MomTrusted on Parenting, Kids, and Early Education

NEW: Magical, Musical Children’s Book App

You know those interactive books that play sounds or maybe have something fuzzy to touch incorporated in them? Well, the apps that Box of Frogs Media creates takes those to the next level. They create downloadable books for children that allow kids to touch and interact with stories as they read. Pictures move, sounds play and children have the option to read the book themselves or have a narrator read the stories to them. As of now, the apps are available on iOS products, so owners of iPhone, iPads and iPod touches are welcome to download and share Box of Frogs Media’s stories with their children.

Little Lost Note

This book refers to a musical note, not the kind that you scribble on a piece of paper. The story focuses on a note who gets lost and needs to find her way back home. She hops from instrument to instrument searching for her home, not only teaching children about musical instruments, but also allowing them to actually play to each one that the little lost note tries out. If children read it as a bedtime story, they can tap the Zzzz on the screen to activate a quieter, night light reading mode. Reviewers rave about this children’s interactive bookapp, and it’s easy to see why.
Download it here.

COMING SOON: Birgitte Berteldatter

This digital book, soon to be released, focuses on explorer and adventurer Birgitte Berteldatter, who has seen wild animals all over the world. As Box of Frogs Media summarizes, “Slightly confused that these beasts only seem to appear to Birgitte, she makes notes and sketches of all the fantastic creatures she finds on her adventures, where the Rolling Beagle knows no fear, the Urban Flox will nibble your socks, and a trick to befriending the beautiful but rather pompous Royal Crested Tiger is to give him pink sherbet.” The digital book will feature hand-drawn pictures, hidden animations that can be discovered through swiping and tapping the screen, original music and, just like Little Lost Note, the option to read the book or have it read to you. As a bonus, children will even get the opportunity to draw their own animals and wild creatures, just like Birgitte Berteldatter.

We’re expecting lot more from this company in the future…keep track of what they’re doing here.

Why We Love CHALK Preschool Centers

At MomTrusted, we have a lot of favorites when it comes to preschools. We devote our time to spreading word of outstanding programs and helping match parents with child care and education options. One of the preschool programs at the top of our list is CHALK Preschool, available at several locations in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas. Here’s why we love them:

CHALK’s belief in the learning process

At CHALK Preschool, staff strives to appeal to all parts of learning in an effort to provide a well-rounded education and preparation for kindergarten. CHALK supports each child’s emotional, physical, social and cognitive growth through carefully chosen lesson plans. A warm and welcoming environment is what staff members of CHALK work to provide for every preschooler in the program. They stress hands-on activities, including, but not limited to, a wide variety of songs, games and crafts.

CHALK prepares children for the leap into school

Teaching is the main goal at CHALK Preschool, and each center focuses on preparing its students for kindergarten, prepping them for a long road of academic success. While the lessons focus on math, science and literacy, a CHALK education reaches beyond the traditional sense. The preschools also work to help young ones perfect their motor skills and help children acquire social skills.

CHALK offers an online program

CHALK Preschool gets a ton of bonus points for spreading knowledge around the world by offering an online preschool option. Parents can login whether or not their child is already enrolled in preschool. The lessons, which are focused around key points like literacy, math, science and more, can be used as bonus learning material for those already in a tradition preschool, or a unique, digital preschool option for those who don’t go to preschool every day. The online version is even free for parents to enroll their children in and use.

CHALK Preschool has a total of five locations spread between Chicago and New York. The first went up in 2005 and popular demand for the program resulted in more and more preschools. Children between the ages of two and five are welcome and the preschool accepts applications year-round, so don’t wait until next year to enroll. Schedule a tour and see if it’s a good fit for your child. Click here to find the closest Chalk Preschool to you.

See more examples of just one day of their online preschool program below.

UPDATE 1/26/15: Chalk’s free site is now available at www.freeonlinepreschool.com

Finding the Perfect Summer Camp for Your Child

Summer camp helps children discover who they are. Each camp is a hands-on learning opportunity that gives kids the chance to explore new activities and interests. From summer camp springs new hobbies, knowledge and solid life experiences. Beyond learning about the outdoors, science or animals, camp is also an excellent way for kids to develop top-notch social skills. But with so many out there, how do you know which one will be the best fit for your little one? Here are some things to consider when hunting for the perfect summer camp for your child:

Cost

Summer camps can get pricey, but that doesn’t mean that you need to spend a fortune to find a quality camp. Before you even begin looking, determine your summer camp budget. Figure out exactly how much you’re willing to spend and look only within your price range. Many go for a few hundred per week, but some can get into the thousands for just one week of camp. Determine your budget to find a summer camp for your child that you can afford.

Interest

Camp is a great opportunity to learn about new topics and get excited about them. That’s why it’s important to choose a camp that aligns with your little one’s passions. If they love running around, playing games, look into a sports camp. If they’re more into painting and coloring, search for art-themed camps. These days, there are camps out there for just about every type of activity so you should be able to find one that aligns well with your child’s interests.

Schedule

Day camps are a great option for parents who have to work all summer. During the school year, your child may have needed before or after school care, but now that it’s summertime, you’re looking for all-day options. Camp is a great alternative, at least for a week or two. Camps come in all shapes and sizes when it comes to schedules, from overnight to day camps to half-day camps. So you can select one that best fits your scheduling needs.

Camp Counselors

Before committing to a camp, you may want to visit with the camp staff, or at least give them a call on the phone. You can even read up on online reviews. Since you’re trusting these counselors with your child, you want to make sure they’re both fun and reliable.

To begin the summer camp hunt, visit MomTrusted.com!

-Photo courtesy of Worakit Sirijinda/freedigitalphotos.net

Iridescent 2014 Bay Area Summer Camp for Little Tinkerers

Shopping around for the best summer camps of the year? Iridescent is one of the leading summer camps for innovation and creation. It inspires children to invent and embrace their passion for engineering. It can even help those who have never explored the world of engineering to find their passion.

Iridescent’s Summer Camp is built for “natural explorers, builders and inventors,” which “channels children’s natural curiosity through carefully designed exploration that will encourage the development of lifelong skills such as persistence and courage.” The camp is offered in three areas, including LA, New York and the Bay Area.

The 2014 Bay Area Summer Camp is open to 3-8 year-olds.  At camp, kids learn about engineering and robots as well as observation of nature, leading to lots of creativity and engineering skills along the way.

Don’t worry if your kids have yet to express interest in the science, technology and engineering world.  Workers at the Bay Area Summer Camp believe that all children are natural builders and explorers. In the past, activities in camp have included nature walks, learning about birds, flying paper airplanes, learning about trees and leaves, building safe animal homes, lizards, robots and many more. Iridescent’s summer camp truly blends nature with the innovations of the modern world.

The day camp runs from July 7 until August 1, lasting all day from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.  Parents and care providers can enroll children for as short or as long as they’d like, but Iridescent recommends a minimum of two weeks and ideally at least four weeks in order for the children to fully benefit from all the learning that the Bay Area Summer Camp has to offer.

Iridescent is a non-profit that heads projects around the globe. These projects are aimed to help inspire and teach children about technology and science, as well as math and engineering. Their goal is to help kids of all ages find inspiration, hone in on newfound skills and achieve great things.

The programs that Iridescent runs are available to kids of all ages, ranging from preschool all the way to working with college engineering program. From summer engineering camp to technology challenges to books and apps, Iridescent has their hands in all parts of innovation and science. The summer camp is a great way for kids to get an introduction to science and technology while having a blast this summer!

Don’t miss the opportunity for your child to explore their creative and innovative sides! Sign up for the Bay Area Summer Camp today.

Photo courtesy of Iridescent

Bridging the Communication Gap Between Parents and Care Providers

Finally! Child care providers can connect more easily with parents, keeping them up-to-date on their children’s day-to-day care with an innovative application called Daily Connect.  The mobile and web application gives parents and care providers the ability to easily record everything from naps, feeding and diapers to mood, activities or sickness. You can even take pictures and record the type of games each child is playing. Parents automatically receive real-time updates via the application and a daily email summary at the end of the day.

Bridging the communication gap between parents and care providers

Child care providers can now connect more easily with parents, keeping them up-to-date on their children’s day-to-day care with Daily Connect. And, because we think this app could be the next tool in every child care provider’s tool belt, we want to offer it to you for {SPECIAL DISCOUNT}

The mobile and web app gives care providers the opportunity to record everything from naps, milestones and diapers to mood, location and temperature. You can even photograph and record the type of games each child is playing.

Daily Connect eases the mind of worried parents, and helps bridge the communication gap between child care provider and parent. Instead of calling to check in, parents can simply view the app, leaving the care provider free to care for the children. This is also a great tool for tracking data over time and helping ease the transition between caregivers during shift switches. Because it’s quick and easy to enter information on Daily Connect, the data will be more accurate than it would be on a traditional, hand-written information daily sheet.

The handy app even has extra features that cater to those managing large child care centers on its web app. Attendance reports and classroom and teacher management help directors of child care centers make sure everyone is where they need to be. Even customize the app with your own company’s branding. Those interested in managing large groups through a Professional Membership get to try their first month for free.

If the idea of getting started in a little daunting and you don’t want to sacrifice the data you’ve already gathered, don’t worry. Daily Connect is happy to help. Simply forward Daily Connect the documents with your children’s information and they’ll upload it into the system, so you’ll be ready to get started in no time.

For iPhones, download the app {instructions and code}

If you’d like it on your iPad, download Daily Connect {instructions and code}

It’s also available for Android phones, as well as on your regular, every-day browser.

The best part? Daily Connect believes in providing the best customer service possible. That means that if you hit any bumps in the road, feel free to reach out, and they’ll give you a hand. In fact, they’re so eager to help that they’ll respond to any and all customer support emails the same day you send them.

Register today!

How Parents Can Use CHALK Preschool

Whether your child is already enrolled in a separate preschool program, starting next year or learning at home until they begin kindergarten, the CHALK Preschool online curriculum can help children expand and enhance their early education for free. All you need is your computer, smartphone or tablet to enroll and get started.

The CHALK Curriculum

CHALK Preschool focuses on preparing preschoolers for kindergarten. Lessons revolve around learning numbers, letters, shapes, sizes, colors, pattern recognition, weather, days of the week and more. The best part? There’s constantly new, challenging material for your little one. With a new lesson list every day, your child can expand his or her knowledge by exploring new games, songs and activities.

The CHALK Learning Approach

Despite being an online program, CHALK Preschool is about much more than sitting in front of a screen, clicking a computer mouse. The curriculum is centered on hands-on learning, involving both indoor and outdoor play and discovery. From art projects to song and dance, CHALK gets little ones up and moving, learning through exploration, the way that they learn best.

Here’s how to use CHALK Preschool to enhance your child’s learning:

1. Enroll

To get started, all you need to do is enter your email information and your child’s name and birthday on CHALK’s website.

2. Select a lesson to focus on.

Choose a topic on the left hand side of the screen. You can opt for dailies, which changes every day, weather, literacy, math and science or art. Each comes with videos, games or activities. Some even feature all three.

3. Print off printables.

Next, check out the printables available on the left side of the screen, under the lesson options. Here you’ll find coloring sheets, graphs and more that your child can draw or write on.

4. Free play!

If your little one still wants to learn and you’ve already covered his or her daily lesson plan, click on the free play link on the top right of the screen. Here, you and your little one can watch videos and learn fun, educational songs to sing along with.

5. Stop by the Parent Portal.

This section of the website, located on the top right of the screen, is completely dedicated to parents like you. Here, you can learn more about the CHALK Preschool program and leave helpful feedback for the staff. You can also head to the advice corner to find helpful tips on everything from teaching about manners to helping smooth out the bedtime routine.