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When the concept for Kid Ventures San Diego was developed, the idea of creating an indoor play space that could stimulate the creativity and imagination of children while facilitating physical activity and movement was in clear alignment with the theory that this form of play is essential to a child's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
Because play involved physical activity, it is closely linked to the development of fine and gross motor skills and general body awareness. This physical development at a young age will have a signficant impact on a child's ability to participate in structured activies and sports as he/she gets older.
Interactive play also fulfills the basic social and emotional need by human beings to connect with and feel part of a group. Playing with others is a child's first experience at connecting with non-family members, learning to share, care and work as a team. It also allows then to match their behavior with other children and take on other viewpoints.
Evidence also provides a strong link between play and cognitive development. By focusing on creative play, children can work with manipulatives, props and dress up to help stimulate learning and brain development
There are lots of excellent resources that provide further details into the linkages between play and physical, social, emoitional and cognitive development. So the next time your little one is enjoying the market, fire station, pirate ship or just time with another child at Kid Ventures, remember, they are at work!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
411 on H1N1!
Here it comes again. Most of this calendar year, we’ve been hearing about this new disease and the “pandemic” resulting from it, the increased burden of sickness and deaths from it, and the efforts to minimize its effects on us, our children and our communities.
The disease is officially called “The Novel H1N1 influenza A of 2009”. The same virus exists in pig and bird populations, but there is not any good evidence that this pandemic started with pigs—or birds. It transmits from person to person, like other virus infections, and very much like the “seasonal” flu, the one we battle every year. The word pandemic has a scary sound to it, like “plague”, but what it simply means is that this virus slips around the world, being documented in large numbers in multiple countries, pretty much like the seasonal flu. It may not even be as dangerous as the seasonal flu, but it’s an added contagious disease, and it can make a lot of people pretty sick. So it has become a public health nuisance; and it has also become a model disease for organized healthcare systems to design and mobilize methods to prevent, and to contain it. So far this year, 97% of influenza A infections have been this type. The usual, seasonal “flu” typically hits in January through March around here.
Media hype can easily distort the true impact of this virus. It is controllable, preventable, usually not dangerous, and even treatable with medicine when necessary and appropriate. The public health agencies have been doing a good to excellent job of rallying the troops of vaccine makers, health care providers, and local health departments to increase awareness about how to minimize this virus’s impact on us.
Some guidelines:
1. Wash your hands frequently.
2. Cough into your sleeve.
3. If you or a family member has a fever, sore throat, headache, body aches, and/or cough-- stay at home. Don’t go to work or school, and don’t travel unless absolutely necessary.
4. If you have a chronic illness and have these symptoms, call your healthcare provider for advice.
5. If you or your child is short of breath, call your healthcare provider.
6. Try to avoid contact with others outside your home.
7. Immunizations:
There are 5 priority groups that are being targeted for vaccine:
1. Pregnant women,
2. Caregivers of babies under 6 months old,
3. Healthcare workers,
4. People 6 months to 24 years old,
5. 25 to 64 year olds with chronic health conditions,
Then there’s the rest of us:
o Everyone else 25 to 64,
o Those 65 and older (probably exposed earlier in life, so not as susceptible).
To complicate matters, there are two different vaccines:
1. A live virus nasal mist, for people 2 years to 49 years old, but not pregnant women or persons with unhealthy immune systems.
2. A killed vaccine (the shot), which anyone can get unless they’re allergic to eggs.
Neither of these vaccines protects against the seasonal flu. The vaccine for seasonal influenza A is available now. The Novel H1N1 vaccine is supposed to become available later this month, through your health care provider, vaccine clinics or the public health department. The two flu shots can be given at the same time, or close together. The nasal mists need to be separated by about 3 weeks.
Once a person comes down with the infection, medicine is usually not helpful. The two medicines that have some effect against the virus are being reserved for high-risk people, those sick enough to be in the hospital, and the very frail. Over-using the medicines (tamiflu and relenza) will inevitably lead to their being ineffective.
The disease is officially called “The Novel H1N1 influenza A of 2009”. The same virus exists in pig and bird populations, but there is not any good evidence that this pandemic started with pigs—or birds. It transmits from person to person, like other virus infections, and very much like the “seasonal” flu, the one we battle every year. The word pandemic has a scary sound to it, like “plague”, but what it simply means is that this virus slips around the world, being documented in large numbers in multiple countries, pretty much like the seasonal flu. It may not even be as dangerous as the seasonal flu, but it’s an added contagious disease, and it can make a lot of people pretty sick. So it has become a public health nuisance; and it has also become a model disease for organized healthcare systems to design and mobilize methods to prevent, and to contain it. So far this year, 97% of influenza A infections have been this type. The usual, seasonal “flu” typically hits in January through March around here.
Media hype can easily distort the true impact of this virus. It is controllable, preventable, usually not dangerous, and even treatable with medicine when necessary and appropriate. The public health agencies have been doing a good to excellent job of rallying the troops of vaccine makers, health care providers, and local health departments to increase awareness about how to minimize this virus’s impact on us.
Some guidelines:
1. Wash your hands frequently.
2. Cough into your sleeve.
3. If you or a family member has a fever, sore throat, headache, body aches, and/or cough-- stay at home. Don’t go to work or school, and don’t travel unless absolutely necessary.
4. If you have a chronic illness and have these symptoms, call your healthcare provider for advice.
5. If you or your child is short of breath, call your healthcare provider.
6. Try to avoid contact with others outside your home.
7. Immunizations:
There are 5 priority groups that are being targeted for vaccine:
1. Pregnant women,
2. Caregivers of babies under 6 months old,
3. Healthcare workers,
4. People 6 months to 24 years old,
5. 25 to 64 year olds with chronic health conditions,
Then there’s the rest of us:
o Everyone else 25 to 64,
o Those 65 and older (probably exposed earlier in life, so not as susceptible).
To complicate matters, there are two different vaccines:
1. A live virus nasal mist, for people 2 years to 49 years old, but not pregnant women or persons with unhealthy immune systems.
2. A killed vaccine (the shot), which anyone can get unless they’re allergic to eggs.
Neither of these vaccines protects against the seasonal flu. The vaccine for seasonal influenza A is available now. The Novel H1N1 vaccine is supposed to become available later this month, through your health care provider, vaccine clinics or the public health department. The two flu shots can be given at the same time, or close together. The nasal mists need to be separated by about 3 weeks.
Once a person comes down with the infection, medicine is usually not helpful. The two medicines that have some effect against the virus are being reserved for high-risk people, those sick enough to be in the hospital, and the very frail. Over-using the medicines (tamiflu and relenza) will inevitably lead to their being ineffective.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Parents' Night Out Event!
| Parents Night Out on 8/15/2009 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm | ||
It's Date Night for You and Fun Night for the Kids at our Luau Parents' Night Out. Drop your children off at 5pm and we will make sure they have an absolute blast. We'll take care of their dinner and after you have had a nice evening, pick them up at 9pm. Includes Luau themed games (like hula and limbo), activities, craft, dinner and tons of fun! Also - have your kids be part of Kid Ventures history. We will be adding their handprints in paint on the Art Studio wall. For this event: Members - $40/child ($20 for additional siblings) Non Members - $45/child ($25 for additional siblings) REGISTER TODAY! | ||
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
ABC's "Super Nanny" Casting Call
Featuring Jo Frost, America's #1 Nanny!
We are searching for families with:
- Unique interests
- Parents who have ordinary and extraordinary circumstances
- Teen moms
- Parents with mean girls or bullying boys
- Culturally diverse parents
- Blended families where both sides are seeking help
We want families from every type of background who are ready for the opportunity of a lifetime-- a visit from America's #1 Nanny, Jo Frost!
An ABC casting recruiter will be on location at Kid Ventures this coming Thursday, August 13th, to find a family to be featured on the program. If your family is interested in participating, please come to Kid Ventures or contact us to find out more information!
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Visit www.supernanny.com to join the phenomenon!
Call Toll Free: (877) NANNY-TIME or (877) 626-6984
Friday, July 24, 2009
Got Kid Ventures Pictures?
We want to make the Kid Ventures experience fun and interactive for kids and families to enjoy together no matter where you are! We would like to start a "Kid Ventures Picture of the Week" section on our blog or website that will feature pictures of your time at KV.
If you have any pictures you've taken of your little one during your visits at Kid Ventures that you would like to share, please attach them to an email and send them to sdkidventures@gmail.com with the subject heading "KV Picture," and yours may be the featured as the next Kid Ventures Picture of the Week!
Monday, July 20, 2009
NEW Kid Ventures Cafe Items!
New Items include:
- Iced Teas
- Iced Coffee Drinks (Choose your own flavor: Mocha, Vanilla & Caramel)
- Fruit Smoothies (Mix and Match flavors: Strawberry, Banana, Peach & Berry)
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