Adventures as a whole family aren’t just important for kids because of the bonding time, but there are other significant advantages for kids. Adventures can be anything from overseas holidays to day trips. They don’t need to be expensive or extravagant, and the simplest of them all benefit kids so much! Here we put together a list of why family adventures are so good for kids.

Family bonding time:
Spending time with kids will give them the chance to talk to you, play and learn together. It’s a fantastic bonding time. Siblings will also grow closer together when they experience fun adventures together. Try and limit everyone’s screen time (including yours) and you will get to have some great quality time as a whole family.

Summer holidays are fun, but planning them and then packing your life into a couple of suitcases to go away is pretty challenging. Especially when you have more than one child. We wanted to include these tips in hope of making your packing and preparing for the holiday easy.

Checksheet
Make sure to prepare one in advance. Sometimes you may think of something that’s important during the strangest of times, but then forget to remember to actually take it. Start your checklist in advance and keep it on the fridge. Then add to it as you go.

Pack light
I know it’s super challenging for some, but how many holidays did you have when you only wore a couple of outfits and the rest of the heavy luggage just came to the holiday with you?
Choose a few outfits and go with them. This is a great opportunity to create your holiday capsule. Keep things simple. Lay a few clothing pieces for each member of the family and then create outfits matching and reusing some items together.

Have a plan
A little planning goes a long way. Being organised makes holidays with kids that much easier. Have an approximate (or definite) itinerary for a piece of mind. Up to you how much detail you’ll go into, but make sure to have some sort of idea on what you’re doing during the holiday.

Have little helpers
Make sure the kids are helping you carry stuff, especially their own. There are many options for kids’ bags these days and whether it’s a backpack or a bag on wheels - utilise the help they can give you by carrying their own things.

Pack essentials
Things like sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, wet wipes, nappies, any other toiletries and medicine are all very important and you should definitely list them first on the check sheet. You don’t want to be running around looking for nappies in an unfamiliar place at night. Most parents have been in a similar situation though and while it’s funny now, it’s definitely far away from that when it’s happening to you!



Downsize your toiletries
Get special small-sized bottles to put your shampoo, conditioner or soap in. Don’t carry extra weight when it’s not needed.

Pack in advance
The worst idea here would be to pack on the day (or a few hours) before you actually have to leave your house. Make sure to be organised the night before, which will make your morning/day getting ready much easier.

Pack lots of snacks
Whether it’s a road trip or an aeroplane travel, the best decision you can make here is to grab a few snacks to keep kids entertained and avoid hungry moaning between travel times or while waiting for a flight check-in.

Breathe and have fun!
And finally, don’t forget to breathe! Holidays with kids can be stressful, but they don’t really have to be. Appreciate this time and the opportunity to get away and change the scenery. Enjoy!

​

​Some might be surprised to find out that bruising can be a sign of vitamin deficiency. Yes, that’s right, your child might be in need of vitamin C, Vitamin B-9 and B-12 and vitamin K, as these are associated with bruising easily. Once your child starts taking these vitamins as supplements, you will see that the bruising will improve.

Vitamin C helps with body’s collagen production, boosts the immune system and serves as an antioxidant. Very powerful little vitamin isn’t it!

Recently the concept of Play-Based Learning has been popular among New Zealand families and
educators.
​Many sources are providing a wealth of ideas on Play-Based Learning and how to approach little learners and help them develop and learn. Play-Based Learning helps in developing social skills, relationships, communication skills, motor and fine-motor skills and problem-solving skills.

We all know the back in the day’s “chalk and talk” way of teaching where kids are taught in the way that
suits the teacher... Play-Based Learning is all about teaching kids in the way they accept and understand
better - through play.

It is astounding how much kids can learn through play. It helps them explore and discover, understand
boundaries and take risks. A play isn't something they do to pass the time, it gives them so much more
like learning how to solve problems and deal with various situations. Learning literacy and numeracy can
also be done through play, and kids love it.

Anything can be introduced through play-based learning where kids are engaged and can learn easily. It
is kids’ constant interest in the world and enjoyment of discovering that motivates them to learn more.
Play-based learning is very hands-on as well, as children love feeling the sense of independence.

Modern day families and educators have all moved towards this way of supporting kids’ learning. The
key is to know and understand what the child’s interests are to then offer learning activities around
what the child enjoys, as it’ll ensure them staying interested and engaged for longer.

There are also two types of Play-Based learning - where it is a free play where kids explore what they
want independently and a guided play where an adult guides the kids during the play.

Below are some fun Play-Based Learning ideas suggested by the Auckland Kindergarten Association.
● Create paper plate faces: need paper plates, scissors and pens. Create a funny face!
● String painting: paper, string and paints. Dip the string into paints and ‘paint’ your masterpiece.
● Playdough: place playdough, objects (like figurines) and create a fun mini city.
● Baking soda volcano: this is for little experimenters! All you need is baking soda, vinegar and a
container to create this volcano in.
● Toilet paper roll crafts: grab a few toilet paper rolls and use glue or cellar tape to attach them
together creating fun shapes and constructions, or simply create a binocular with 2 rolls. Draw
or paint on them a fun design.
● Flowers: collect flowers from outside and examine them together. Discuss their colours, shapes
and smells and then create a card with them. Use a glue or cellar tape to attach them to a paper.

Did you know that there is a high level of Vitamin K deficiency in infants and children?
​
Vitamin K2 and its amazing benefits are often overlooked. However, it is, in fact, an essential vitamin which can hugely support your kids’ health and development. It has so many benefits, like promote cardiovascular health, supports coagulation and bone mineralisation. 

You may know that most infants have low vitamin K levels when they are born, and midwives often
suggest a shot of this vitamin as soon as they are born. Well, the reason is due to the placental barrier
as well as breast milk offering very low levels of this vitamin.
​
Vitamin K deficiency is prevalent in kids with the weakened immune system as well as healthy kids. So
supplementing with this vitamin (in particularly with a K2 form of it) is an effective way to manage
Vitamin K deficiency. A K2 form of the Vitamin K is advanced over other types of this vitamin due to its
life, bioavailability and effective use in kids.

Starting Right
Healthy life and ageing begin with healthy infancy and childhood. Adequate levels of nutrients and
vitamins in our kids’ bodies are vital to ensure their health going into the adulthood.
Vitamin K supports Calcium absorption helping it build strong bones, which are mostly developed during
childhood and teenage years. So without vitamin K2 helping calcium ‘do its work’, strong and healthy
bones cannot be properly built.

Vitamin K in Foods
Food that contains vitamin K2 isn’t regular household names or something you would eat on a regular
basis. This vitamin is in certain foods which aren’t well known. They are natto (fermented soy), goose
liver pate and goose leg, hard cheeses like gouda or gruyere, Gouda, Pecorino Romano, Gruyere, etc.),
egg yolk, grass-fed butter, chicken liver.​

As a child grows and learns the environment around them, it is important to encourage and support their development.

Children benefit greatly from active learning activities. Simple and fun activities can be incorporated easily into your daily life, and we would like to share nine ideas below. Remember when a question is asked to which your child finds a solution, a critical cognitive development happens which is important to the little mind.

Colours and Shapes
Identify them anywhere you are. With younger kids, you can describe what you see and teach them colours and shapes, but with older kids, you can ask questions about what they see and discuss their answers.

Identify Noises and Sounds
Identify the noises you and your child hear every day. Whether it’s a helicopter flying by or a bird singing, make sure to point it out and talk about it with your child. Kids start recognising sounds around them and tell you next time they hear something they know.

Provide opportunities with hands-on experiences
Get your child out and about on a regular basis. Places like museums, markets or outdoor events (with kids’ activities) or parks and gardens can offer great hands-on experiences. Whether it’s learning about dinosaurs in a museum or feeding the ducks in a park, they will all support your child’s cognitive development.

Practise Counting
Learning how to count doesn’t need to happen only during certain times or at daycare/kindergarten or school. You can incorporate it into your daily life and make it interesting along the way. Find opportunities to practise counting - fruit pieces your child is eating, shoes at the front door, pens on the desk or cups on the table.

Practise Letters
Learn the alphabet with your child by singing the alphabet song together, reading books, writing their name or playing with alphabet flashcards. For older children, you can make it fun and get them to practise writing letters in a tray of salt or coloured sand.

Play every day
You can make a fun play out of anything which won’t just entertain your child but support their cognitive development. Get them to help you with putting laundry out of a basket into draws, put lids on jars or look in the mirror and point at things you ask them (like "nose",  "ear" and so on).

Offer Choices
It is important to offer choices to your child, as that develops their thinking and solving problems skills. They also feel independent, and their confidence grows. Ask simple questions about whether they would like to wear blue or grey pants or whether they would like a banana or orange.

Play Games
Encourage younger kids to play games like building blocks or messy play tray (with shaving foam and paint or coloured sand). Older kids can play puzzles or dress ups. Participating in such games yourself can also provide perfect quality time with your child.

Ask Questions
Kids learn every second of the day and talking to them about ordinary things can bring unordinary results. You will not just get to know what your child thinks about everyday things, but get them think and understand what’s happening around them. Ask them why they think they should walk slowly on the stairs or why only mummy can make their hot meal.

Whatever activities you do with your little one, remember to have fun and enjoy some good quality time.
​They don’t stay little for long!

More people are choosing a holistic way of treating themselves and their kids from sicknesses.
Choosing natural or herbal medicines doesn’t just help you during or onset of a sickness, but it supports your immune system in fighting bugs naturally.

It’s no wonder that echinacea is one of the most popular herbs among adults and kids to help with winter bugs. It has proven to support the immune system and decrease and even prevent upper respiratory infections. It also helps prevent infections from developing stronger into bacterial ones.

What is Echinacea?

Otherwise known as Purple Coneflower, this wonderful herb is originated in the USA. Ancient Indians used it for many centuries to help fight and avoid infections.

Supplements which include echinacea are created from the root only, the flower only or combination of both. Because echinacea is a member of the daisy family, it is advised to be careful when giving kids with allergies associated with the daisy family plants. It is also suggested to use echinacea for a limited period and not on a constant basis.

This great herb is also known to be an antioxidant and includes Zinc, Vitamin C and Selenium, which are all immune system supporters and great antioxidants. It is also suggested to use echinacea in combination with vitamin C, which is widely used for developing and maintaining a healthy immune system. These two can provide the right support
in fighting winter bugs. Whether a child has just started showing signs of such illnesses like cold, flu, sore throat, cough or they have been already sick for some days, echinacea can help at any stage of the illness with fighting bugs off.