Monday, February 27, 2012

Read Across America


Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.

Now in its fifteenth year, Read Across America focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources. Reading is one of the most important foundations in your child’s academic foundations. Encourage a love of reading by reading to your child every day. It is important to be animated, enthusiastic, and entertaining when you read! Join Kangaroo Kids in promoting a yearlong love of reading by coming in to read at the school. Don’t forget to visit your local library with your family!

For more ideas to celebrate Read Across America http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/dr-seuss-birthday/ or http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Kangaroo Kids Celebrates 100 Days of School!


Kangaroo Kids Prekindergarten under the direction of award winning teacher Misse Turner celebrated 100 days of learning with a very special day! Children in her Prekindergarten class came to school in PJ’s and very original hair do’s! Each family created a poster filled with 100 random objects. Director Kathy Feigley said, “ It was the most creative years ever, as each family filled the posters with an array of materials including 100 marshmallow, 100 sea creatures, and 100 flowers to name a few. One of the strengths of Kangaroo Kids is the partnership with parents and they certainly outdid themselves with this project. “

Misse Turner and assistant teacher Debbie Cooper read books on the 100th day of school, created edible necklaces with 100 fruit loops and searched for 100 stars. Prekindergarten children

certainly enjoyed the day and in the process had an outstanding math lesson!

Kindergarten teacher, Katie Mileto, “Teacher of the Year,” for 2010 celebrated with her class by creating 100 day of school hats and glasses. The children also had an opportunity to explore

and array of math projects including number searches, graphing, and 100 day number challenges.
Upcoming events at Kangaroo Kids will be “Read Across America,” Donuts for Dad, and March tours for September enrollment and summer camp.

For more information about Kangaroo Kids Childcare and Learning Center please call 908-231-7800 or visit our website www.kangarookidschildcare.com or like Kangaroo Kids Child Care on facebook!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Avoid the 3 S's!

Read the food labels and avoid products with high levels of the three-S's according to WebMD:
• Sugar
• Saturated fat (and trans fat)
• Sodium

Friday, February 10, 2012

Child Nutrition and Shopping Tips for Busy Moms

Web Md helps busy Moms with these shopping tips:

Moms today are busy, whether they work in or outside the home (or both). But that doesn't mean that they don't care about feeding their families in the healthiest way possible.
The simplest tip to help your family get more of the nutrients they need -- and fewer nutrients that contribute to disease and weight gain -- is to serve more whole foods and less processed food. Eat fruits and vegetables with every meal. Serve your children healthy, lean protein at most meals.

Because it all starts with what goes into the shopping cart, here are some simple "healthy eating" shopping strategies for busy moms.

What Food to Put in Your Shopping Cart

Here's a list of nutrients that are important for child nutrition and may be deficient in the daily diets of some American children.

Buy Fiber-Filled Foods for Your Child

Fiber promotes digestive health, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, and assists in keeping blood sugar levels normal. Fiber may also help children maintain a healthy weight because it fills you up on fewer calories.
Fiber is found in plant foods, pure and simple. Follow these foods and you'll find all the fiber:
• Vegetables (fresh, frozen, and canned)
• Fruits (fresh, frozen, and canned)
• Beans (dried, canned)
• Edamame (fresh or frozen)
• Nuts and seeds
• Whole grain cereal (hot and cold)
• 100% whole wheat or whole grain bread products
• Whole grain blend pastas
• Whole grain crackers
• Whole wheat tortillas

Pick Up Potassium Power

Potassium is one of the minerals that children today tend not to get enough of, according to recent studies. Potassium works as an electrolyte in the body, helping maintain a healthy balance of water in the blood and body tissues. Potassium also assists in nervous system and muscle function.
Good sources of potassium in the produce section include:
• Artichoke
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Cantaloupe
• Leafy green vegetables (such as beet greens, Swiss chard, broccoli)
• Orange juice
• Prunes and prune juice
• Papaya
• Potatoes with skin
• Tomatoes
Other foods with a lot of potassium include:
• Beans and peas, including lima beans
• Fish, shellfish, and clams
• Low-fat and fat-free dairy
• Nuts (including almonds, brazil nuts, peanuts, soy nuts, and pistachios)

Look for Healthy Protein and Amino Acids

Healthy protein should be included in almost every meal your children eat. The amino acids within protein serve as the building blocks for our body’s cells, according to a report by the Institute of Medicine.
Good sources of protein are animal products and soybeans, which contain all nine amino acids that your body can't make on its own:
• Eggs
• Reduced-fat cheese
• Fish
• Lean meat
• Skinless poultry
• Low-fat milk
• Soybeans and soybean products
• Yogurt
Plant protein sources tend to be deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids. But if you eat the plant proteins on the same day, they complement each other to become complete proteins in your body.
• Beans
• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetables
• Whole grains

Be sure your children eat omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are particularly important for infants and young children because they help neurological development and growth, according to the Institute of Medicine. Monounsaturated fats improve insulin sensitivity and help reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

These foods are excellent sources of omega-3s or monounsaturated fat:
• Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, anchovies
• Eggs with omega-3
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Olive oil
• Canola oil
• Ground flaxseed
• Products that use liquid olive oil or canola oil (certain margarines, salad dressings, bottled or prepared sauces, and baked goods, for example)

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

Want your child to accept baked potatoes instead of fries, and to prefer milk to sugary soft drinks? Then you must, too, stated to Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD

"Studies show that children adopt their parents' eating habits starting early in life," says Melinda Johnson, MS, RD, a pediatric nutrition expert and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "Don't expect your child to eat better than you do."

Little ones love to imitate adults, and they will mimic your eating habits, whether they are good or in need of improvement. Capitalize on a youngster's natural curiosity by substituting healthier foods at the dinner table. Chances are, he'll have what you're having, and you'll be broadening his food horizons while arousing a minimum of suspicion.

Here are some suggested offered by Ward for stand-ins that offer variety and good nutrition:
• Couscous instead of white rice
• Sweet potatoes for white potatoes
• Canadian bacon for bacon
• Mashed potatoes made with reduced-fat milk for french fries
• Fig bars for high-fat cookies
• Tube yogurt (freeze first for easier handling) for ice cream
• Reduced-fat cheddar for regular cheese.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

What's On The Menu?

Preschoolers are active, spirited tykes. And while they're generally adorable and fun, it's perfectly normal for 3, 4, and 5-year-olds to be opinionated -- especially about eating, according to Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD

Here's some advice from the she presents from the experts on how to avoid preschool food fights.

What's On the Menu?

"Preschoolers can eat what the rest of the family eats," says Melinda Johnson, MS, RD, a pediatric nutrition expert and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. That's provided family meals feature a variety of healthy foods, in moderation.
Depending on his or her age, an active preschooler's energy needs rival those of some grown women. While there's no need to track a youngster's calorie consumption, it is important to make calories count.

A young child's eating plan should consist mostly of healthy foods, such as lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, and legumes; whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread and cereals; at least two servings of dairy foods daily; and fresh or lightly processed fruits and vegetables.
There is room for treats, but it's limited, says Kathy Mitchell, MD, a practicing pediatrician at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Watertown, Mass.
"Keep junk foods like cookies and candy out of the house to reduce temptation," she advises. "But don't go overboard. Kids can become intensely attracted to forbidden foods."

Make Time for Meals

Regular family meals provide opportunities for good nutrition, and much more. Dining together encourages proper table manners and fosters language development and conversational skills. When you minimize distractions by turning off the TV and turning on the answering machine, you show your child that mealtime is reserved for savoring healthy food and nurturing meaningful relationships.
While the ritual of regular meals is comforting to kids, dining with preschoolers can be chaotic and messy. Expect spills and some sloppy eating as your youngster hones his self-feeding skills. Refrain from being a "clean freak" to minimize mealtime stress.
"Being too strict about neatness at the dinner table may cause your little one to feel bad about knocking over his milk or getting food on his clothes," Johnson says.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Healthy Eating For Young Children

February is good nutrition month at Kangaroo Kids. Children are learning about healthy foods! They will have an opportunity to taste different fruits and vegetables, to graph their favorite healthy foods, and to create their very own healthy necklace. The necklace is a great project to do at home! The only materials you will need are a box of cheerios or fruit loops and some vinyl lacing string. Your child will have a healthy snack to munch on and at the same time you will be developing their fine motor skills. You can also add a math lesson in one to one correspondence by counting as your child strings each cheerio!