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Pandemic Pods: Everything You Need to Know

Pandemic Pods: Everything You Need to Know

The majority of schools around the country have some form of online learning. Unable to sit in a classroom with their peers, many kids and parents are turning to pandemic pods to fill the void. Here is everything you need to know:

What are pandemic pods?

A pandemic pod is like a bubble. A small group of families get together and only interact with the people within the pod. They will provide childcare, educational assistance, and playdates to everyone in the group. By interacting only with the people within a pandemic pod, families can allow their kids to socialize without putting them at risk of contracting the coronavirus.

How to set up a pod

With cases starting to rise once again, you want to keep your kids safe, but you don’t want them to become isolated. Pandemic pods act as a great compromise, allowing children to socialize safely with a low risk of infection. But how do you set one up? Here are a couple of steps to get you started:

Talk to parents of your children’s friends

When forming a pod, look for families you trust and who are good friends with your children. You can also stay within your family, asking cousins to join in. The key is to provide your kids with similar-aged peers to hang around with.

Set the rules

Once you have a few families who have agreed to the pod, it’s time to set some ground rules. These include the following:

  • Determine who, outside of the pod, families can interact with (ideally, only those within the pod should interact with each other, but you can add in close family members as well)
  • Make a plan for if anyone gets sick
  • Determine if you’ll wear masks and social distance (you should do this if you interact with people outside of the pod)
  • Figure out which days you will meet and who will supervise during these meetings

We at The Zoo Factory want our kids to have fun but also stay safe. For more tips on protecting your child during the coronavirus pandemic, read through our blog here!

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What Is Dramatic Play and Why Is It Important?

What Is Dramatic Play and Why Is It Important?

We all know how beneficial playtime can be for our kids. Not only is it lots of fun, but it can also lower stress levels and decrease symptoms of depression. But did you know that different types of play can have different effects on our kids? Dramatic play provides kids a chance to show off their creativity and live lives they otherwise wouldn’t have. Read on to learn more:

What is dramatic play?

Dramatic play refers to the make-believe games your kids create. They often include characters and stories of your kid’s creation, almost as if they were putting on their own play. Some kids may become especially dedicated to the game, putting on costumes and dressing up their dolls and toys to fit in with the scene.

Dramatic play vs. pretend play

Another term that is thrown around is pretend play. Dramatic play and pretend play are extremely similar, and many people use the terms interchangeably. However, some view dramatic play as a more complex form of pretend play, employing plots and three-dimensional characters.

Why is it important?

Dramatic play can bring a whole host of benefits to your kids. After all, dramatic play requires creativity and imagination, two things that can enhance critical thinking skills and symbolic thought. But that’s not all dramatic play can do:

  • Boosts intellectual development
  • Enhances verbal skills
  • Develops symbolic thought
  • Let’s kids practice higher-level thinking
  • Works on creativity and imagination

At The Zoo Factory, we carry plenty of lovable, stuffable animals for your child to play with. Look through our inventory today to get started!

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How to Improve Your Child’s Fine Motor Skills

How to Improve Your Child’s Fine Motor Skills

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard about your child’s fine motor skills. Known as the ability to move the small muscles in your hands, fingers, and wrists, our fine motor skills impact our everyday lives. It can affect how we write, how we play, and how we do our work. \

As children, developing our fine motor skills is crucial, but how do you do so? Follow these steps to find out:

Drawing, coloring, and writing

Fine motor skills are mainly used when we write our names or draw a picture. As such, the more our children practice drawing, color, or writing, the better they’ll become at all three. Their work doesn’t have to be perfect, for even small scribbles and doodles can make an impact. So, grab your kid a colored pencil set and let their imagination run wild!

Crafts

If your child doesn’t enjoy drawing or writing, they can always try their hand at some crafts.  Origami, paper snowflakes, and scrapbooking are just some of the many crafts that can improve your child’s fine motor skills. Plus, these activities can be relatively cheap. All that your child needs is some paper, glue, and scissors to make something wonderful for you or themselves.

Toys and games

Many toys and games can help improve your child’s fine motor skills. Even video games are known to help, thanks to the various movements you have to make on their controllers. Just make sure that the toys and games you get for your child are age-appropriate and don’t pose any risks to their health.

The Zoo Factory’s stuffable animals can be great tools to help your child work on their fine motor skills. Look through our inventory to get started!