A to Z: Developing Hobbies

People often need a constructive distraction from the pressures of daily life. Deadline-free in nature, hobbies are a great solution because they allow participants to engage in the activity at their own pace. Encouraging your child to pursue a hobby is a great way to build upon skills and reinforce concepts learned in the classroom and at home. For example, collection hobbies require patience and observance. Craft hobbies, such as modeling or sewing, require fine motor skills and an element of creativity. Even if your child has yet to master fine motor skills or has trouble with being patient, hobbies are a great opportunity for children to engage in an interest with no outside pressure, while subconsciously honing specific skills.

Introducing your child to a new pastime also creates the potential for bonding. Does your child show an interest in a hobby of yours, or simply a desire to be near you? If so, take the opportunity to include your child in your favorite pastime. Doing this not only allows you and your child to spend more time together, but also allows you to pass down specific knowledge.

Another great benefit of hobbies is that many are relatively cheap. Collection hobbies, such as stamp or coin collecting, simply require that the participant be watchful and learn to look for the items in the spare change jar or pile of discarded envelopes. Even if you are not experienced in a hobby that your child takes an interest in, resources such as YouTube, Pinterest, and books from your local library can quickly educate you and your child about a particular activity. Here are a few basic hobby ideas:

Birdwatching

Natural Collecting (rocks, leaves, etc.)

Meteorology

Astronomy

Gardening

Stamp Collecting

Coin Collecting

Model Building

Cooking

Photography or Filmmaking

Crafting (knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitch, etc.)

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by All Womens Talk  

A to Z: 10 DIY, Non-Scary Halloween Costumes

Halloween is only two weeks away! Still need to find a costume for your child? Here are ten non-scary, clever costumes that you and your child can create together without breaking the bank!

Garden Gnome

  

Pippi Longstocking

Alice in Wonderland

The Lorax

 Dwight Schrute

Where the Wild Things Are

Crayola Crayons

Where's Waldo

Mary Poppins and Bert the Chimney Sweep

Ninja Turtle

 

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by Free Halloween Images, Pinterest, Modern Kiddo, Mommy Shorts, Pottery Barn Kids, Costume Works, Zeppy, & The 36th Avenue

FRIDAY FOLDER: August 28

Weekly Highlights:

North Tustin Campus

 

Anaheim Hills Campus

Historic Anaheim Campus

 Fairmont Preparatory Campus

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

FRIDAY FOLDER: august 14

Memories of 2015's "Surf's Up" Summer Camp

 

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools 

FRIDAY FOLDER: august 7

Highlights of the Week:

Fairmont summer campers enjoy the last week of camp

Fairmont Summer Programs has concluded this year's 'Surf's Up' summer camp! During the final week of camp, students enjoyed Swim Day, knocked down pins at the bowling ally, dressed up for Superhero Day, and celebrated during on-campus parties.

Fairmont has enjoyed spending the summer with your child! To see more photos from this summer, visit Fairmont's Flickr and Facebook pages!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools 

 

HOW TO: apps that introduce kids to coding

The need for children to be “tech-savvy” is becoming more apparent as technology continues progressing at such a rapid pace. Beyond inspiring future career paths, introducing children to coding opens the window to a new way of thinking in regards to solving problems, nurturing creativity, and completing projects.

Engaging in age-appropriate computer programming also enables children to gain confidence in embracing new technology by helping them understand how technology works and the processes involved in developing it.

The following apps offer children simple and kid-friendly opportunities to become familiar with coding.

Scratch
Designed specifically for children, Scratch was created by MIT students and staff.

ScratchJr
 (iPad)
Introduces coding to children as young as five-years-old.

Tynker
(Web)
An effective tool for teaching programming.

Hopscotch
(iPad)
This is a great tool to help students without coding experience gain confidence in the basics of programming, logical thinking, and problem-solving.

Daisy the Dinosaur
(iPad)
This provides an easy introduction to programming for younger students. 

Contributed by Doug Fleischli, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by ibtimes

FRIDAY FOLDER: july 31

Highlights of the Week:

 

Historic Anaheim campers dress up like nerds, show off their talents, and stay cool with water balloon games!

 

 

 Anaheim Hills campers enjoy snacks and dress up like nerds!

North Tustin campers love Swim Day!

With only one week of summer camp left, Fairmont Summer Programs is still going strong! Week eight was filled with excitement as campers enjoyed Swim Day, ate Wipe-Out Nachos, performed in the talent shows, and dressed up for Nerd Day! Campers also went on the last field trip of the summer to Knott's Berry Farm! 

Week nine will conclude summer camp with a bowling excursion, Under-the-Sea Cakes, Superhero dress up day, and an on-campus party!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

HOW TO: prepare for back-to-school

With family vacations and lazy days by the pool coming to an end, the new school year is just around the corner. Here are some great tips to prepare you family for the back-to-school routine:

1. Sleeping Schedule - Children love summer because of the relaxed bedtime schedule. To encourage a school year bedtime, try getting children to bed early and setting their alarms for a school morning two weeks before the start of school. This will help children acclimate to the new sleeping routine that’s sure to start with the new school year.
2. Family Calendar - Before school starts, gather as much information about sports schedules, class times, special events, etc. and outline everyone’s schedule on a calendar posted in a highly trafficked area of the house. Develop a color-coding system using highlighters or colored pens to help make dates and times clear for each family member. Tech-centered families can use calendar apps, such as iCloud Calendar, Google Calendars, or Sunrise Calendar, to seamlessly coordinate and synchronize schedules.
3. Streamline Cooking - Gear up for back-to-school season by making freezer meals one-to-two weeks before the start of the school year. Prepare as many healthy meals as possible before the new schedule sets in. Don’t forget that freezer meals are not just for dinner, but breakfast, too! Check out Fairmont’s Snacktime Pinterest board for great freezer meal ideas!
4. Fall Cleaning - Start the school year off with a clean house! After the upheaval of family vacations and summer activities, take time to put away all items and clothes that won’t be necessary during the fall and winter months. Clean up areas of the house that become easily cluttered, and try out a new organizing system with color-coded paper files, whiteboards, storage bins, etc. Don’t forget to clean out the family car before carting kids to and from school and events.

Taking the time to prepare your family and home before the back-to-school rush will help make a smooth transition into the school year!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Image by HAAN