activities

Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Middle Grades 8+

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

This category is new for us but TBH, the toys and games in this age range have upped their game in the last couple of years.

Around ages 8-12, kids make big strides in many areas of development. Their skill refinement allows for:

  • Improved attention, problem solving, and critical thinking
  • The ability to strengthen friendships and resolve conflicts more efficiently
  • Participation in skill-based activities requiring refined motor movements
  • The ability to express themselves more clearly
  • Increased independence and thought

Here are our recommendations for kids 8+:

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Holiday Gift Guide 2024: Preschool and Early Elementary

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

This has got to be the largest list we’ve put together to date, but not just because we love toys.

Kids at this age are achieving key developmental milestones and improving their executive functions, allowing for better focus and memory. As they continue to refine their skills, they enjoy social play, seek friendly competition, pursue independence by testing limits, try new things, and make new friends.

Not only did we pick a ton of toys and games geared towards these age-range skills, but we also chose practical items to encourage independence, and bigger, family-friendly gifts that include your littlest.

Here are our gift picks for kids 3-7:

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Summer To-Do List

| Patti Webb

On Pinterest and Insta, I’ve seen a lot of posts on summer to-do lists. You know, make s’mores, go to the beach, have a barbecue, etc. This is a far cry from my typical summer growing up, which was mostly sitting around while my parents worked or just being parked in front of the tv and out of the way. While summer was great because you didn’t have to go to school, it also meant being lonely and bored most of the time.

In June and July for a working parent, you have to figure out some sort of childcare. For a SAHP, you have to be cruise director all day for two solid months. Not to mention, fending off Summer Slide. I can see why parents really hate extended summer break because the school year has so much more workable structure.

Just like holidays, it really is up to us parents to make summer fun. So with that in mind, here are Mary’s and my summer to-do lists.

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Summer Slide

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

No more pencils, no more books...

For us in Georgia, it’s the last week of school. While our teachers are trying to get ahead of summer learning loss, only 48% of parents have heard of it. So what is it and should parents honestly worry about it?

Summer learning loss (aka summer slide or summer brain drain) is forgetting key information and/or academic skills previously mastered during the seasonal break. It’s most common in the US and Canada since we have lengthier summer recesses compared to other countries. So, while our kids soak up the sun, sleep in, and go on adventures, their education routine takes a back seat. Studies show that an average student loses 17-34% of their prior year’s academic gains over the summer. Kids who fall behind one summer are likely to widen that gap as more time goes on.

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Our Balloon Museum Playdate Review

| Patti Webb

Balloons go hand-in-hand with celebrations. Kids are all over them. So, it felt like a no-brainer to do our next playdate at the Balloon Museum. The Balloon Museum opened Let’s Fly in Atlanta this spring and runs through June 9th. They have more locations in the US and internationally.

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