Summer has officially started, and we bet your kids are spending as much time as possible having fun in the sun in your backyard. While many people think of sunscreen primarily as a tool for pool days or beach trips, if kids are spending time outdoors, sun safety should be a concern no matter where they are.

The CDC states that even a few sunburns can increase a child’s risk of skin cancer later in life, but thankfully, there are many ways you can prioritize sun safety anywhere your children are playing outdoors. Keep reading for some of our top tips.

How to Keep Kids Safe From the Sun

Encourage activities in the shade. The best way to stay safe from the sun is by not being exposed to it at all, but that does not mean you have to keep your kiddos indoors! UV rays are the most harmful in the middle of the day, so this is a great time to encourage activities in the shade. If your children are making use of your backyard, you could even consider adding some shade in creative ways if it tends to be on the sunny side.

Always apply sunscreen. Every time children are planning on playing outside, apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before they head out and reapply every two hours. It is best to choose a sunscreen that is at least SPF 30 and contains protection against both UVA and UVB rays. It is also recommended to apply a chapstick that has SPF in it as well to protect the vulnerable skin of the lips.

Let kids pick a sun hat they love. Hats offer great protection to the face, the scalp, the neck and the vulnerable skin on the tops of the ears. Letting your children pick out their own sun hats is a great way to get them excited about wearing one and encourage sun safety at the same time. While ball caps are often a popular choice, encourage them to pick something with a wider brim for extra protection.

For a completely sun-safe activity, indoor drama classes are a great choice! Contact us today to learn more about enrollment options.

Social development is an extremely important part of growing up, and every childhood experience reinforces the things they are learning as they go.

When children are going to school, interacting on the playground or attending playdates, social skills are something they are developing all the time—but what about when you’re experiencing a quiet time in life and your children are at home? The good news is, there are still ways to help your kids build their social skills, even when they aren’t necessarily being social themselves!

Ideas for Building Children’s Social Skills From the Home

Considering the perspectives of others. Watching TV or movies as a family is a great way to spend quality time together, especially when you add in this perspective-building activity. During scenes between characters, hit the pause button and ask your kids to postulate at what the characters are feeling. This allows them to think about perspectives and can help them develop empathy toward others’ experiences.

Get in character. Starting an activity that involves you and your child getting into different characters is a great way to boost his or her social skills and drama skills in one fell swoop. Come up with exciting characters with your child and act out different social scenarios each scene. This is a subtle yet effective way to reinforce etiquette and manners while still allowing your child to guide the game.

Play “Would You Rather?” Playing rounds of “Would You Rather?” is an effective and versatile tool, as you can do this nearly anywhere. Your kids will stay entertained as they weigh the pros and cons of each scenario, and you can encourage them to think through their answers with followup questions for explanations.

Create short story prompts. Make a list of story prompts that involve memories or events your child can tell you about—think topics such as a favorite holiday or best summer memory. Pick a prompt, set a timer and have your child tell a story. Once it is over, provide him or her with a summary to show you were actively listening, and react to specific emotions brought up in the story to provide an example of empathy and understanding.

With our virtual classes, your child can practice drama and social skills from the safety of your home! Contact us to learn more about enrollment options.

Fostering a sense of imagination in children does wonders for their thought processes. Imagination can boost creativity and problem-solving skills—and it is so fun to work on interactive games as a bonding activity, too!

Enrolling your child in activities such as drama classes for kids is a fantastic way to give imaginative thinking a boost, and there are ways to enhance that benefit at home as well.

Here are some of our favorite activities to do with your child that will get his or her imagination into overdrive:

Imagination-Boosting Games for Children

Charades. Charades is a classic—and for good reason. With a nearly limitless supply of prompts to choose from, children can use their imagination to give hints about people, animals, actions and even their favorite fictional characters in this high-energy game.

Surprise ending. Have your child do a retelling of a favorite story, but with a different ending in place. Let your little one really have fun with it—encourage him or her to include crossovers with other characters and wacky scenarios for extra creativity.

Entrepreneur. Encourage your children to design their own business from scratch. They could come up with a fancy restaurant with a full menu of themed dishes or a bakery with a variety of made-up treats. They will have loads of fun coming up with names, designing menus and making sure they are fully prepared for their grand opening.

Box decorating. It is amazing where a large cardboard box and a few markers can take your child! The next time you have an oversized item delivered, be sure to repurpose the box into an entertainment station. It can be as simple or elaborate as your child likes, giving him or her the opportunity to fully create an imaginary universe!

Unconventional puppets. Gather items from around your house that are not puppets, such as paper plates, water bottles, etc.—the more unconventional the better! Have your child create a puppet show using these items in place of traditional hand puppets. He or she is sure to come up with an interesting story!

Are you ready to help your kids boost their imagination? Enrolling them in drama classes for children is one of the best ways! Check out the classes enrolling now for more information.

Between researching healthy snacks and how to best encourage children to exercise, it is safe to say that parents do a lot when it comes to helping their child be as healthy as possible. The good news is, one of the healthiest things that children can do is something that also comes the most natural to them: playing.

Encouraging kids to play, both in active ways such as sports and in creative ways such as acting classes for kids, has a wealth of benefits for them physically and mentally. Read on to learn about the biggest benefits play has for children!

How Play Benefits Children

1. It’s Good for Their Physical and Mental Health
   Getting kids active and moving through playtime is one of the best things you can do for their physical health, and it positively impacts their mental health, too. While playtime is too fun for children to think of it as exercise, active play can present the exact same benefits.
2. It Helps Foster Creativity and Problem-Solving
   Play is an important part of children’s creativity and problem-solving at any age. Whether it is through toddlers learning about the world around them or older children making up games and learning about interacting with others, children’s playtime is one of the most effective ways for them to develop essential life skills.
3. It’s a Fun Way to Cut Down on Screen Time
   An increase in screen time is plaguing children of every age group and has been shown to increase the time it takes for children to learn valuable emotional, language and social skills. Showing children that real-life play is a positive thing can help them step away from the screen because they wantto, not just because they were told to.
4. It Encourages Children to Learn About Themselves
   Children can learn a lot about themselves and their confidence levels by interacting with the world around them, and one of the best ways they can do this is through play. Helping them engage with others in their age range, such as through an after-school activity like drama classes for children, will be a constructive way for them to play andbuild their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Drama classes for kids can help them work on all of these things and more! Contact us today to learn about all the benefits of drama and to get them enrolled.

While drama classes are a fun way to get your child out of the house and practicing a hobby, there are many real-world benefits of enrolling kids in drama classes as well. From boosting their confidence to furthering their public speaking skills, the effects that drama classes have on children do not stop when they leave class for the day.

One of the most practical benefits is that drama can help your children learn about social interactions. By helping them build self-esteem, learn more about themselves, and begin to work as a team, drama classes provide a safe and pressure-free environment for your kids to improve their ability to work and interact with others.

Drama Classes Build Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is one of the most important aspects of a child’s development. Children with high self-esteem have been shown to have more confidence, be more inclined to try new things and be more equipped to deal with setbacks than others.

Drama classes for children are a fantastic way to cultivate self-esteem, as kids will be gently encouraged out of their comfort zone to try new things and experiment with self-expression.

Drama Classes Boost Personal Growth

Another benefit of drama programs for kids is that kids are given the opportunity to “try on” many personas and characters as they perform acting prompts and exercises.  This is wonderful for children, as they are constantly discovering who they are, how they relate to the world around them, and how they relate to others. With the opportunity to explore different traits and characteristics, they can not only begin to understand their own personal qualities but also be more intuitive about the qualities they see in others.

Drama Classes Encourage Teamwork

Because of the group dynamics of drama classes, exercises and prompts often require teamwork. Teaching children how to work together has many benefits, including helping children interpret and respond to others’ needs, practice empathy, and cooperate with others.

Drama classes are both a teamwork-focused and non-competitive environment, allowing kids a safe space to try out new things.

Are you interested in enrolling your child in a fun and developmental drama program? Find a Drama Kids class near you today to enroll your child in our fun and interactive drama classes!