading aloud, don’t interrupt. If the mistake doesn’t change the meaning, let it go.

Strong reading skills are the foundation of academic success. For that reason, we urge you to celebrate National Reading Month throughout March with your child. While we’ll certainly do more than our share of reading in school, your support will reinforce the importance of reading, so pick up a book and have some literary fun with your child.

Cold Weather Activities for Kids

With the extended cold spell that recently swept through much of the southeast, many of us preferred the warmth of our homes to the unusually frigid weather outdoors. As infrequent as the cold spells are, there are times of the year when children will be more comfortable inside. During those times, instead of instead of staring at the television for hours, or at each other, why not involve your children in some educational activities that will keep them entertained and you sane.

Following are a few indoor activities you and your children can do the next time you don’t want to face the frosty weather. 

• Jigsaw puzzles – Sure jigsaw puzzles can be frustrating with all those pieces that look exactly the same, but they can be a lot of fun, they provide relationship building time with your child and just think of the pride your child will have in completing a jigsaw puzzle. Just try not to lose any pieces.
• Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem – Many of you may already be familiar with the wonderful children’s museum (www.childrensmuseumofws.org) we are fortunate to have here in Winston-Salem. However, for those that aren’t, the museum located on South Liberty Street is full of fun and imaginative activities that will have you wanting to be a child again. Your child is sure to have a blast playing with other children or exploring all the museum has to offer on their own.
• SciWorks Science Center – Forget what you remember from high school biology, chemistry or physics…science is fun. It’s especially fun for children at SciWorks (www.sciworks.org) where kids can explore the many wonders of science through the many events and programs at the science center on Hanes Mill Road.  The science center features interesting exhibits and a planetarium that is out-of-this-world.    
• Dr. Seuss – Hold a Dr. Seuss book marathon. From here to there, funny things are everywhere. Take turns reading some of Dr. Seuss’ amazingly entertaining books, whether it’s “Cat in the Hat,” “The Lorax,” “Yertle the Turtle,” or “Fox in Socks.” Make Green Eggs and Ham for breakfast, lunch or dinner and spend the rest of the day speaking in rhymes. You may like reading Dr. Seuss in your house. You may like reading Dr. Seuss with your spouse.
• Butterfly Garden – It might be a few months before we see butterflies, but that shouldn’t stop you from creating your very own butterfly hanging garden. Visit http://fun.familyeducation.com/childrens-art-activities/outdoor-games/30104.html?detoured=1, print out the monarch butterfly pictures and follow the directions for creating your own butterfly garden. Warm thoughts are sure to follow.

Just because you’re stuck indoors doesn’t mean you’re stuck in a no fun zone. Engage your children in activities that will strengthen your relationship and their love of learning. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, hop on the Internet and do a little research for more indoor fun you and your family can enjoy from home.

Welcome to the Forsyth Academy Blog!

Welcome to Forsyth Academy!  We’re excited to launch this blog and hope that our parents, friends and supporters will visit frequently to view the latest posting.  We are proud of our more than 648 students, excited about the success of our school and intend to use this blog as a way to share many of the inspiring and amazing stories that occur at Forsyth with regular frequency.  Beyond celebrating our success and recognizing the hard work of our staff and students, we also aim to offer useful information that parents can benefit from, including homework tips, educational insights and valuable resources you can tap into to ensure your child’s academic success. 

And because Forsyth is a vibrant community made up of our students, staff and parents, you won’t just be hearing from me.  This blog will be the voice of the school and, as such, posts will come from our talented staff members, as well as the occasional guest post from a student or parent because we know they have great things to share as well.  Forsyth  wouldn’t have achieved the success it has without the teacher –parent –student partnership that is so crucial.

Thank you for visiting us today.  Please add us to your favorites and come back on a regular basis.  We appreciate your support!

Lori Hill
Principal
Forsyth Academy