8 Family-Friendly Ways to Welcome Springtime

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Spring is almost here, and our team at Drama Kids International is ready to bid farewell to winter! In honor of the upcoming season, we thought it would be great to share some family-friendly springtime activities with you!

  1. Break out the outdoor toys. Spring brings warmer temperatures around, making it a great time to begin embracing outdoor life with your family. Get the bubbles out, start bouncing on the trampoline again, hit the playground and swing to your heart’s content!
  2. Have a spring scavenger hunt. With the changing of the seasons comes a whole new world for your child to explore! Create a scavenger hunt centered around nature, looking out for blooming flowers, birds’ nests and baby critters!
  3. Start planning your garden. It may still be too soon to start planting your garden, but your family can take some time to discuss and plan out what will go in this year’s garden! You can even enjoy outdoor time and start prepping the area for planting season. Be sure to include some veggies in your garden, so that you can build healthy eating habits in your kids!
  4. Make a bird feeder. Spring is a time to enjoy nature’s beauty, and making a bird feeder with your kids is a great way for them to embrace their creative side and ultimately enjoy gazing at our feathered friends!
  5. Visit a farmers’ market. Farmers’ markets begin to “spring” to life during this new season, and a trip to one can be an exciting adventure with your family on the weekends! Enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies and teach your child about supporting small local businesses at the same time!
  6. Have a picnic. Is there anything better than enjoying a sunny Saturday at your local park? Yes—enjoying that Saturday at the park with some delicious goodies! Pack up your picnic basket, grab the family and head to the park!
  7. Paint rocks. Painting rocks has become a popular hobby for many and is something that your artists-in-residence children will love! Let them decorate some rocks for the garden or leave them as a special surprise at a family member or friend’s house!
  8. Go stargazing. Once the chill of winter has fully moved on, taking in the night sky and pointing out various constellations to your kids is a great way to both educate and inspire them!

We hope that this list of springtime ideas blossoms into enjoyable activities for your family to enjoy! Don’t forget that summer is coming up quick, and the time to start thinking about enrolling your child in a Drama Kids International summer camp is now! Contact your local DKI to find out about the programs they’ll be offering and take advantage of any early bird discounts they may have!

5 Ways Parents Can Help Boost a Child’s Self-Esteem

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Helping boost your child’s self-esteem is one of the greatest and most beneficial things a parent can do! At Drama Kids International, we specialize in helping children develop and grow life skills such as creative thinking, leadership, and public speaking, as well as helping them discover ways to build up their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Since much of the real work is done at home, we thought it would be beneficial to share some ways parents can help boost their child’s self-esteem!  Here are some things to take into consideration:

 Don’t jump into rescue mode too often. We all want to be there to fix our childrens’ problems and make sure that their struggles in life are limited, but it’s important to allow them to face difficult experiences from time to time without playing the rescuer. By constantly rescuing your kids, you aren’t doing them any favors later in adulthood. Also, by allowing them to experience a trying situation, you are helping them become more empowered, which can be directly linked to their self-esteem.

 It’s not always about praise. In 2017, researchers discovered that lavish praise is not the best way to build up a child’s self-esteem, but that instead, warmth is the key. Instead of inflated praise, children who experience warmth and encouragement from their parents have been found to have higher levels of self-esteem.

 Make sure they feel loved and accepted. Yes, we know this is a no-brainer, but it’s still worth discussing! A child that feels loved and accepted is one who flourishes, so make sure that you are finding ways to express that love, without distractions, daily.

Encourage their talents. All children have something they are good at and something that they would like to improve on. Parents can encourage them to embrace those talents, and also spend some quality time with their child to help them get even better!

 Don’t do everything for them. It’s natural to want to take care of your kids and cater to their needs, but a parent’s role is not to be their maid or waitress. If you do too much for your children, their drive and initiative could suffer. We want to raise responsible, independent children, and that cannot be obtained by waiting on them hand and foot. If your children can get their own breakfast or lunch ready, let them – encourage and embrace their abilities and begin nurturing that independence.

We all know the major role self-esteem plays in our lives and how important it is for children to develop a strong self-esteem early on in life. Without self-confidence and self-esteem, children are left vulnerable to a world that can often be more cruel than it is kind.

Along with your excellent parenting skills, Drama Kids International is able to step up and help your child build up that self-esteem through our specialized drama classes. Come find out why the “difference is dramatic” today!