4 Great Halloween Books to Read With Your Child

Halloween is almost here and what better way to celebrate than with a good book! From marvelous picture books to festive story books — the possibilities are endless for the perfect holiday story time read with your little one! If you’re not sure which book to read first, here are a few great choices:

Book 1: Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

If you’re looking for a non-spooky, fun book to read your kids on Halloween, look no further than Reynold’s Creepy Carrots! This picture book tells the tale of Jasper Rabbit and how his beloved food (carrots) begins to become alive — and Jasper needs to find a way to stop them! With an array of great characters and photos, this book will be an instant classic — and will be a fun, exciting story to read with your child on Halloween!

Book 2: Click, Clack, Boo! By Doreen Cronin

When a farmer isn’t too thrilled with Halloween, he decides to not celebrate the holiday and goes to bed early. Although the farmer isn’t in the festive spirit, his farm animals are quite excited for the holiday — and decide to celebrate while he’s asleep! The funny tale describes the animals having a Halloween party, and providing some tricks — rather than treats! Your little one will love this hilarious story — and will giggle for sure!

Book 3: Pinkalicious: Pink or Treat! By Victoria Kann

Everyone’s favorite character is back — and more festive than ever! Before everyone in Pinkalicious’ town is about to go trick-or-treating on Halloween — the power goes out, leaving everyone in the dark. Although the power is out, that won’t stop Pinkalicious from saving the day, and bringing the joy of Halloween to everyone she encounters! If your little one is a fan of superheroes and/or Pinkalicious, then this will be a great book to read!

Book 4: Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak

As we know, finding a costume can take quite some time, since the possibilities are endless! If you’re looking for a comedic book about the ultimate Halloween costume search, then check out Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak. This story tells the tale of Monster, as he tries to find the perfect costume for the big day! Your child will surely laugh out loud when they see the funny outfits that Monster tires on!

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music and physical activities. To learn more about the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.

3 Ways Arts and Crafts at Miss Sue's Will Benefit Your Child

From Picasso to Rembrandt, the world has seen their fair share of artists — but have they seen the brilliant creations of the artists at Miss Sue’s? From creating gallery-worthy paintings to magnificent clay sculptures, our students express their creativity in a variety of art projects in class! Here at Miss Sue’s, arts and crafts play a huge a role in our daily curriculum and here’s why:

Way 1: Expresses Creativity

When a work of art is created by a famous artist, such as Jackson Pollock, the artist creates the piece as a way to express their thoughts on a canvas. When your child creates a masterpiece at Miss Sue’s, not only are they expressing their creativity, but they’re also using this activity as way to relay a message to their audiences. Just like writing a story on a piece of paper, art can be seen in a similar light. Here at Miss Sue’s, we always encourage our students to use their imagination and let it be seen/heard through their artwork!

Way 2: Craft Fine Motor Skills

In addition to expressing their imagination through art, working with a variety of mediums/materials will help students craft their fine motor skills. At Miss Sue’s, we love to provide our students with a variety of different art projects ranging from painting a picture to sculpting with clay. By giving our students these different crafting projects, with a variety of tools to use (such a plastic clay cutting shapes), it will help your child finetune these small, intricate movements that they can implement into their daily routines!

Way 3: Increase Coordination

Although video games should be played in moderation, they do increase hand and eye coordination — and the same applies for arts and crafts! When your child works on an art and crafts project at Miss Sue’s, they’re not only using their talents to create a beautiful work of art — but they’re increasing their coordination skills. Since most art projects require students to use both hands to create the craft, this will prepare them for other essential skills such as tying their shoes and brushing their hair. Arts and crafts opens up a series of opportunities for students —  and it is truly the most fun way to do it!

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music and physical activities. To learn more about the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.

3 Halloween Safety Tips Every Parent Should Know

Bright colored costumes, piles of candy and freshly carved pumpkins only mean one thing: Halloween. Holding a reputation for being one of the largest celebrated holidays on the planet, it’s definitely a school favorite here at Miss Sue’s! Once the crayons are put away for the day, it will be time to take your child trick-or-treating in your neighborhood! Before you pick up the plastic candy bucket and step out the door, here are some general safety tips you should know:

Tip 1: Bring Flashlights

As the autumn sun begins to set faster each day, it’s important to know that it will get dark quickly. The best solution for trick-or-treating after sunset is to bring flashlights with you. Not only will this be the best way for you and your child to navigate dark walkways — but it will also be a great indicator to vehicles when you’re crossing the street. If you want to add a fun element for your child, we suggest purchasing some fun light-up accessories (such as a bracelet) to really get into the Halloween spirit!

Tip 2: Use Reflective Tape

In addition to lighting up neighborhood walkways with your flashlights, reflective tape is another must. If your child’s costume isn’t composed of bright colors, then this safety tool will work wonders. To start: purchase a roll of inexpensive reflective tape at your local home improvement or craft store. Once you acquire the tape, stick some strips around the end of pant legs and sleeves — since these will be the most visible areas. After you apply the reflective tape, it will create a flash every time light hits the tape.If you’re feeling extra festive, you can even take a plain t-shirt and create a pumpkin design out of reflective tape in the center!

Tip 3: Always Check Candy

The most important Halloween safety tip is to check all candy that your child acquires when you go trick-or-treating. The best way to check candy is to do it as soon as you get home, and have your child spread the sugary sweets across your kitchen table. If your child is persistent on having some candy, you can have them sit next to you as you evaluate the candy. When you deem a piece is good, you can give it to your child — and they’ll be sure to love that sweet surprise!

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music and physical activities. To learn more about the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.

3 Ways Miss Sue's Teaches Motor Skills

One of the most important skills your child will learn during their early education years are motor skills. Being used in a variety of daily activities such as turning a doorknob or twisting a key, motor skills will help spark their independence — and at Miss Sue’s, that’s an easy feat to accomplish. If you’re curious as to how our team ignites this spark, well, it’s quite simple:

Way 1: Using Modeling Clay

Looking back on your childhood, do you remember playing with modeling clay quite often? Besides being a fun, imaginative medium to express your creativity, this clay also helps build motor skills. In our curriculum at Miss Sue’s, we place a great emphasis on craft time, by providing our students with non-toxic modeling clay to not only bring their imagination to life, but to continue building their motor skills — since the clay requires students to use their hands to create various shapes and patterns with the modeling clay.

Way 2: Build With Building Blocks

Another way we help our students enhance their motor skills is by working with building blocks. Just like modeling clay, building blocks not only create incredible structures — but they also build your child’s motor skills, too. In addition to fine tuning these essential skills, building blocks also develop problem solving and mathematical skills when students are constructing their masterpieces. At Miss Sue’s, we provide our students with building blocks to help them build a city/town they envision, while enhancing their motor skills!

Way 3: Arts & Crafts

The biggest staple of helping children develop motor skills is through arts and crafts. From painting a picture to creating a beaded bracelet, art not only helps students discover their creativity, but also also creates a platform for students to take their motor skills and transcend to new levels! At Miss Sue’s we believe that arts and crafts is an essential part of our program, because it’s a surefire way to help students to not only implement their motor skills but to also express their creative voices to the world!

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music and physical activities. To learn more about the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.

3 Great Ways to Practice Letter Writing With Preschoolers

Writing is one of the most important life-skills a child can develop. From writing their name to their address, it’s a form of universal communication that your child will need to have in the palm of their hand — literally. Instead of throwing a child into numerous workbooks to learn this skill, Miss Sue’s has a different, more friendly approach to practice letter writing:

Way 1: Large Paper and Markers

One of our students’ favorite methods of practicing letter writing is with a large pad and variety of non-toxic markers! This is not only a fun way to practice, but it gives our students the opportunity to see the letters they’re drawing full-scale — and with a fun twist, too! Since they are up-close to the letters, students can study the detail of how each letter is shaped and can even master their own personal writing style! It’s a perfect way to get students hands-on into the learning process!

Way 2: Words and Drawings

Another popular way that we  practice letters with our preschoolers is by accompanying words with  drawings. This not only helps our students become more familiar with writing full words, but they’ll also be able to visualize what they’re writing about. For example: we’ll present our students with the word “Queen,” followed by a simple drawing of a Queen. When a student sees this, they’ll be able to envision the word more clearly and will have a simpler time writing it on their own. It’s a great way to not only solidify the word within their minds, but to also get their creative juices going!

Way 3: Tracing Words

In addition to writing letters and full words on their own, another great method for teaching our students to write is by tracing their own name! When you write a child’s name down and give it to them, it will not only entice them to write it for themselves, but will also help them develop more of a connection of how they’d like to write their name. It’s a wonderful solution to help expedite the letter writing process, and gives children a chance to grow independently, too.

At Miss Sue’s Nursery School, our prime educational goal is the development of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. A multi-sensory, holistic approach to learning is provided through play, art, music and physical activities. To learn more about the school and give your child the best pre-k experience, give us a call at 516-938-0894.