“Smart” summer games

1.    Collecting sea shells! Is there anything better and more relaxing than making a collection of the most beautiful shells on the beach? Encourage children to look for shells and then to collect them, wash them, sort them and think of a thousand and one ways to use them! Pieces in great games? Shell families with strange names? Bracelets? Souvenirs to give to friends in September?

2.    Become Lords of the seaside! We have all made sand castles! But maybe this year we should look a bit more at the.... interior? Let's work on the interior of the castle this summer! Give your children the chance to think up and plan their own "seaside cottage" with sand furniture and fittings! All they need is their imaginations!

3.    Guessing game by the sea
This is a bit like charades or a guessing game.  The referee describes an object, starting out by giving minimal information and, as the game goes on, giving more details. For example, they might say "it is a plant" ... "it is red" .... "It comes out in the spring". Whoever gives the correct answer first takes a step towards the sea! The winner is the player who is first to reach the sea.

4.    I know the beach like the back of my hand!
Ask the children to look carefully at the beach around them for 1 minute. They should then close their eyes and try to remember as many things as they can. This is a fun, short game which helps children to become more observant and is also a good exercise for their memories.

So, this year, let's improvise smart summer games on the beach! Without stressing about who wins! And if we make a mess of it all, it doesn’t matter! The sea is always perfect!

And this summer is going to be perfect too!!!

Time... to stop wearing nappies!
Summer is probably the best time to potty train your child as you have more time and he will be wearing lighter clothes. Getting out of nappies and using the toilet is obviously the first major sign of your child becoming independent. After they are two years old, children begin to control their bodies and to ask their mothers to take them to the toilet.
How do you know when your child is ready to stop wearing nappies?

1. he asks to wear underpants
2. he wants to use the potty or the toilet
3. he is not happy wearing a soiled nappy
4. his nappy is still dry when he wakes up in the morning

Usually, children manage to stop wearing nappies within a few weeks. But it is possible that your child will not manage to stop wearing nappies until he is 4 - 5 years old. Of course, you should be understanding and forgiving if your child reacts negatively to potty training. It is better to postpone your efforts for one or two months rather than upsetting him. You should also bear in mind that it is a good idea to postpone toilet training if the family is going through major changes (e.g. moving house, new family member, etc.)

Cycling can be fun!
If children do not learn to ride a bike in the summer when the weather is good, then when will they learn? Children love bikes because they give them a sense of freedom and control and ... endless excursions! But to make cycling and learning to cycle enjoyable and safe, you first need to know which bike is appropriate for your child’s height and age.

For children, the correct size of bicycle is determined by the size of the bicycle’s wheels.

• Age 3-5 years old: Wheel size 25.4-30.5 cm.
• Age 4-7 years old: Wheel size 40.5 cm.
• Age 8-13 years old: Wheel size 61 cm.

You should choose a bicycle with stabilisers for children under the age of 6, as they have difficulty balancing on their own. When the child becomes familiar with the bike and feels sure of himself, you can then remove the stabilisers one at a time.

Do not forget to buy helmets, knee-pads and lights (front and rear) which are vital to make the bike more easily visible when it is getting dark. 

Baby’s first “dip”

Everyone looks forwards to their first swim of the year! And even more so this year, when it will be your baby’s first time in the sea too!
When you take your child to the sea for the first time, you feel both enthusiastic and a little worried. Will he cry? Will he be afraid? Will he like the water? Maybe he will be cold or maybe he won’t like it at all and won’t want to go back into the sea again? The secret is to relax, so your baby relaxes too. If you are calm, and look as if you are enjoying yourself, your baby will feel as if the sea is something perfectly normal!

Help him to get used to the sea gradually. Hold him in your arms and walk gently into the water, without getting his feet wet. Don’t be in a hurry to get your baby wet all over as he needs time to adjust to the temperature of the water. Introduce your baby to the water by playing together! Splash your hand in the water, and encourage your baby to do the same. If you see that your baby is enjoying himself, you can gently wet his body and then his head. But if you see that he is crying and not happy, do not push him. Take him out of the sea and try again another time.