Daytripping
DAYTRIPPING
With summer just around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan for a day or a weekend away with your little one(s)! Whether it is a fun ride with family to lull an infant to sleep in the car seat or an adventure with preschoolers, there are many local attractions nearby!
- Take a ride through the covered bridges of Pennsylvania to absorb some history for the adults and soothe infants into a peaceful slumber. Visit the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society to plan your route: buckscountycbs.org
- Enjoy the display of flowers, trees, fountains and architecture at Longwood Gardens. Late summer is ideal to take advantage of the sites in full bloom. www.longwoodgardens.org
- Collect seashells, soak up the sun, enjoy the amusement rides and games, and check out the aquarium at Jenkinson’s pier in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. www.jenkisons.com
- For a quick ride, check out Kids Castle, an amazing playground located in Doylestown, PA. www.savekidscastle.org
- Is your little one obsessed with cars, and trucks, and things that go? Check out Diggerland, the only construction theme & water park amusement complex in West Berlin, NJ-just 20 miles from Philadelphia! www.store.diggerlandusa.com
- Love to explore nature? Check out Churchville Nature Center, an environmental area of 65 acres in a nature preserve. www.churchvillenaturecenter.org
- Keeping in the same vein, check out Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed in New Jersey, a 265 square mile area crossing 5 counties. www.thewatershed.org
- Adult libations paired with a petting zoo are available at ShadyBrook Farm during their Friday night, “Music on the Patio” series. www.shadybrookfarm.com
- Looking for a “pick your own” farm experience, check out Terhune Orchards, a 250 acre sustainable farm in Princeton, NJ. www.terhuneorchards.com
- For the animal lovers, check out the llama farm & events at Woodsedge Farm in Stockton, NJ. www.woodsedge.com
- Animals, farming, and history prevail at Howell Farm in Lambertville, NJ. Check out their events at www.howellfarm.org/calendar Sheep shearing, corn planting, and hog slopping are some of the upcoming events.
- For the art lovers, check out the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA. This is one of 5 locations throughout the US. www.crayolaexperience.com
- To accommodate the youngest to the eldest in your group, try American Dream, an amazing mall in East Rutherford, NJ. This state-of-the art complex offers mini golf, an aquarium, indoor surfing, Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, indoor ski resort, Legoland, water park, ice skating rink, and more! www.americandream.com
- For the blossoming engineer, check out Legoland Discovery Center in Philadelphia. www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/philadelphia
- Animal lovers can enjoy a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo. www.philadelphiazoo.org
- For the tactile-kinesthetic explorer, try the Please Touch Museum, a museum designed specifically for children to allow them to play with purpose and use their imagination. www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
- An amusement park specifically designed for small children is Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA. www.dutchwonderland.com
- For those learning about nursery rhymes and classic children’s characters, a great day out may be had at Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. www.storybookland.com
- Looking to get some energy released indoors, try Playpad, Bucks County’s 5,000 square foot indoor play space for children up to age 9. www.playpadbucks.com
- Sesame Place is always a great day out that is close to home in neighboring Langhorne, PA. www.sesameplace.com
This is just a small glimpse of the many things that our area has to offer. Whether you have one of these destinations in mind, an alternate destination, or just taking a ride in the country, spending time engaging with your child/dren is a great way to support social-emotional learning and create bonds to last a lifetime.
Our two main locations are in Newtown and Warrington and we support the Doylestown area.
Babysitting Co-ops
Babysitting Co-ops
A very common question in any childcare center . . . “Do you know anyone that babysits?” While some early childhood programs do allow babysitting by staff and teachers, other programs do not permit this at all. What is a viable solution to this dilemma? The answer may be simple (contingent upon the neighborhood in which you live). Start a babysitting co-op!
What is a babysitting co-op? It is an enterprise, business or group of people that manage and operate a particular service. In this case, it would be babysitting. Instead of a paid service, a co-op would allow families to provide free babysitting for other families and have the favor returned.
Creating a co-op ensures that you are partnering with like-minded individuals. You do not have to rely on a stranger or outside agency as your child or children would be cared for by other parents. Experience is a guarantee! It’s also a great way to promote social interaction for your own child or children.
Take the initiative to start a co-op if there is not one nearby. You can do this without pricey advertising. Social media platforms can spread the word readily. This can be done on local parenting groups sites. You may even be able to partner with your local early childhood programs to have them spread the word on the school’s site or social media platforms. You can also go “old school” and print flyers to post at the local library, ice cream shops, grocery stores, or shops catering to young children.
There are a few things to consider:
- You must be able to track time: either a point system, time-reward system, spreadsheet, etc. of those providing the service. For example, do you receive 10 points for every half hour? What is the point system if you surpass the half hour mark? Do you receive the full point amount after the half hour or a fraction?
- The system needs to be in a centralized location to allow members to see if they need to offer time to babysit to increase their points, chips, etc. or to see if they have enough to acquire babysitting services. The system would also need to have each member’s contact information.
- Does one person maintain the tracking system and contact information or is this responsibility shared with the group? If it is shared, how often is one responsible for this upkeep?
- Determine the value of services offered. For example, will households with more than one child need to accumulate more points for services than a household with one child. Does someone babysitting 3 children accumulate more points than someone babysitting one child? Do holidays or late nights accumulate a greater number of credits?
- Is there a required notification period for requesting a sitter?
- What are the requirements for joining the co-op? Do you have to be recommended by another family?
While this may seem like a huge undertaking, once established a babysitting co-op could create lifelong friendships and partnerships, promote socialization for both children and adults, and establish a true community. Like the old adage states, “It takes a village to raise a child!”
Do You Know a Fall Guy (or Gal)?
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It’s never easy for a teacher or school administrator to tell a parent that his/her child took a fall while at school; however, in the world of infants and toddlers it is an everyday occurrence. The statistics are staggering, but it is reassuring that it is completely appropriate and part of development.
In a study of 130 children conducted several years back, it was found that toddlers ages 12 months to 19 months fall an average of 17 times an hour. At the onset of walking, the number of falls increases to 69 times an hour. Thankfully, being so low to the ground and having such great flexibility makes these falls relatively easy to overcome.
Once the walking has become part of daily living, two year olds become much more confident and exhibit little fear. The result? An even greater number of falls. The average two year old falls 38 times per day. With time and practice, this number lessens. Pediatricians consider it within the norm to have children fall all the way up to age 4!
Why does this occur? There are several reasons. Due to the rapid rate of growth,children outgrow shoes quite quickly. If shoes are not fitted properly, this can be an issue. Additionally, sudden growth spurts means having to re-learn balance and finding a new center of gravity. Finally, most toddlers are farsighted, creating issues with depth perception. This may cause toddlers to overstep or misjudge distance.
To limit the number of injuries due to falls, be sure to check corners and furniture stability. Keep all cords, drawers, and appliances out of reach. Check the fit of all shoes, use non-slip socks or go barefoot in the home. Good traction equals good mobility. And . . . most importantly, try not to overreact. Strong reactions can create fear.
Remember the struggle to learn how to skate or ski. With practice and determination you were able to conquer the task; your little one will learn proficiency over time, too!
