April Tiny Tots Newsletter

Lakeview
Children’s Center
Center Team
Tonya Smith
Director
Greta Hughes
Infant Teacher
Jennifer Stokes
Infant Teacher
Desiree Jones
Infant Teacher
Johanna Donaldson
Teacher
Kimberly Alturo
Toddler Teacher
Office Hours
Monday Thru Friday
6:00am - 5:30pm
Major League Baseball Season Begins!
April is here, and that means Major League Baseball's regular season is in full swing, pun
intended! In addition to tuning into the games, your family can get into the spirit of the season by:
1) Watching classic, kid–approved baseball movies, including Angels in the Outfield (1994),
The Sandlot (1993), and The Little Big League (1994).
2) Organizing a neighborhood tee ball game. After giving each player a few pointers on how to
swing a bat and make it to first base, play several "innings.” Afterwards, enjoy traditional baseball
snacks, like hot dogs and peanuts.
3) Watching YouTube videos about how baseball equipment is made. For example, did you
know that official MLB baseballs are made out of rubber–coated corks, surrounded by several
layers of yarn, rubber cement, and cowhide, and that each ball is held together by over one
hundred double stitches?
Celebrate Earth Day Year– Round!
Since 1970, Earth Day has been observed on April 22, but you can teach your kids to do their part
for the environment year– round! Pick up trash at a nearby park before playing on the
equipment. Discuss water conservation and demonstrate how to turn off the faucet while
brushing teeth. Reduce the amount of plastic you throw away by using reusable shopping
bags for trips to the grocery store. Purchase products that are grown or manufactured locally.
Discuss how buying local products helps farmers and reduces energy waste produced by
transporting goods across long distances.
Recipe: Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
6 eggs, hard– boiled and peeled
3 Tbsp pickle relish
1 Tbsp mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika (optional)
3 Tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tsp white vinegar
Instructions:
Slice the eggs in half, lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the yolks and place them in a
medium– sized bowl. Place egg halves on a plate and set aside. Using a fork, mash the yolks until
they form small, crumbly pieces. Next, add the yogurt, vinegar, relish, and mustard, and stir until
the filling is creamy. Add the salt and pepper. Finally, insert a spoonful of the filling into each egg
half. Optional: Sprinkle the eggs with paprika.
Lakeview Children’s Center | lakeviewkids@yahoo.com
www.lakeviewkids.com | 200 S. Main Street, Miami, FL 33325

TEACHING KIDS SOCIAL SKILLS
Humans are social creatures from birth. All children
instinctively feel secure in the company of their parents
and siblings and seek out hugs and playtime. These
interactions contribute to children’s emotional and
intellectual development. From infanthood onward, it’s
important to provide your children with opportunities to
interact with non-family members, from enrolling them in
child care programs and activities, to arranging playdates
with other kids.
An important social milestone for kids is learning to interact
meaningfully with their peers. While playing with other kids
comes naturally, sharing usually has to be taught. To foster this skill in preschoolers, arrange a playdate
with one of your child’s friends and remind them that sharing is fun. Proctoring a simple board game is an
excellent way to teach kids to take turns, follow game rules, play fair, and win and lose graciously.
Learning to interact with adults is also a crucial part of children’s social development, as they’ll be
expected to learn from teachers, meet their parents’ friends, and be polite to cashiers, hairdressers, or
other professionals in public. Start with an easy interaction. Visit a library and ask a librarian to help your
child select some books. Follow along and encourage your child to listen carefully, ask for permission to
see a book, and to thank the librarian for helping.
At the same time that we introduce children to non-family peers and adults, we need to be sensitive to
the different personality tendencies that children may exhibit early on, such as introversion or extroversion.
Both introverted and extroverted kids can enjoy meaningful social interaction, but will thrive in different
environments. For example, introverted children may prefer playing with one companion at a time, while
extroverted children will turn a room full of strangers into friends.
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/discipline-behavior/morals-manners/11-ways-teach-your-child-share
http://centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/child-development/introverted-children-101/
RAINY DAYS maze
APRIL IS
Autism
Awareness
Month
PUZZLE answers

RECIPE
ladybug snacks
Ingredients:
8 cherry tomatoes
16 black olives
8 slices loaf bread
8 slices cheddar cheese
8 slices mozzarella cheese
2 tsp ranch dressing
10 leaves romaine lettuce,
washed and patted dry
Instructions:
Arrange the romaine lettuce leaves around a large serving plate.
Toast the slices of bread, then cut them in half, and place on top
of the lettuce. Slice the cheese slices in half and place them on
top of the bread, followed by the slices of mozzarella cheese.
Next, assemble the ladybugs. Start by slicing the cherry tomatoes
in half and placing them on top of the mozzarella slices. Then
cut the black olives crosswise and use half of the pieces for the
ladybug heads. Cut the remaining olive pieces into small slivers to
use for the ladybug legs. Dip a toothpick into the ranch dressing
and dot on the eyes. Tip: Enjoy these snacks in your backyard or
on a picnic at the park!
FIND SEVEN differences
APRIL SHOWERS & storytime
April is a beautiful month, but often brings
more rain than sunshine. What better way
to spend those rainy days than reading with
your kids about April showers?
Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee, Let
it Rain by Maryann Cocca-Leffler, and The
Rain Stomper by Boswell Addie all celebrate
rainy days. Don’t forget that April’s showers
prepare the earth for May flowers!
ANIMAL CELL
activity
Home is a great place
to learn science
as a family!
This month,
create
your own
model of an
animal cell,
the building blocks
of life. First, go online and find a
few images of cells and explain
that animal bodies and human
bodies are made up of tiny little
parts called cells. Even though we
can’t see them, cells are constantly
working inside us, head to toe,
including our skin!
Next, point out the cell’s main
parts and discuss what they do.
Keep in mind that your model cell
doesn’t have to be as complex as
the images or diagrams online. For
example, you can just focus on the
membrane, a cell’s outer covering,
the nucleus, a cell’s “brain,” and
here’s a fancy one, mitochondria,
the little pockets where a cell stores
energy.
Finally, use modeling clay to shape
the basic parts of your cell. Each
part should be a different color.
Once your model is complete,
enjoy imagining the trillions of cells
keeping your body going!
Four-year-old Zeke Z. is the winner
of February’s drawing contest!
Here are his favorite toys, Mario
and Luigi. Congrats, Zeke!

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
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Menu 6
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Happy Birthday
Mya!
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Menu 1
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Happy Birthday
Rhondi!
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Good Friday
DAYCARE
CLOSED
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Spring Parade
9:30am
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Happy Birthday
Sophia!
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Happy Birthday
Austin!
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Menu 2
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Happy Birthday
Damien!
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