The Best Nut-Free Lunches for Kids

Parents: does your child have a nut allergy? Whether it be peanuts or almonds, to name a few, there are a variety of products that are created with nut-based products. Of course, this could be a potential risk to your child (and to those around them), so it’s best to always take precaution when making your child’s lunches. Looking to change up their menu? Here are a few ideas to check out:

Create your own Snack Pack

One of the best meals to create for your little one is a snack pack. Of course, you could always purchase one of these ~famous~ lunches at your local grocery store — but it’s more fun (and personalized) when you make your own! To start, you’ll need the following:

• Reusable plastic snack container with compartments
• Crackers
• Cheese
• Pepperoni 
• Small cupcake wrappers

Once you acquire these ingredients for your child’s snack pack, it’s then time to start building it!  To start, you can fill the bottom of the bigger compartment with crackers. From there, you can take your small cupcake wrappers and place some slices of cheese and pepperoni in them. This will not only keep these ingredients from getting the crackers soggy, but it will keep your child’s lunch neat and organized! 

After that step is complete, you can then add some addition nut-free snacks in the other compartments — and then you’ll have created the greatest snack pack on the planet! Your child will love this little lunch, and you’ll have peace of mind, knowing that it’s completely nut-free!

Make Mini Pizzas

Another great nut-free lunch to make for your child are some miniature pizzas! Perfect for the kid that loves pizza parties, this will make their lunch not only tasty but fun, too! To start, you’ll want to purchase the following ingredients:

• A package of tortillas
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Tomato sauce
• A muffin pan

After you acquire these essential ingredients, it’s then time to start the pizza making process! To start, you’ll want to take a preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Next, take a tortilla and cut small circles to fit into the cups of the muffin pan. From there, you’ll want to take a teaspoon of tomato sauce to place on top of each small pizza “dough.” 

Next, sprinkle a nice helping of cheese and then place the muffin pan in the oven for approximately 10-to-15 minutes. Once the time is up, let the mini pizzas cool down and then you’ll be good to go! Your child will certainly love this little pizza party that they’ll have for lunch!

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.

Summer Weekend Fun for Kids!

When it comes to summer fun on Long Island, Miss Sue’s takes the lead! With our incredible day camp program, your little one will be having a blast participating in a variety of phenomenal camp activities all week long — but what about over the weekend? Here are some fun outdoor activities to do on Saturdays and Sundays with your little campers, parents!

Start a Garden

One of the most timeless outdoor activities is to plant a garden with your little camper! Of course, the garden doesn’t have to be the size of a football field — but it can be as big or small as you’d like it. When it comes to gardening, the possibilities are endless (and quite fun, too)!

To start, you’ll want to gather the following items:

• Sunscreen
• A baseball hat
• Sunglasses
• Gardening gloves
• Top soil
• Seeds/Plants

Once you acquire these materials, you can then start the gardening process! Not only will your child develop a love for gardening — but they’ll have a blast watching it grow over time, too!

Go on a Nature Walk

Looking for a great way to enjoy the great outdoors this summer? Go for a nature walk with your little one! Of course, you’ll want to do this on a slightly cooler day, where the temperature isn’t above 80 degrees.

Not only will this be the perfect way to stay active, but your little camper will fall in love with observing nature and all that it has to offer! If you’re looking to take it up a notch, then you can even park some snacks, or lunch, and hold a little picnic, too!

Create a Waterpark

Another way to have fun on the weekend is to create a waterpark in your backyard! Just like creating a garden, a waterpark is a perfect opportunity to let your imagination run wild! Of course, your homemade aquatic park won’t have to replicate those that are on the Island — but it can come close!

To create a fantastic waterpark, gather these materials:

• A sprinkler
• Pool noodles
• A portable pool 
• Small pool inflatables

When you obtain these items, it will then be time to set up your mini-waterpark! Before you set up the park, you’ll want to find a space that’s slightly shaded to keep the water cool. After you locate the perfect spot, place the pool in the center, followed by setting the sprinkler right next to it.

Next, you can take the pool noodles and small pool inflatables (i.e., beach ball) and place them around the pool — and you’ll be good to go! With parental supervision, this little waterpark will enamor your little one -- especially with how much fun it will be!

When you choose Miss Sue’s Summer Fun, you can rest assured knowing that your child is safely having fun in the sun, while also building the knowledge, skills, and confidence to have a successful future. To learn more about the program, give us a call at 516-366-5623.

How to Encourage Summer Reading

Believe it or not, sometimes summer reading can seem like quite a challenge from a parent’s perspective. From selecting books to making time for a book, your little one might want to avoid the literary activity altogether. If you’re looking for a way to encourage summer reading, then here are a few fun tips to make it happen with ease!

Make it a Game

One of the best ways to motivate your child to read is to create a game! To start, you’ll want to pick a book that will be the perfect choice for their reading level.

From there, you can sit down with them and look at the book together — but there’s a catch: you’ll read a page, and then your child will have to read the next.

Your child will love this game since it will be quite fun to take turns reading a great book together!

Create Reading Time

Another way to encourage summer reading is to create a designated reading time for your child. Of course, they might not be sold on the idea, at first — but you can make it quite a fun time!

One of the best ways to do this is to create a comfortable reading area for your child. Whether you bring an excess amount of pillows or their favorite stuffed animals, the possibilities are endless for a reading nook!

Once this is created, you can factor about thirty minutes to an hour each day for your child to read!

Bring the Fun

Looking for a way to make your child’s summer reading a fun experience? Select a funny, comedy-based book for their age level — and your child will have a blast reading through it!

Sometimes it takes a laugh, or two, to make reading fun for any child — and a funny book will undoubtedly be the solution to making this work!

Outdoor Reading Area

In the spirit of summer, you can create an outdoor reading area for your little one, right in your backyard!

To start, you’ll want to find a cool, shaded area for them to read. Next, you can decorate the space with a tropical theme.

When doing this, you can include faux palm trees, a sandbox and even a beach umbrella, too! No matter what you choose, your little one will get into the summer reading spirit!

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.