Creekside Kids

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Toes In For the Summer!

Image created by ChatBox

Summer Swims Into View

Summer is right around the corner! That means even if our mountain-blessed Colorado weather has us wearing our long socks into July this year, we are still contemplating and savoring upcoming visits to lakes, beaches, and pools. And for many of our kids, it may be their first taste of a swim without being in a parent’s arms.

As another season of trips and reunions begins, we believe that this is a good time to introduce toddlers to the joys of swimming. Water play is a fun way for kids to enjoy the warm weather and an essential skill that can promote a healthy respect for water safety and a feeling of confidence around waterplay. We’re pleased to share some great resources, tips, and recommendations for making this summer a splashing success for your little ones!

Bringing Out Our Old Blogs

Each June, we worry about the kids we’ve come to know and love over the year, as they dart off to their vacations and holidays. This comes from poolsafety.gov:

In 2020, 339 children younger than age 15 fatally drowned, but in 2021, that figure rose by 12% with 380 children fatally drowning. Children five years old and younger are especially vulnerable – this age group represents 75% of child drowning deaths and 77% of nonfatal injuries.

As discussed in our June 2024 blog, Another Swimming Summer!, it contains a great checklist for prepping swim time and what to watch out for. If you missed our June 2022 blog, Teaching Your Kids About Swimming and Dangers, we encourage you to check it out for more insights on why early swimming lessons are crucial, as well as understanding the dangers of dry drowning and secondary drowning. 

Swimming is a fantastic activity for toddlers, providing numerous benefits beyond just staying cool. It helps improve coordination, enhances physical fitness, and promotes social skills through play. Additionally, learning to swim at a young age sets the foundation for a lifetime of water safety. We believe that it’s important to balance the dangers of not respecting a body of water with the confidence to survive in a crisis. And it’s great to be as prepared as you can for the fun!

Top Wading Pools for Toddlers  

For families wanting to create a swim oasis at home, several brands offer fantastic inflatable and above-ground pools that are perfect for toddlers. Here are our top recommendations:

This spacious inflatable pool can comfortably hold toddlers and their parents, making it perfect for family fun. With vibrant colors and a design that features built-in benches, it’s ideal for splashing and play.

Intex Inflatable Family Lounge Pool: this inflatable swimming pool comes with a built-in bench with a backrest for a supervising parent. It has a water capacity of 156 gallons

And even includes a repair patch in case of punctures.

Little Tikes Slam ‘n Curve Slide Inflatable Outdoors Kiddie Pool: while this pool doesn’t have room for mom or dad to lounge, it is enormous fun, with a rock wall side for climbers, and rewards a good climb with a cool slide.

VISTOP Extra Large Foldable Dog Pool: conceived as a pet pool, this collapsible structure requires no inflating, and is recommended by users for its durability.

Splash Pad for Dogs & Kids: another pet creation, this reminds us of running through sprinklers as kids. The only drawback is that it doesn’t recycle and filter the water, so it can be a bad choice in drought months.

Recommended Swimming Schools for Toddlers

If you’re looking to enroll your toddler in structured swim lessons, several local swimming schools offer fantastic programs tailored for young children:

  • SafeSplash: This dedicated swim school focuses on building essential water safety skills in a fun environment.
  • British Swim School: Offering a unique approach that blends swimming lessons with safety skills, they ensure that your toddler is prepared for any water situation.
  • PPYMCA: With a solid reputation for quality swim instruction, the YMCA provides a nurturing atmosphere for toddlers learning to swim.
  • Pikes Peak Athletics: This local program offers personalized instruction to build water confidence.
  • Little Fins Swim School: Specializing in young children, they provide engaging lessons that keep toddlers excited about swimming.
  • Villa Sport StarBabies: Villa Sport’s swim lessons provide an early introduction to swimming for ages 6 – 36 months. (Swimmers who are incontinent or not fully toilet trained must wear Villa Sport-approved swim diapers with a tight-fitting protective covering.)

Local Swimming Spots 

For parents seeking safe destinations to take their toddlers swimming, Colorado Springs has several excellent spots, and some with lifeguards on duty. These locations ensure a secure environment for your little ones to splash and play:

  • Memorial Park: A beautiful space with a sizable pool area, perfect for family outings. (Although there are wonderful picnic spaces, there are no lifeguards at Prospect Lake.)
  • Villa Sport: This facility combines fitness and fun, providing a safe environment for kids with lifeguards overseeing swim activities.
  • Cottonwood Creek YMCA: Out east where Dublin and Rangewood intersect, the Cottonwood Creek YMCA offers swimming facilities that are well-supervised and designed for families.
  • Wilson Ranch Pool YMCA: This community pool is ideal for families, offering shallow areas and supervision for young swimmers.

Have a Great Summer!

Summer swimming is an exciting way for toddlers to experience water, learn valuable skills, and create cherished memories with their families. Whether you’re considering setting up a home pool or enrolling your child in swim lessons, there are endless opportunities for water fun this season. We hope you explore the resources listed above to make this summer unforgettable for your little ones. Happy swimming from all of us at Creekside Kids!

If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Cherishing Little Moments: Creating Meaningful Memories at the End of the School Year

Photo by Kristyna Squared.one on Unsplash

As the school year comes to a close, you may find yourself experiencing a bittersweet feeling. The year seems to have flown by! This is a wonderful time to breathe in the summertime ahead, celebrate accomplishments, and reflect on how much our children have grown since those first steps into their classroom months ago. 

This season serves as a gentle reminder of the fleeting nature of time. Someday, the same child whose tiny hand you once held on the first day of school will be packing for college, moving out for their first job, or simply heading off to forge their own path—and you might find yourself wondering, “Where did the time go?”. The old saying is that ‘the days are long but the years are short’ is so true. 

As parents and caregivers, handling these emotional moments is part of the beautiful journey of growing alongside our children. The end of the school year offers an exceptional opportunity to celebrate growth and create something tangible that helps preserve the memories we’re making along the way. For some of you, that begins in the coming school year as your child begins kindergarten; why not turn the tradition of cleaning out your child’s backpack into an annual ritual with purpose?

Turn Bookbag Clutter into Treasured Keepsakes

When your little one empties their backpack at the end of the school year, you’ll likely uncover a treasure trove of their year’s work: colorful drawings, crayon-filled worksheets, encouraging notes from teachers, and maybe even a few scribbled moments of creativity that only a child could bring to life. Instead of tossing these into the recycling bin, consider creating a scrapbook that captures your child’s early school days year by year.

Collect the highlights—the assignments that made them proud, the art showing their creativity blossoming, or even the moments that made you laugh. Include photos, if you can, like their first-day-of-school picture or snapshots from field trips and classroom parties. If you’re short on time, even collecting one or two special pieces each year can create a meaningful scrapbook by the time they graduate.

And you can start now– with the artwork your child produces here at Creekside Kids.  Consider adding in photographs and locks of hair from their haircuts. This treasure trove you will transform as they transform, becoming an echo of how you experienced their childhood.

To make this process even sweeter, involve your child. For younger kiddos, let them tell you which drawings or projects they’re most proud of. Older children might even want to jot down a favorite memory to include. By working together, you’ll turn this end-of-year task into something much more meaningful: a celebration of their accomplishments and dreams and another ritual within the family as you put away the old school year and prepare for the new one. This ritual gives you a moment to reflect with your child on the things they have learned and who they are becoming in the course of their life.

A Gift for the Road Ahead

The beauty of this yearly ritual is that it puts both the past and future into perspective. When that moment arrives—years from now—and your child is ready to step into the next significant chapter of their life, you’ll already have a heartfelt gift to remind them how far they’ve come and how much you’ve cherished every step of the journey.

Imagine handing your child that scrapbook on the day they leave for college or perhaps on their graduation day. As they flip through pages filled with their younger self’s art, words, and triumphs, they’ll be reminded, in a very tangible way, of just how deeply loved and supported they’ve been all along.

Here’s a resource if you need a little help getting on step with scrapbooking: Easy Scrapbooking for the Busy Mom.

Taking Time to Soak It All In

It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life with seasons that come and go in a flurry. The end of the school year can serve as a quiet reminder to slow down, acknowledge how far your family has come together, and treasure the simple joys of childhood while they’re still unfolding. At Creekside Kids, we know that creating meaningful moments out of the everyday builds a foundation of love, curiosity, and connection that will last a lifetime.

The years may pass us by quickly, but by preserving memories and celebrating your child’s unique story, you’ll create a keepsake worth holding onto and giving away—and a tradition that reminds you both of the incredible journey you’re sharing. Here’s to another year of growth, joy, and endless possibilities. 💕

At Creekside Kids, we love celebrating these milestones with our community because we truly believe in the importance of building joyful, lasting memories for every family. If you’d like more ideas for creating traditions that matter or celebrating the little moments in your child’s early learning years, don’t hesitate to connect with us. We’re here to walk alongside you every step of the way!

If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Spring in the Springs

Image by Penny from Pixabay

Spring is here! After so many March snowstorms, it’s wonderful to see the green returning to Colorado Springs. With the return of spring comes a renewed sense of energy and the desire to get outside and enjoy the warm weather, especially for the young (and the young-at-heart). 

April is the perfect month to celebrate spring’s return with various indoor and outdoor activities. Whether you’re looking to fly a kite, enjoy a park, or find fun things to do inside, there are plenty of options available. Here’s our quick guide to some Springtime fun in the Springs!

Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day falls in April on the 25th, and serves as a great reminder for all of us to engage in environmentally friendly activities. You can create recycled art projects, start a compost bin, or simply discuss ways to be more eco-conscious. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day, consider planting a tree.  Trees provide shade and beauty, but they also help reduce air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide.  They also provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, and will grow with your child.

Outdoor Activities

Plant a Family Garden

Gardening is a rewarding way to spend time outdoors and celebrate the growth and renewal that spring represents. It’s also an excellent opportunity to teach kids about nature and responsibility, and the cycle of life. Some delicious veggies can be planted this early in the season– check out Rick’s Garden Center for a list of plants which can be planted in April.

Your family garden can be as simple as a few pots on the patio or as elaborate as an entire plot in your backyard. It’s up to you and your kids, but be advised: some living things require a great deal more attention than you might expect!

Here are some tips to get you started: 

  • Choose a sunny spot with good drainage.  

  • If you don’t have access to a garden, consider planting in containers instead.  

  • Start small and add more plants as you gain experience.  

  • Use organic soil amendments and fertilizers whenever possible.  

  • Water deeply but infrequently, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.

Have a Family Picnic

There are great parks all around Creekside Kids and Cheyenne Mountain where you and your kids can get a little taste of nature on the verge of civilization. The Canon School is closed on the weekends, but has a playground and field that can be used for a great picnic. North Cheyenne Cañon Park offers trails and wonderful waterfalls. For those looking for a little bit less civilization, the Stratton Open Space offers wide open prairies. 

Go Fly a Kite!

April in Colorado Springs often brings consistent, moderate winds, making it ideal for kite flying. It’s a wonderful activity for both kids and adults to enjoy on a breezy day. And if you feel like making a kite as a family, there are plans for kites that are demure and mindful, and some that are bombastically huge (if you feel like attaching a GoPro to your kite). 

Our neighborhood parks provide a great escape with open spaces for running, playing, and relaxing, giving you plenty of room to get the necessary running start with your kite. 

Some recommended parks where kite flying is permitted include:

You might also be able to fly drones in these parks– but be sure to do your research on any requirements. We are near several military outposts, after all! 

And don’t forget, Easter is April 20th, so when you and your kids are out, think about where you can hide the eggs this year!

Indoor Activities

Create Spring Crafts

When April showers keep you indoors, crafting is a fantastic way to keep the spring spirit alive. Create flower arrangements, birdhouses, or other spring-themed decorations[5]. Bake cookies and look at the recipes together to learn letters and numbers and the concepts associated with print.

Have an Indoor Picnic

If the weather isn’t cooperating, bring the fun inside with an indoor picnic. Spread a blanket on the floor, prepare some spring snacks, and enjoy a meal with the family indoors.

If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W. Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations for Your Family

Image by Ilham Nor from Pixabay

 

Creekside Kids’ founder and owner, Jennifer Barnes, has a wonderful ritual she carries out every year as a teacher at Mountain Song Community School. She welcomes the month of March with celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, and allows the kids she teaches to share in the fun. Her rituals are a big hit every year, so we thought we’d share some of those same ideas, sized down for preschool kids!

St. Patrick’s Day is a fantastic holiday for children, filled with stories of leprechauns, rainbows, and pots of gold. At Creekside Kids, we endeavor to make every celebration meaningful and educational for our little ones. Read on for some easy St. Patrick’s Day-themed activities, crafts, and healthy treats you can enjoy with your preschooler at home. Although not everyone will value St. Patrick’s Day with the same reverence Jennifer does, for those that do, we offer these ideas for making this year’s St. Patrick’s Day a memorable event. 

Fun and Easy St. Patrick’s Day Activities and Crafts

Crafting a Leprechaun Trap

One of the most exciting St. Patrick’s Day projects is making a leprechaun trap. Jennifer does this every year in her classroom, and it’s a big hit with the kids. She has a small fairy treehouse decoration she’s built, and she adds elements to suggest a leprechaun has moved in and is asserting itself.

If you have the time, resources, and imagination, craft stores like Michaels can help you find small to tiny dollhouse elements to create a fairy home of your own. Tiny jewels, objects, and tools (including a chest for the leprechaun’s gold) are available. You can even create two-dimensional spaces off a wall that looks and feels like a leprechaun’s been living inside of it!

But to keep the effort simple, craft a leprechaun trap with your child out of simple construction materials… and then, watch their eyes light up as their leprechaun leaves behind some of the dollhouse items that they’ve never seen before! This activity sparks imagination and helps develop fine motor skills as your child cuts, glues, and assembles their trap. 

Materials Needed:

  • A small box (like a shoe box)
  • Green construction paper
  • Glue and tape
  • Markers or crayons
  • Gold coins (plastic or chocolate)
  • Shamrock stickers or cutouts

Steps:

Wrap the Box: Cover the box with green construction paper.

Decorate: Let your child decorate the box with shamrock stickers, drawings, or other St. Patrick’s Day-themed items.

Set the Trap: Place the gold coins inside the box to entice the leprechaun.

Prop it Up: Use a stick or small rod to prop up one side of the box.

For inspiration and more detailed guides, check out Little Bins for Little Hands, which offers a variety of creative ideas for leprechaun traps.

Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Healthy treats can be just as festive and fun as sugary ones. Here are a couple of easy and nutritious snack ideas that your preschooler will love:

Apple Slices with Lime Jello

Ingredients: Apples, Lime-flavored Jello powder

Instructions: Slice an apple into thin pieces. Lightly sprinkle the Jello powder over the apple slices. The dye in the Lime Jello will immediately begin to spread through the juices of the apple and turn the slices green! 

Serve immediately for a tangy, sweet treat! This healthy treat adds a burst of green color to your St. Patrick’s Day festivities. 

Rainbow Veggie Plate

Encourage healthy eating with a colorful and fun veggie plate.

Ingredients:

  • Cherry tomatoes (red)
  • Carrot sticks (orange)
  • Yellow bell peppers (yellow)
  • Cucumber slices (green)
  • Blue corn chips (blue/purple)
  • Ranch dip or hummus

Steps:

Arrange the vegetable in the shape of a rainbow on a large plate, ordered by color (tomatoes on top, then carrots, then peppers, then cucumbers, then blue corn chips). Place the ranch dip or hummus at the end to represent a pot of gold.

For more nutritious snack ideas, you might enjoy browsing Super Healthy Kids for recipes and tips.

Shamrock Stamping

You can create festive shamrock art with a simple and eco-friendly craft.

Materials:

  • Green paint
  • A bell pepper cut in half
  • White paper

Steps:

Dip the cut side of the bell pepper into green paint. Stamp it onto the white paper to create shamrock shapes. Let your child decorate the shamrocks further with markers or stickers.

This activity promote creativity and improves fine motor skills.

Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are great for tactile exploration and creativity. A rainbow bin is full of color and variation.

Materials:

  • Uncooked rice
  • Food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
  • Ziplock bags
  • White vinegar
  • A large tray or tub

Steps: Divide the rice into six Ziplock bags. Add a few drops of food coloring and a teaspoon of vinegar to each bag, and shake well until the color distributes evenly across the rice. Spread the rice on a foil tray to allow the dye to dry (this may take about an hour). Pour each rice color into the sensory bin to create a rainbow effect.

Your little one will have endless fun sorting, scooping, and playing with the colorful rice.

Paper Plate Leprechauns

This craft lets children explore their creativity while learning about Irish folklore.

Materials:

  • Paper plates
  • Orange construction paper
  • Green paint and paper
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue
  • Scissors

Steps:

Paint the paper plate green; this will be the leprechaun’s hat. Cut strips of orange construction paper for the beard and glue these around the bottom half of the plate. Add googly eyes and draw a smile. Cut a rectangle from green paper for the hat band and a black square for the buckle; glue these onto the hat.

Displaying these friendly leprechauns around your home will surely make everyone smile!

Healthy and Festive Treats

St. Patrick’s Day Books for Preschoolers

Reading together is a fantastic way to teach children about the significance of St. Patrick’s Day and to bond with your child in a way that they will revisit every year.

Here are some delightful book recommendations:

The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing and Amy Wummer: A fun and engaging story that captures the anticipation and excitement of the holiday.

Jack and the Leprechaun by Ivan Robertson and Katy Bratun: Follow Jack’s adventure as he tries to find a leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day.

Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman and Kelly Murphy: A beautifully illustrated book that tells the story of a clever girl named Fiona and her encounter with the leprechauns.

How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton: this wonderful book suggests that, like the Elf on the Shelf, leprechauns are merry pranksters!

We hope these activities, crafts, and treats bring joy and cultural awareness to your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. At Creekside Kids, we treasure these moments of creativity, learning, and fun. Thank you for being a part of our wonderful community!

If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 

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The Five Love Languages in Which Your Child Speaks

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Discovering Your Child’s Love Language: A Guide for Parents

February is the month of hearts and flowers — love is a superpower, even for children. Love is known to help heal wounds and right some wrongs, and given in the right way, it strengthens us for the world we face. Love is our most potent power as parents when paired with intelligence and wisdom.

An essential part of our mission at Creekside Kids is helping parents and caregivers understand and connect with their little ones. A great way to enhance these connections is to identify and understand your child’s love language. Love languages can be a beautiful tool in fostering strong, loving relationships.

What Are Love Languages?

Dr. Gary Chapman introduced the idea of love languages in his book, The Five Love Languages. According to Dr. Chapman, everyone has a primary love language—a way of expressing and receiving love that resonates deeply with them. Chapman wrote another book with the late Dr. Ross Campbell, The 5 Love Languages of Children, which focuses on how children communicate love – expressing and asking for love.

The five love languages are Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch.

How to Identify Your Child’s Primary Love Language(s)

Communicating with your child is crucial to understanding their behavior, as behavior is often how children communicate (through words, actions, and behaviors) with us before they learn higher reasoning. Discovering your child’s primary love language(s) involves observing their behavior and considering the activities they most enjoy. Here are some strategies to help you identify and cultivate your child’s love language:

Observe Their Behavior

The best path to understanding your child’s love languages is to observe how they communicate their feelings through their behavior. Try to correlate their actions to the five love languages:

Words of Affirmation – this is about expressing love through words, praise, and compliments. Does your child light up when they receive praise or positive reinforcement from you? Do they often give compliments to others? Words of Affirmation are a social strength that we frequently remark as being ‘sensitive.’

Acts of Service – Acts of Service mean showing love through actions that help or serve others. Does your child frequently try to help you or others with tasks or chores? Do they express gratitude when you do things for them? 

Receiving Gifts – this is less about materialism and more about feeling loved through the giving and receiving of thoughtful gifts. Does your child cherish their possessions and enjoy receiving even the smallest gifts? Does she leave small tokens of her favorite things behind, knowing you will pick them up?

Quality Time – feeling valued when spending undivided attention with loved ones, which can be a premium for a busy parent. Does your child crave one-on-one time with you and feel most connected when engaging in activities together?

Physical Touch – Expressing and receiving love through physical affection. Does your child seek out hugs, cuddles, and other forms of physical affection?

Experiment with Different Expressions of Love

If you’re not sure which languages your child speaks in, don’t worry! Just try them all on for size. Try focusing on each of the five love languages and observe your child’s reaction to each. Over time, you will notice which love language makes them feel the most valued and loved.  It takes time for a child’s primary and secondary languages to appear.

Ask for Their Input

Depending on your child’s age, you can also have simple conversations about what makes them feel loved. Ask how they know that so-and-so loves them. Their answers can provide valuable insights.  

Exploring love languages further can enrich your understanding and application of this concept in your interactions with your child. Here are some additional resources:

By identifying and matching to your child’s love language, you are bonding with your child in a way that will support their emotional well-being and development. At Creekside Kids, we’re here to help you every step of this incredible journey. If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Location & Hours

creekside building
1201 W Cheyenne Rd
Colorado Springs, CO 80906  
 
6:30 am - 5:45 pm
Monday - Friday
(719) 635-9111

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