Easter Giveaway

While the focus of gift-giving holidays may take place in winter, however the spring has its fair share of things to celebrate. For many people, Easter is the next major holiday and it can be a great time for parents to share stories with their children while also sharing something a little special as well.

Easter coincides with the beginning of spring, and with good reason. Parents can use this meaningful holiday to emphasize the circle of life and to relay other messages, but like many other holidays it can be a great opportunity to take advantage of storytelling.

Strapped for Easter gift ideas? KD Novelties is having an Easter Giveaway. Enter to win a variety of Easter gifts that are sure to make any Easter basket complete. In the giveaway, KD Novelties will include The Cottontail Mystery personalized book, an Easter Bunny plush and an Easter bucket as well. Not only do the prizes have your Easter gift-giving work cut out for you, but the giveaway helps to promote literacy as well. With personalized books like The Cottontail Mystery, kids can embark on their own adventure alongside the Easter Bunny himself. Full of springtime charm, this book uses puzzles and other sorts of clues to engage kids in a mystery surrounding the Easter Bunny. By personalizing the book, the story becomes more immersive and interesting, especially for kids who may not otherwise like reading or need a little extra push to do so.

Personalized books have proven to be a great gateway to reading other books and promoting a general interest in reading and learning, even among reluctant readers. With The Cottontail Mystery and a basketful of Easter goodies in tow, your child will be ready to take on the springtime weather and wait for the furry bunny of the hour to finally arrive on Easter morning!

Bedtime Story Starters

Reading is a key skill for children to have, and one of the best ways they can develop their language skills is to listen. Reading books can be a great way to share stories and telling stories can have just as much of an impact on your child’s imagination and their ability to develop listening skills. Listening is not the same as reading, but speaking to your child acquaints them with language and helps them identify things like tone and subject matter while also improving their overall vocabulary.

Telling a story before bed is a great way to keep kids calm and still before drifting off to sleep. Some of these tips and tricks can help you keep your child’s attention while also guaranteeing that you tell a story that they’re interested in.

Appeal to an Interest

Whether you make your child’s favorite toy the main character of the tale or make the local park the story’s setting, populating a bedtime story with things that your child is already interested in and familiar with can be a great launching-off point.

Keep it Simple

There’s no need to be elaborate or complicated, and too many twist and turns can actually be distracting. Telling a straightforward story is a better way to keep your kid’s attention. The more engaged they are, the quieter they’ll be and the more likely they’ll be able to follow the story in order to fully listen.

Share Your Favorites

Folk tales, fairy tales, or even sharing remixed versions of your favorite age-appropriate books or movies can make for some interesting storytelling. Have fun with it and see how your kids react. They may become more interested if they know that you’re sharing a story you love with them, and you may be able to bond over a shared love of the same story. If you have a particular folk tale or story that is unique to your familial background, nationality, or ethnicity, story time can also provide your child with an opportunity to connect with their heritage as well.

Try to Teach a Lesson

Parents can also try to take advantage of story time to help encourage kids to learn and grow, or even overcome their fears. If your child is having trouble with potty training, make up a story about another little girl or boy with the same problem who eventually learns to overcome their obstacles. You can even feature some of their favorite characters from TV shows or movies to make the story more appealing to them while also helping them feel more connected to the story and to themselves, too. Personalize it for them! A personalized potty training book will sure jumpstart the process and help them overcome much faster.

Teamwork

If you’re pressed for story ideas, ask kids for suggestions. They may even end up telling you a story they made up themselves! You can also try tag teaming each other, sharing in the storytelling process or taking cues along the way.

Look to History and Mythology

Some folk tales are tried and true, but can get old after a while. Most kids know about Goldilocks or the Three Little Pigs, but they may not know about mythical figures and tales from other, older cultures. Look to Greek, Egyptian, Chinese, and other ancient civilizations for unique tales. You may even find different, and interesting, versions of tales you are already familiar with like Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast. Many cultures share similar stories and fairy tales, so even looking for different versions of yours or your child’s favorites complete with unique twists and differences can prove to make an interesting bedtime adventure.

Where Do Dreams Come From? personalized bedtime storybook

Your Child is the Star

Personalized books published by KD Novelties can make your child the main character of their own adventure. Insert them into a story you already know they love, or you can make up something that is completely new and exciting. Your child may even have some suggestions and join in on the fun!

 

Raising a Globally Minded Child

As our world exponentially grows more interconnected and multicultural than ever, it is important that children are raised with an open mind. Depending on where you live and how far you are from a city center, the need to diversify your mindset may not always be at the forefront of your mind, but it can be eye opening just the same. For parents, having a globally minded child can spell success. Not only can it open them up to new concepts and ideas, but it can also help them empathize and connect with others on a more personal level as well.

Becoming more globally aware is beneficial for people of all ages, however some people may not realize just how important world events, world views, and even social interaction and cultural practices can have on their lives.

According to Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, an international careers expert, globally minded children are curious, open-minded and aware of the world around them. This can help open doors to better learning, more effective critical thinking, wider socialization, and a deeper understanding for different kinds of people no matter where they’re from. “Children need to be appreciative and understand each other and not be afraid of each other,” Berdan adds.

Additionally, according to the American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages, a survey found that 98% of parents believe that children should learn a second language, as early as possible, 69% agreed that being proficient in a second language is important to a successful career today, 83% percent agreed it would be important in 5 years and 84% percent agreed that having a global mindset is important to careers today.

Evidently, one of the most common ways of raising a globally minded child is to learn a foreign language. If a parent, guardian, or family member speaks another language, or if you are originally from another country with a national language other than English, it is highly recommended that children grow up bilingual. According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, kids who are bilingual experience more positive effects on their intellectual growth, are more flexible thinkers, are sensitive to language and different modes of understanding, while also opening the door to other cultures and even more job opportunities.

Traveling is also a great way to expose your child to different things. Whether you can travel to another country or are only able to make it to a more diverse metropolitan area, introducing your kids to different cultural activities, history, cuisine and other things can help to open their minds and inspire their curiosity. Exposing children to diverse cultures from an early age can be incredibly beneficial and it can open their minds up as they grow older, leaving little room for prejudice or preemptive judgment since they will be more familiar with lifestyles and customs that are different from their own.

Reading is another great way to promote exposure, especially if you are unable to travel. Reading allows you to explore and discover other places, cultures, and languages from the comfort of your own home. For children, however, this can be extra beneficial since it can help inspire a more general love of reading and learning as well. But books are special for other reasons, too. Books, especially fiction, can place kids in someone else’s shoes, allowing them not only the opportunity for exposure, but providing them with a more intimate glimpse into the life and culture of someone else.

Getting involved with your own community is important, too. Thinking big also demands that you think on a smaller scale as well. Exposing your child to compassion, community, and caring on all different levels can help groom them to become more open-minded and considerate individuals, as they get older. For children to be globally minded, it starts with the parents in the home. Look at all the ways in which you can learn and improve, yourself, and find ways to experience new things as a family. Not only will you be learning together, but you will all be growing together as well.