Rainbow Academy Newsletter April 2010

Curious and Creative Car Trips

Bernadette Tardio, Rainbow Academy

Growing up in the 1970's and 80's, without today's technology, a twenty minute ride to the mall was standard and we were either entertained with AM radio, our shoelaces or familiar window scenes. I'll never forget the trip in 1980, when my Uncle Bob took a box lid off the Cadillac console to reveal an office phone and we called my Aunt Joan to open the front door for us. Uncle Bob became a hero and legend automatically.

It's amazing to look back and share our less technologically advanced childhoods and expect children to comprehend life without remotes, standard dvds and Ipods, yet we shouldn't forget that creativity and imagination are in a large part responsible for technology!

Below are some ideas which may promote many learning skills and good old fashioned family fun:

1. Imagine- Pretend you are going on a different trip and plan what you are bringing. A picnic at the park on a rainy day sounds like fun. "Daddy will bring the hotdogs and I will pack the watermelon. What would you like to take to our picnic?' Another favorite is making the world's largest or silliest pizza. What topping would you like?

2. Predict- Who will be the first child you see in the classroom? Will there be more boys or girls there? What color will Ms. Emily be wearing?

3. Pretend - Make up funny songs or chants from tunes you are familiar with or come up with silly and or alternate endings to the ones your child loves. For example: you can sing, "Brennan in the Honda waves hi, hi, hi," and you can give other actions to family members or playmates to the tune of ''The Wheels On The Bus." Activities like this are great for toddlers who love music but are not as verbal.

4. Listening and Visualizing - These important skills can be enhanced when your child hears books on tape because they truly have control in imagining the characters and scenery when they aren't looking at the pictures in a book. Afterwards, together, you can dream up your own beginning, middle or ending to the story. You can become tomorrow's Dr. Seuss as you decide what would have happened IF Sam thought green eggs and ham tasted gross.

5. Music -Comprehension and social skills can be learned from groovy tunes like Mr. Ray's "ROY G BIV" enabling your child may remember the colors of a rainbow. http://www.mrray.com/listen.htm What colors would be in your rainbow?

6. AS ALWAYS, PLEASE SEND US YOUR IDEA!

Remember, not every idea works the first time and what excites your child today, could be boring tomorrow and then fun again next week. Patience, flexibility and a sense of humor are always a must in using our imaginations.

In 1980 my Uncle Bob's car phone was like " The Jetsons" to me. Just think in thirty years will our grandkids be saying, "Wow, dad, all you had to play with was an i-pad... That's so lame. " Car rides will always be torture for kids, technology will always be advancing and imagination and creativity should not be forgotten for fun and learning.