Education

Kids learn best through play and safe game sites offer the best practice

Erin Sluka
Kids learn best through play and safe game sites offer the best practice

If you have watched your kids grow and learn, it is easy to see what motivates them best. Play that encourages learning is such great practice at subjects, skills, concepts and retention. I know that video games are great for strategy and role play, but we want to limit their time they have on the web. Monitoring their access can be overwhelming. Finding games such as board games, card games and even non-subscription play on-the-go is a great tool at home.

My youngest just became a teenager, so games are still a great way to keep that brain going. We have many board games that help master certain skills for his age and the repetition of some online safe game sites are a great tool as well. I recently discovered one such tool that does require a computer, but not any ads, subscriptions or that will take him outside the platform while playing. Plays.org is such a simple game site that brings together some classic games with engaging characters and all you need to learn and grow.

They have so many categories listed in their footer so it is easy to jump right to a particular genre, subject or skill base. I work in the school district and was a bit excited for the kids as I browsed their Math games. If you have an elementary student, you know that they are huge Among Us fans. It is all they talk about, draw and play on the playgrounds. Guess what? They have an Among Us adding game! Tell me they won’t love learning math now!

One of my favorite classic games for strategy and critical thinking is Chess. Plays.org has a few chess games to choose from like this beginner chess game that helps your child navigate through all the rules of chess with hints, tips and they will learn to play so easily. You can see, we needed the practice and tips on our screenshot above. We did not do so well on our first game. Before long, they can sit with the family and work hard through real chess time on family game night.

I love that these are not ‘saved’ games. There are no tiers, leaderboards or extra add-ons eating at your wallet. Just simply head to their site, choose a game and stop when you want. You don’t even have to give any info at all. It’s just there, like the old-fashioned pick-up game with hundreds of game choices and more added daily. If you love family game nights or card games to play and learn from, having screen options is great when everyone else is busy and they are bored of how they are learning. Grab a deck of flash cards, open up a game box or find a category in Plays.org for them this afternoon!

Parenting

Benefits of Speech Therapy for Children

Erin Sluka
Benefits of Speech Therapy for Children
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Some children need help regarding speech improvement. Once you realize that they don’t reach certain milestones as they get older, they’re a red flag. The good thing is that you can always ask for help from experts for providing through interventions like speech therapy for children. And here are the benefits of speech therapy.

It improves children’s ability to express ideas

Speech problems can be due to several reasons. Some children have physiological issues. For other children, it’s an emotional problem. If it’s the latter, speech therapy can be of significant help. The process helps children improve their ability to express their thoughts and feelings. Once they get used to the process, they will start to speak up. 

Clarify intelligible speech

Some children are eager to express themselves. You might hear them talking all the time, but they’re unintelligible. It’s challenging to understand what they’re saying. Speech therapy teaches children to speak slowly and clearly. They will enunciate the words well until they become intelligible. 

Able to solve problems independently

While speech therapy assists children when speaking, the goal is to teach them to be independent. The coaches will be there to help correct the mistakes. Eventually, they will learn to express ideas without someone offering prompts. The focus of the therapy is only on improving communication, but the concept of independence also applies in other areas. 

Improved swallowing function

Speech issues may also be due to swallowing functions. The problem might not only revolve around talking. Several body parts are part of the speech process. Some of them are also part of other bodily functions, such as digestion. Hence, correcting the speech problems could also lead to improvement in other areas. 

Prepare children for school 

Children should be capable of talking clearly as they get older. When they reach school age, they won’t have a problem communicating with others. Ask speech therapists to help as early as possible to deal with the problem. Otherwise, it might be too late. These speech problems could also be the reason for getting bullied at school. 

Release frustration

Children also get frustrated. We might not be aware that they feel enraged since they have different means of expressing emotions. Most children talk if they dislike something. The problem is if they’re unable to express themselves clearly. They become even more frustrated. Speech therapy allows them to release their feelings. 

Always be there

While speech therapy helps children improve their ability to speak, you have to continue the process at home. Learn from the experts on how to practice at home. With the appropriate techniques, your children can speak clearly. You might also feel frustrated when you don’t see improvements. It takes time, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Even adults have speech issues since they didn’t get help when they were young. 

Keep an optimistic spirit and continue encouraging your children. Once they overcome the challenges, it feels satisfying. They might even excel in other areas after knowing the best techniques to learn.

Children's Books

Kids can read along with Author, Carla Crane Osborne at Gonas Reading Ranch

Erin Sluka
Kids can read along with Author, Carla Crane Osborne at Gonas Reading Ranch

A few months back, we brought you a review of a great children’s book, Under the Barnyard Light (see it here). Author, Carla Crane Osborne wants to engage your children in their love of reading by inviting them and the family to her You Tube channel. This read along and listening channel is called, Gonas Reading Ranch.

There are a few videos to get you started and more coming soon!

  • Read The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen with Carla
  • Meet Daisy, a Ranch Calf in an adorable Farm Babies video
  • Carla introduces her grandchildren and some pets as she reads, Under the Barnyard Light
love of books and animals

See then at Gonas Reading Ranch on You Tube! Immerse your children in the love of reading and farm animals! It is a safe, family-friendly site you can subscribe for them to access anytime. For more about the Author, visit her website, Carla Osborne Books. Also visit Amazon to purchase Under the Barnyard Light! Her new series Go Gona Go! and will be released this fall!

Enter to win! 2 readers will win a copy of Under the Barnyard Light book! See below to enter! Ends July 29,2021.

Parenting

4 Tips to Help Your Aging Parents Stay Happy and Healthy

Erin Sluka

When our parents age it can be a scary thing for us to witness. We are used to seeing our parents be strong, quick, and light on their feet. But when they begin to age, a lot of changes occur. They may slow down or need more help and not necessarily ask for the assistance they need. So, we think it is time to step up and help to keep them happy and healthy, without needing to be asked. Where could you start? We have a few ideas that can help you, help your aging parents.

Get them outside

4 Tips to Help Your Aging Parents Stay Happy and Healthy

One of the best things you can do for most humans is get them outside and into the sun. Vitamin D is a natural mood enhancer and day-changer. Just being outside can make a huge impact. When your parents age, they may not get outside enough because it might not be as easy for them anymore. If you think they may need some assistance, but they don’t want to have to lean on you, get them some walking sticks to help them out. It will make them more mobile, comfortable, and able to do more.

Understand their new needs

As your parents age, new needs will arise and you probably won’t know about all of them in detail. But that is okay, because there are tons of resources out there to help educate and inform you with the knowledge you need to help them out. So, what are some things that may come up? Well, there are lots of common issues they could be facing and one of them is hand shakiness. Know that there are a few essential tremor causes that you should be familiar with, that way you can help them as best as you can, with the daily tasks that may become difficult for them. Take the time to educate yourself and invest time into understanding their new needs.

Call them often

The simplest thing you can do to make your parents happy and keep them perked up is to call them on a daily basis. Even a 60 second phone call can make a difference in their day and in yours too. They will feel special knowing you took the time to call them, and you will feel good knowing that you can care for them like they cared for you. When you talk with them, listen to see if they mention they need something for around the house or see if they could use a pick-me-up. If you learn of something they need, consider ordering it and either having it delivered to them or delivering it to them yourself. Small gestures can go a long way when it comes to caring for your aging parents.

Take care of some essentials

When you were growing up, it is safe to say that they took care of all of your essentials for you. They made it so you somehow always had food on the table and clothes on your back. So now it is time to make sure that you are doing the same for them. Cook for them, clean for them, help them live the best life possible – it’s what they deserve.

It isn’t going to be easy to see your parents change and age. But just be patient with them and with yourself. Be sure to help as best as you can, and they will surely be thankful.