Activities

Water is an essential part of Kiwis identity and many under 5's grow up spending their holidays at the beach, fishing off the rocks, swimming in a pool or learning how to drive a boat. Yet according to Safekids Aotearoa, drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children between 1 and 4 years old.

Sunglasses are not only for adults. We should teach kids from an early age about the importance of wearing sunglasses so that they develop good habits that last for life. Sunglasses maybe a fun fashion accessory, but they can also save your kids skin and help prevent eye problems as they get older by blocking out the sun's powerful ultraviolet rays (UVR).

So what’s all the fuss about swimming nappies? Are they really necessary? We take a look at why specially designed swimming nappies are needed, what features to look for and other options.

Do you have young kids who are prone to seasonal hay fever? Runny nose, itchy eyes and lots of sneezing? As we head into the warmer months seasonal hay fever will start to strike. Find out what you can do to help.

These Valentine’s Day suncatchers are an easy Valentine’s craft activity for toddlers and preschoolers to do at home. They’ll love seeing their artwork displayed on the window and the sun shining through all the colours to brighten up the room. These suncatchers also make great Valentine’s Day gifts for family and friends.

It may be freezing cold and blowing a gale, but there are so many good reasons why kids need to play outside during winter. Dress them up warm and let them play in the dirt, the frost and the rain. They’ll have lots of fun outside in the fresh air.

Taking part in recreational gymnastics from a young age comes with many benefits for toddlers and preschoolers. As well as helping them to develop their co-ordination and build their self-esteem, it’s all about having fun and focusing on interactive play and their social well-being. Preschool gym classes encourage toddlers and preschoolers to be active in a safe, monitored environment.

Learning to swim is such an important life skill for children to learn from a young age and having swimming lessons even before they start school is a great place to start. Here are some expert tips to help you navigate the process, from choosing a swim school and booking lessons to what you can expect from lessons, moving through progressions and everything in between.

Swimming is an essential life skill and building water confidence is the first step when it comes to teaching your kids to swim. Water confidence is all about how comfortable your kids are in water. As a parent you can play a huge role in developing this confidence and teach them core water safety skills from an early age.

It’s officially summer and water safety is more important than ever as you spend your days at the beach or by the pool. It's not only important to actively supervise young children in and around water, but to be conscious of potential safety hazards too. These 5 tips will make an enormous difference to your family’s water safety over the holiday period and could even save someone's life.

Water play can be a great source of fun and exercise for the whole family, but it can also be dangerous for kids if the proper water safety precautions are not taken. The good news is though there are many ways to keep children safe in and around water. Check out these helpful tips.

A key element in helping young kids to develop their water confidence, is to teach them about submersion and how to feel comfortable putting their head underwater. Young kids can sometimes be afraid to submerge their head fully underwater, but as a parent you can play a huge role in teaching your kids this core swimming skill from an early age.

Not only does teaching your kids how to float provide them with a strong foundation for learning to swim, it’s also one of the most important core water safety skills they can learn from an early age.

Learning how to kick in water correctly will help your kids to swim more efficiently in the future and will help to lay the foundation for other swimming strokes too. Kicking is a gross motor skill and a critical swimming skill, but it can be hard work at first and will require some concentration to get it right and for your kids to stay afloat.

Don’t have enough room for a full-sized sandpit? Why not make your own sand and rocks box instead! It’s a great way for young kids to explore their senses of touch, sight and sound and it will help to develop their imagination through free-play too. Set the sand and rocks box up with a construction theme for hours of fun.

Have a go at creating your own mini aquarium in an old jam jar. It’s easy to do and the kids will love how the glitter and sea creatures swirl around inside the jar. The aquariums also make great party decorations and party favours for kids to take home instead of a party bag.

Babies and young kids grow so fast, so what better way to treasure this time than by capturing their hand and footprints to look back on when they’re older. Whether you have a baby, toddler or preschooler, these ideas are a great way to keep a copy of your kids hands and feet to add to their keepsakes or memory box.

Toddlers and preschoolers LOVE to dig and play in sandpits! Have a go at some of these fun sandpit activities. Creative ways to engage your toddler and preschooler in sandpit play.

Process art is a hugely positive way to foster creativity in toddlers and preschoolers and comes with many benefits. Process art is all about the experience, rather than the final outcome, providing toddlers and preschoolers with the opportunity to be themselves, make their own decisions and to have the freedom to be creative in a way that suits their learning.

Sensory play activities challenge toddlers and preschoolers and provide them with experiences that are often outside of their everyday activities. Sensory play is lots of fun and helps young kids to develop their understanding of the senses of touch, taste, smell and sound in a safe, stimulating play environment. It also helps them to widen their vocabulary, to develop coping mechanisms and to learn by feeling.

As adults we often think about what would be on our ‘bucket list’ or list of things to do and to try before we grow too old, but what about a bucket list for preschoolers too? Here are some fun ideas for your little one’s bucket list; things for them to do before they reach 5 years old.

Exploring science and nature can be so much fun for little ones. When toddlers and preschoolers are engaged in learning about science and nature, they are also learning strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning and develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds.

Mess free painting. It’s a win win - kids get to paint and there’s no mess for parents to clear up! This kids mess free painting activity is easy to set up and perfect for toddlers and preschoolers to do at home. A fun sensory play activity to try on a cold and rainy day.

Play dates needn't be stressful! Next time you arrange a play date for your toddler or pre-schooler, remember to keep things fun and simple with these 4 quick tips.