Kids Easter Activities For The Classroom Or Home

As Easter approaches there are may different kids Easter activities that children can enjoy. Whether you want an activity for your child to do quietly at home or if you are looking for Easter classroom activities for school, you have lots for choices. There are crafts, games, puzzles math activities and cooking activities that will keep the kids happy and busy.

Decorating eggs is one of the common kids Easter activities but there are also other crafts that you may like to try.

Easter Cards

Provide the kids with construction card, glue, colored paper, stickers, glitter and markers and they can make Easter cards to give to friends or family. To make an interesting card, try shaping the card like and egg or a bunny.

Easter Wreaths

A different Easter craft activity is to create wreaths. Make these using a paper plate with a ring cut out of the center. To start, the wreath can have straw glued over it or it can be sprayed with gold or silver paint. Next decorate it with fluffy chicks, eggs, flowers, ribbons or cutouts of colored egg shapes that have been decorated. Tie a ribbon to the top to hang it from and you have your own unique wreath.

Easter Bingo

There are lots of different types of games that are suitable for Easter. Create an Easter version of bingo by using Easter words or pictures. This is one of the kids Easter activities that is ideal as a classroom activity.

Easter Games

The kids can also make their own Easter board games with construction card and markers. These can then be decorated with stickers, glitter or pictures. Once they are finished the kids can enjoy playing their game.

Easter Relays

If you are looking for more active kids Easter activities, you might like to try relays, Easter themed races or egg hunts. A egg and spoon race is perfect for Easter and can also be held as a relay.

Easter Bowling

Another fun Easter game is Easter bowling. Give each child a different colored egg. It can be either a dyed, hardboiled egg or a foil wrapped Easter egg. Roll a plain, white egg across the floor or the ground. The kids thentake turns at rolling their eggs as close as possible to this egg. The person whose egg is closest is the winner.

Easter Cooking

Making chocolates is another fun Easter activity for the children to try. Kids love making and eating, Rocky Road. To start with melt the chocolate. Then add marshmallows and small jelly candies. This can be spooned out in large chunks onto a tray or set in the bowl and then refrigerated. It will take about 30 minutes to set in the refrigerator if it is set in the bowl. If it is set in the bowl, turn it out in a large lump then cut it into pieces. It is best for an adult to cut this though.

Moral Stories For Kids

This is a time when anyone is sure to be amazed at the spectacle of tremendous changes occurring everywhere in human life and activities and also in the environment in which people have been living. Anyone may wonder if such changes are for the sake of changes only when devaluation of values is our everyday experiences. We observe painfully how morality standard of human community has been deteriorated all over the world. Hence time is not friendly for our kids.

What have we been offering our kids as regular food? They strangely include electronic gadgets of different kinds, access in the unrestricted television channels and even in the internet which force them to witness and test such things as are definitely not fair for their mental health. They include terrible demonstrations of man and woman relations and visual translations of events upholding sexual choices. Our kids are introduced with the most violent crime world and of devastations caused by terrorism and war. Which of the toys do we manufacture for the kids? Yes, they are guns and tanks and mostly such things that refer to violence only. Which of the films do we make in the greatest number? They are undoubtedly war films and films in which violence and sex are the subjects for consideration.

We forget that our kids will grow up to become movers and shakers of the future world. We do not find it necessary to count what kind of human beings they will become and how they will live with a mind which has not learned what morality stands for. Do we love them really?

Nevertheless, doors are not already closed on us and nor are we poor in traditional treasures, treasures which may be used to groom the loving kids in the most desirable way. We have thousands and thousands of morality stories, stories or real heritage of human civilizations, stories we have developed from the observations, lessons and experiences of our life and which we have been carrying forward with every sunrise and sunset and obviously in each segment of the hemispheres.

Kids are so nice by constitution that they love to hear stories from their dad or mom or from their grandpa or grandma and even from their teachers. Some of the stories go by the name of Aesop whose contribution is great and whose identity is shredded with mystery. Some stories are successfully set inside the great epics of India and Rome. Some are still alive in the folktales which people of different regions have managed to preserve naturally. The great stores of moral stories are the religious texts. Parables of the Bible and stories of the Bhagvadgita are wonderful and intriguing as they are very simple and simultaneously effective for ever.

Just remember the Parable of the Samaritan. The presentation is so straight and the words are so familiar and the frame, above all, is so friendly that one may automatically feel the breath of the person who has told such a story hundreds of years back. Yet what is the effect? We do not meet anyone who directs us to be responsible and still suddenly we love to bow down to the whole of suffering humanity. Kids may not find the philosophy behind the splendid spectrum. They just learn what man should do for man if occasions demands.

One more example is the story of the tortoise and the hare. Children always to support the cute little hare. The end of the story declaring that the tortoise has won makes them sad. Still the moral of the story is inserted in their growing mind in the most natural way. We do not find any reason to advise them to be slow and to be steady at the same time. They learn that they should be honest to their task and that they should stick to their task. In this story two known animals have been used who are examples of great contrast in respect of their movement. The story contains softness even in its twists and turns. Nothing happens under the sun as the tortoise moves slowly and as the hare takes some rest.

Morality stories penetrate into the character of the kids. It is not important to order them do this and do not do that with a voice of an authority. They learn to obey the seniors and the importance of being industrious. We want to teach them loyalty punctuality and at times we get exhausted as the result is not achieved. Morality stories have the inherent strength to assist the children identifying what is right and what is wrong or what one should do and what one should not.

Kids Ghillie Suit Kids Bonding Moments With Father When Hunting

Hunting became a family belief in many of families and a kind of togetherness thing between father and son. Many clubs and shooting ranges have opened their memberships to whole family not to mention kids accompanied by adults. Many schools have also followed the suit and have began offering classes and tutorials to teach kids how to shoot. Seeing this trend, the manufactures of Ghillie Suits have began creating special line of ghillie suits just for kids.

These specially designed ghillie suits are created for kids and younger adults who are interested in Shooting and Hunting. These ghillie suits are also helping to distinguish between adults and kids because of their difference in styles. This cool safety feature was incorporated in these suits and has been successful in helping to characterized between adults and kids

One of the things kids do not like is seen wearing same kind of clothes as their parents and they just loathe when companies try to sell adult Ghillie suits re-designed as Kids Ghillie Suit. Although today’s Kids Ghillie Suits are sewed with keeping Camouflage in mind these suits also consider styling and looks when designed. The Material used in these kids ghillie suits are also quite different considering sensitivities of kids in mind.

The other great thing about these suits is their weight. Kids are obviously smaller than adults and expecting them to carry weight of adult Ghillie Suit would be a burden. The adult ghillie suits are made of heavy layers of paddings and are uncomfortable and heavy for adults too. Manufactures these days use special materials like Teratex Membrane in Kids Ghillie Suit which aides in providing same amount of camouflage at a greatly reduced weight. This has helped kids and younger adults to be much more active in the outdoors. The new material also prevents body from getting too hot too quickly.

These Kids Ghillie Suits are not just duplicates of adult suits, there are some features in these suits that make Adults wanting for these features. Once the greatest features is less noise that these suits make due the new material. Kids love to run around and are more active generally, having ultra quite suit makes their stay enjoyable and adults also don’t need to worry about them scaring the game. These suits are also waterproof, so adults don’t need to worry about their young kids getting wet and sick later. These suits are also machine washable so that takes the worry out from parents having to care about special handling of these kids ghillie suits.

Kids Rakhi

Rakhi is one of the main festivals in India which celebrates the everlasting relationship between a brother and sister. The celebration is not only restricted in tying the rakhi thread but goes far beyond to encompass gifting and exchanging a number of other pleasantries between relatives. During the festival of Rakhi a number of Rakhi threads flood the market. There are Rakhis for all ages and the ones for the Kids are always special. The kids rakhis are special because they are colourful and have innovative design. It is always exciting to buy rakhi for the kids because they are a source of immense joy. Rakhi for the kids are of different types.

Kids are innocent and impressionable. They get attracted to all kinds of flamboyant, tender and sweet items. There are a number of eye-catching rakhis for the kids displayed in online rakhi sites which give a fair idea of ones to go for. While selecting rakhi for the kids their young age has to be kept in mind. The rakhi needs to stand out among many!

On the online rakhi sites there are a number of kid rakhis to choose from. Some of the ones are discussed below:

Toy Rakhi – Toy Rakhi is decked with toys of different sizes and shapes and is highly popular among the young kids. The Rakhi is developed from materials like plastic, light metal and thread. The toy on this Rakhi is developed from acrylic fiber, thermocol, sponge and a number of other materials. Some of the common designs among Toy Rakhi include Clown, Fish, Animals, Birds, Teddy Bear, Cars, Soldiers and Rabbit. Toy rakhi to india to the kids can be really exciting!

Rakhi for the New Born Baby – It is a great feeling on the part of a sister to tie the Rakhi on the hand of a new born brother. The warmth of feeling associated with this gesture is inexplicable. It is from the day the baby is born that an inseparable bond is established. The sister showers all her affections on her new born brother and wishes that one day this little wonder will grow up to become her greatest support. The Rakhi for the new born is a very special product and developed with a lot of care. It has cotton thread which suites the soft skin of the new born brother. Attractive rakhi packages for a new born brother is a non-starter without a rakhi specially made for him! A rakhi for the new born brother adds a different flavour which can not be equated with any thing else.

Motif or Cartoon Rakhi – Motif or Cartoon Rakhi is an attractive Rakhi with cartoon characters fixed on the top. Sisters buy rakhi with cartoon motifs for gifting their brothers an experience of a lifetime! Light metal, plastic and thread are used for preparing this beautiful Rakhi. Motif or Cartoon Rakhi comes in different design and colour and is made up of materials like plastic, light metal and thread. There are many popular cartoon characters available in this Rakhi like Superman, Spiderman, Harry Potter, Donald Duck, Micky Mouse, Casper, Mowgli, Scooby doo, Little Hanuman and a lot others.

Toffee Rakhi- Toffee Rakhi also known as Candy Rakhi is one of the popular rakhi among kids. In Toffee Rakhi an attractive toffee is attached to the bottom of the Rakhi to make it look fascinating. Kids have a special fascination for this Rakhi because they get to eat the delicious candy. Sisters send rakhi to India to their brothers to remind them of the pledge which binds them together. A Toffee or Candy Rakhi to kid brother is a really good option.

Raksha Bandhan is always about a lot of happiness. There are fascinating rakhi packages across different websites which make the occasion memorable. A rakhi for the kid brother is always an exclusive gift. A gift which speaks of love and only love!

How to Praise Your Kids

I have spent hours observing children in their classrooms or homes as a school psychologist and mobile therapist. Generally what happens is a teacher or parent comes to me saying that the child does not behave. Some common concerns are the child does not listen, talks back when reprimanded, won’t sit still, talks to others during class time, does not stop when told to stop, and will not complete work or tasks.

One thing I have noticed in my observations is that adults unknowingly miss moments when the child could have been acknowledged for appropriate behavior. I can recall sitting in a classroom for 45 minutes in which the child I am asked to observe is cooperative and respectful for the first 35 minutes. During that time the child’s behaviors are not directly acknowledged, rather, the teacher would look at me with a face or a comment of disbelief that the child was behaving. When the child started talking to a friend or playing with items in his desk, in the last ten minutes of class, the teacher would often say “See, this is what I mean.”

When telling teachers or parents that it is important to acknowledge desired behaviors, rather than focusing on negative behaviors, I would often be faced with comments of resistance such as “Why should I tell him he’s doing the right thing, when that is what he is supposed to be doing?, “I don’t have enough time to constantly praise him for his behavior, I am busy teaching”, or “If I praise him for his behavior, I have to praise all the other students and that will take up way too much time.”

In this article, I will give my responses to these very comments:

Concern 1 – Why should I tell him he’s doing the right thing when that is what he is supposed to be doing?

Answer: People like to hear that they are doing the right thing. When someone acknowledges their strengths, they feel respected by that person. When a child feels respected by you he is more open to following your rules. How do I know this? Because I have always praised my clients or students for doing the right thing. They knew I was sincere and they felt how much I respect I had for them. In my career, I have faced very little problems with negative behaviors from children; even the ones that teachers and parents said had the worst behavior.

When you acknowledge a child’s good behaviors, he gets a self-esteem boost. That is a good feeling and they will engage in similar behaviors to get that feeling again. It might be hard to believe, but deep down virtually all kids want to please adults. They want to hear that they are doing the right thing and they want us to be proud of them for making good choices. Adults are the same way. When supervisors I had in the past told me how calm, patient, or diligent I was, it made me want to be that way even more. Because whether we admit it or not, we all like it when someone thinks something good about us.

Also, some children don’t always know exactly what is expected of them. Giving them praise helps them learn these expectations. For instance, if you are a teacher and you want your students to come in everyday, hang up their coats, sit down, takeout their notebooks, and write a sentence about something fun they did yesterday, tell them just that. Review those rules in a short, clear, specific way at the door each morning before they walk in the room. When they follow through PRAISE THEM, ACKNOWLEDGE THEM. Say, you did a great job following the rule. You hung up your coats, sat at your desks, took out your notebooks, and started writing. You should all be proud of yourselves. This reinforces the rule. Overtime they will know it so well that all you will have to say is “Do the morning routine” and then “Nice work with the morning routine.” After a while it will be so intrinsic for your students that the language can be faded out even more.

When trying to change a child’s behavior, make sure praise is specific (i.e.,” I like how you took out your notebook and started writing as soon as you sat down”, rather than just an abstract comment like “good job.”) Make sure you acknowledge your child for the right things much more often than you point out the wrong things.” Children respond better when you focus on their strengths, than when you criticize their faults, just like adults.

If only a few children follow the rule in a group setting like a classroom, than praise those children. This lets them be acknowledged and can cause other students to strive for the same. Older children may get embarrassed when praised, so try to acknowledge their strengths more privately, like at the end of class when others are walking out or with a note in their test.

While I am providing many examples in the classroom, parents should apply these same rules about praise at home.

Concern 2 – I don’t have enough time to praise him for his behavior, I am busy teaching:

Answer – Yes you do. If you have enough time to reprimand the child for not following the rules or to attend meetings with other professionals to try and figure out why he does not listen, then you can find time to praise him for following the rules. It takes less time to say “You had great focus during math today” than to repeatedly say” “‘You’re not paying attention”, “Pick your head up”, “stop talking”, etc. At first you may need to acknowledge his good focus everyday, but eventually you can fade out the language and just give a look that says I’m proud of you.

Concern 3 – “If I praise him for his behavior, I have to praise all the other students and that will take up way too much time.”

Answer – You are right. You will need to praise all of your students. All children need to feel acknowledged and respected in their home or classroom, and reminded of your expectations, not just the ones with challenging behaviors. While it may take up some of your time to praise, it will take more time to reprimand a child whenever the behaviors occurs, and the behavior may not get better. When you continuously acknowledge the positive, the child will be more motivated to do the right thing; in turn they will get more from your lesson and you will feel more successful.

Following these methods at home will lead to improved behaviors with chore completion, being respectful with siblings, completing homework, and acting respectful in the community. Following these strategies in the classroom will lead to more work completion and more active listening.

When you start following these strategies, you may be spending a lot of time praising, but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages because eventually you will have children who want to listen and follow the rules because they feel respected, successful, and know exactly what you expect from them. These three things are the foundation for a compliant, happy child. You might think, how does she know this? Why should I listen her? Besides the fact that research supports these ideas, I know because it is the way I have always treated my students and clients, and I have had very little problems with behavior in my 16years in this profession. My students know I care and respect them, they know what I expect from them and they work to make it happen because they want me to be proud of them and they want to feel proud of themselves. They will do the same for you if you use these strategies consistently.

Use these strategies along with the ones I have given in my other articles on childhood behavior. If you consistently use these methods in conjunction with one another, you are sure to see positive changes in your child. It may mean that you have to change the way you are used to handling your child’s or student’s challenging behaviors, but I can assure you that it will be worth it.

Taking it a step further…

Use motivational charts to reinforce verbal praise. Give your child a token or sticker on his chart each time he meets the behavioral expectation. After a certain number of stickers, allow him to do something he enjoys (e.g., pick a movie for the family to watch, spend ten minutes up past his bed time, be a classroom helper for the day, pick a peer to do a drawing activity with at the end of class). People often mistake rewards as bribes to do the right thing; they are not. They are self-esteem boosters that make the child feel proud of himself. A confident child with good self-esteem will be quicker to follow the rules than a child who feels down on himself because he is constantly reprimanded for his misbehavior.