Summer Fun

Summertime affords more opportunities for playing outside. But those opportunities do come with precautions.

Take These Precautions

July and August are hot months here in Tennessee. Sometimes, playing outside can be torturous and even dangerous for young children who dehydrate more quickly than adults. Take these precautions before allowing children to play outside:

• Check for heat advisories and plan indoor activities if one is in effect.
• Apply a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. (Many dermatologists prefer physical sunscreens made of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.)
• Have plenty of drinking water available.

Playing in the Water Inside

If it’s too hot to go outside, try a water activity inside. Although this is a little trickier because of the potential mess, all you need is water, different-sized plastic containers, funnels, scoops, dippers, spoons, sponges, sieves, etc. Young children will have a great sensory experience investigating size, depth, width, absorbency, and practicing pouring, transferring, and scooping. (You might want to put some plastic sheeting down and have some towels handy too.)

Playing in the Water Outside

When the temperature is not too high to play outside, adding water to the mix doubles the fun. Of course, swimming pools are a favorite of children and adults alike. But just spraying children with a hose or letting them run through a sprinkler is still a great treat for kids. Even backyard wading pools are fun for toddlers. And don’t forget water guns! Other water activities include:

• playing catch with water balloons
• filling watering cans to water flowers and shrubs
• playing “car wash” with tricycles and bicycles

Playing at Learning Zone This Summer

Whether it’s inside or outside, at Learning Zone, we can guarantee that we’ll be having some fun this summer at our Learning Zone preschools in Murfreesboro, TN. Watch for more information about our new Learning Zone preschool in Nashville that is opening in the fall.