Survey moms feel need to foster kids creativity

Swim lessons and summer camp aren't the only activities that parents will encourage their kids to take on this summer break. According to mothers of grade-school-aged children surveyed by Parenting® magazine's MomConnections®, more than 75 percent of moms say they feel responsible for fostering their kids' creativity.

Creative Products

Cheryl Wilbur, market researcher at Parenting magazine, says, "For the last couple of years, we have been seeing a trend toward mothers embracing and purchasing simple yet effective creative tools that allow their children's imaginations to soar."

Mothers are looking for supplies that help unleash their kids' creativity, and the basics are winning out. The Parenting magazine survey reported that nearly one-fifth of mothers purchase paint and more than one-fourth purchase markers to aid their kids' creative inspiration.

Parents won't have to look far this summer in their pursuit for new, easy-to-use arts and crafts products for kids and teens on the go. Products such as Elmer's Paintastics™ Paint Brush Pens work like a marker but include a brush applicator that can mix paint colors and won't dry out. The thin brush tip allows kids to write or paint with fine lines or broad strokes. Paintastics also put parents' typical concerns about painting to rest-the paint is contained in the brush, dries instantly and is nontoxic and washable.

Summertime Activities

So how can parents foster creativity? Elmer's arts and crafts product expert Michelle Manning suggests the following activities to help parents elicit that creative spark in their kids while also getting quality time together.

• Photography classes: Summer is the perfect time to photograph nature. Frame and display the photos or use them as inspiration for a painting or sketch. Get creative with the mediums. Use charcoals, acrylics, pastels, Paintastics or mix mediums.

• Symphonies in the park: With good weather comes music in the park. Check with a local symphony or orchestra for upcoming performances.

• Personalized postcards: Make one-of-a-kind postcards on summer road trips with glue sticks, markers, paints, buttons, ribbons, stamps or whatever elicits creativity.

• Journaling: Create a wonderful memento by writing and designing a journal cover about the summer.

10 reasons to read to your child

We all know that learning to read is important, but as parents what do we do to facilitate this milestone?

Reading to your child has many benefits one of which is simply having time to snuggle together.

Here are 10 reasons to read to your child.

1.When you read to your child, he/she will learn that reading is important to you, therefore reading will become important to him/her.

2.The more your child hears sounds, the better he/she will process these sounds into words. When a child is preschool/kindergarten age the listening word starts to become the written word.

3.Reading has a calming effect on a restless or fussy baby. Who doesn't want an easy way to calm a fussy baby?

4.Reading is a wonderful before bed routine. Studies have shown that a child will thrive in an atmosphere in which routines are present.

5.Reading will help to develop your child's imagination. Have you ever gotten lost in a good book? Your child can do the same while you are reading to him/her.

6.Reading will foster your child's ability to listen and pay attention. With all the problems we here about concerning attention spans this is a great way to avoid that.

7.Reading to a young child will teach him/her the correct way to hold a book and turn the pages.

8.Reading to your child will develop in him/her the desire to become a reader.

9.Teachers will thank you

10.When a child is read a personalized story book, he/she will be able to recognize his/her name in print at an early age.

Isn't it exciting to think that you can have such an effect on your child's ability to read just by reading to him/her? You have the power to develop a life long joy of reading and learning in your child. WOW! Just read.