Kids Love to Dance!

Kids love moving to music and there can be nothing more fun than dancing! Whether your child is in formal ballet lessons or just likes jamming out with the family to your favorite tunes, there's no doubt that a love of dance is a fantastic way for kids to have fun, express their creativity and exercise!!

If you're looking for some illustrative books that inspire and invoke the imagination of dance and movement for your little ones, here's our top list. These colorful stories will delight children that love to step, twirl, plie and jump! 

Baby Dance by Ann Taylor is a perfect book for reading aloud or dancing to! Ages: 0-2

I Can Dance by Betsy Snyder is an interactive board book with cut holes so kids can use their fingers to get into the dance groove. A great way to add fun into story time. Ages 1-3

Do Princesses Boogie? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle is a fun, rhythmic, read-aloud book that will have your child dancing along. Ages 3-5

Kitchen Dance by Maurie Manning is a celebration of family dancing together and is one of our favorite books for young readers. Ages 3-6

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle is a wordless picture book about a girls amazing interaction with a flamingo. Fans of Flora will love this and the whole series. Ages 3-7

Thunderstorm Dancing by Katrina Germein is an energetic story that will get everyone moving the next time they hear thunder in the distance. Ages 4-7

Ruby Rose Off to School She Goes by Rob Sanders is full of silly humor and esxaggerated fun, your dance-loving kids will love this book. Ages 4-8

Dance Is For Everyone by Andrea Zuill is larger than life and full of laughs. The book celebrates passion wherever it may lie. Ages 4-8

Other favorites for ages 4-8: My Mama Had a Dancing Heart, Dancing in the Wings, Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance, Brontorina, Deer Dancer, Jingle Dancer, Suki's Kimono, Firebird.

Happy dancing and reading everyone!  

Prenatal Vitamins May Make Your Children Cleverer

A new study led by a research team at Harvard University has reported that taking multivitamins during pregnancy can "add the equivalent of up to a full year of schooling to a child's cognitive abilities." 

The results also found that early life factors including a nurturing environment was very important for a child's intellectual development including educational achievement and fine motor dexterity. 

The multivitamins studied contained iron, folic acid, retinol, vitamin D, vitamin E, ascorbic acid, vitamin B, niacin, zinc, copper, selenium and iodine. Maternal supplementation aided children's procedural memory by an additional 1/2 year of schooling and for anemic mothers, the effect equalled one year of extra schooling. 

In conclusion, the most impactful factors on a child's cognitive ability that trump biological factors include: nurturing home environment, parental happiness, parental education, socio-economic status. 

The research was published in the journal The Lancet Global Health. 

Raising Rocket Scientists

"I consider myself a hero. I don't have a cape, I don't have a golden lasso. I had a call to adventure, a call to live life bigger than myself. I found the elixir." ~ Viola Davis

Here is the curated list for that girl in your life that you were looking for. It's never too early to start empowering girls to be leaders and creators, have you considered creating a Parent Book Club to help foster community building? Community encouragement goes a long way in supporting our children in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

Read the full article in Huff Post on gift ideas for raising a rocket scientist (gifts aren't just for holidays): Want Tp Raise A Rocket Scientist?

To our children's futures! 

Favourite Books about Children and their Grandparents

In recognition of this week's celebration of grandparents and all of the love and joy they bring to our lives and those of our children, we've showcased our favorite books about children and their grandparents. From classics like "When I Was Young in the Mountains" to new favorites such as "How to Babysit a Grandma," these books show the love between the generations whether grandparents are part of their grandkids' day-to-day lives or a visit with them is a special treat!

Her are our recommendations for children -- as well as grandparents themselves: 

Joone

The Hello, Goodbye Windeow

Grandma Lena's Big Ol' Turnip

Grandfather Tang's Story

Our Granny

Abuela

The Wednesday Surprise

How To Babysit a Grandma

The Bee Tree

Emily's Tiger

Yiayia Visits Amalia

Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin

Grandma's Gloves

Roald Dahl, Children's Book Author

Happy 100th birthday to Roald Dahl, who is widely considered one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century! The British author once said, "I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn't be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage." 

We at Gingerbread House Daycare couldn't agree more!

The Importance of Books

For many children, there is nothing more exciting than discovering the wonder of books -- first on the lap of a parent and later as an independent reader exploring worlds of the imagination! In celebration of the joys of reading and literacy, Gingerbread House Daycare makes weekly trips to the local library in an effort to celebrate the value that books bring to our lives, and the incredible joy and pride that comes with learning the critical skill of reading.