May has just begun, and Mother's Day is already next weekend! What a great opportunity to "check in" with the kids in your life -- whether you work with them or have them -- and enjoy some creative play together.
According to various studies, mothers' time spent with children benefits youngsters in numerous ways -- from producing lower rates of obesity to higher scores on verbal tests.
But there's a more immediate advantage to spending quality time with your child. It helps you understand "where he or she is at" and gives you a chance to have fun together -- a very important aspect of child development.
Here are four creative activities to do with kids this Mother's Day.
- Make "me" portraits. With a marker, trace the outline of your bodies on an old sheet. Decorate your self-portraits with symbols, colors, words and pictures. Use markers, crayons, paints, glue, sparkles and cut-up magazines.
Enjoy these precious moments -- they seem to pass too quickly. Perhaps you can add your own ideas; I'd love you to share them and I'll pass them on.