New Horizon Academy

What's better than learning in the classroom? Learning outside! ☀

Last week's outdoor fun included:
🔹 Nature painting
🔹 Nature color-match scavenger hunt
🔹 Picnic breakfast & lunch
🔹 Bubble dance party
🔹 And more!

Last week our pre-k friends made strawberry apple sauce!

Make it at home using the recipe below 👇
-3 pounds of apples chopped into small pieces (peeled if you would like)
-1 pack of strawberries chopped into small pieces
-1/2 cup of brown sugar

For instant pots: cook on high for 8 minutes
For stovetop: cook on low for 8 minutes and stir consistently

Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy! 🥣

Last week, Pre-K did a chair wash for the whole school! We handed out flyers to all the teachers the week before and they all placed their chairs outside for us. 🪑🧼

Our Pre-K friends painted to music with drumsticks. 🎨

Our Pre-K class had some visitors who brought in lots of instruments to play and show us! Even one that's now 100 years old and once belonged to someone famous! Our friends got to try some fun new instruments as well. We also all played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star together on our recorders. 🎶

Earlier this week our pre-k friends made avocado toast. Now they are going to try to grow avocados with the seeds. 🥑

Our pre-k friends do a cooking activity every week! Last week we mastered our chopping skills as we cut up bananas for chocolate banana bars with coconut and sprinkles! Yummy! 👨‍🍳

Groth Music Company in Bloomington kindly let our pre-k class borrow lots of fun instruments to use in the classroom as they learn about music! Today we played on the keyboard and learned how to use a recorder! 🎹🎶

Earlier this month, we celebrated . We set up a station so families could plant flowers to take home and watch grow! 🌻

We've been having a lot of fun in our Preschool B class! Some of the activities we've enjoyed recently have included:

🔹 Making homemade crowns for hat day
🔹 Cutting fabric and practicing our scissors skills
🔹 Making no-bake energy balls

We had a very special visitor earlier this week in our PreK class! A Grandma of one of our friends came and she talked about yarn and how to knit. All the kids got to play with string and do a knitting stitch. She even made everyone a hat! 🧶

As part of our clothing study, our pre-k friends made people out of paper bags! We made outfits out of fabric scraps and hair out of yarn.

We're celebrating a birthday today in pre-k, so we used up our extra ingredients and made cookies! 🍪

Here's us tie-dyeing bandanas last week! 😊

This week, our pre-k friends got to rock the awesome tie-dye gear we made last week! 🌈

Our Pre-K class made T-shirts out of paper today as we learned about clothes.

Did you know?!

🎵 Music helps children with cognitive growth, problem-solving skills, self-expression, and social development.
🎵 Early music education helps toddlers begin to develop large motor and language skills.
🎵 Musical play creates and reinforces the special personal bond between an adult and an infant.

MacPhail Center for Music shares so many more benefits of music in our latest episode! 🎙 Listen here:
https://bit.ly/3TQDrhT

Today, our schools are closed in observance of . Here are a few ways you can teach your child about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and the importance of equality and kindness.

How to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy - New Horizon Academy We explore children's books and activities that honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

Looking for the perfect preschool for your soon-to-be kindergartener? Here are 20 essential questions to ask to help you make a confident decision for your little one's education. 🏫 https://bit.ly/41UVmb0

How to Choose the Best Preschool - New Horizon Academy Choosing a preschool can be overwhelming. Here are 20 questions to ask before choosing a preschool program for your child.

On days too cold to go outside, we improvise! Here's one of our favorite recipes for homemade snow 👇

Materials:
❄ 1/2 cup of conditioner
❄ 3 cups of baking soda
❄ Small sticks
❄ Loose parts
❄ Cookie cutters
❄ Cups

Instructions:
Start with 1/2 cup of conditioner and use a fork to stir in about 3 cups of baking soda. This snow packs very well and is great for making snowmen! Add sticks for arms. Use the loose parts for creative play and decorating the snowman. Use cookie cutters and cups for making shapes and even more fun!

Find more fun indoor snow activities on our website! https://bit.ly/47vM9XX ❄

Fuel your child's love for reading and build lifelong habits with these tips! 📚📖

Reading Tips for Babies:
🔹 Choose books with simple, bright, and colorful shapes.
🔹 Recite or sing nursery rhymes and songs.

Reading Tips for Toddlers:
🔹 Choose engaging books with simple sentence structures and repetition.
🔹 Point to the words as you read.

Reading Tips for Preschoolers:
🔹 Read every day.
🔹 Create a special place in your home for your child to read.

Find more reading tips in our latest article from Idaho Family Magazine: https://bit.ly/4aPltV1

A friendly reminder that New Horizon Academy will be closed on Monday, January 15 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Thank you!

Don't miss your chance to support your favorite Minnesota businesses through Minnesota Parent's Family Favorite Awards! We would be thrilled if you could take a moment to vote for New Horizon Academy in the #53 category: "Best Preschool/Childcare Center." 💛

Click the link below to cast your vote for your favorite MN businesses! 🔽
https://bit.ly/47HIg2t

We joined Threads! 🧵

Interact with us on Threads throughout the whole month of January for the chance to win a $50 Target gift card!

Every like = 1 entry ❤️
Every repost = 2 entries 🔁
Every comment = 3 entries 💬
*You must be following us to be eligible to win.*

Comment 🧵 on this post when you've entered!
https://www.threads.net/

The winner will be the person with the highest number of entries and will be announced on Wednesday, January 31st. If there is a tie, the winner will be randomly drawn.

Our New Horizon Academy family is growing! Join us in celebrating the grand opening of our third location in Kansas! 🥳🎉

📍 11920 Quivira Rd Overland Park, KS 66213
📞 913-254-3643
🌐 https://bit.ly/3H4JBVY

We can't wait to provide the best daycare and preschool programs to Overland Park families. 🥰

Our Prior Lake pals are having a HOLE lot of fun celebrating ! They're perfecting their fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills through some delightfully CHEESY activities. 😉🧀

As we welcome the new year, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate some of our favorite memories and accomplishments of 2023. We can't wait to see all the exciting things 2024 has in store!

Happy New Year from all of us at New Horizon Academy! 🎉💙

2024 is almost here! Here are 7 fun family-friendly activities to help ring in the new year! 🔔✨

7 Family Activities to Celebrate New Year’s Eve - New Horizon Academy New Horizon Academy Creativity and the Arts, Kids Craft, Kids Cuisine, Kids Fitness, Physical and Motor Development: Our resources provide a wealth of information and inspiration for you and your entire family.

Don't miss our newest podcast episode with Dianna Babcock, Director of Sing Play Learn at MacPhail Center for Music, as she talks about the powerful impact of music in early childhood. 🎶

Listen here: https://bit.ly/3TQDrhT 🎙

We can't contain our excitement! Our brand-new school in Overland Park, Kansas opens a week from today! 👀 🎉

Traveling for the holidays? Here are 12 tips for navigating road trips with little ones! 🚗

12 Tips to Navigate Long Road Trips with Young Children - New Horizon Academy Your next family road trip will be stress-free with these 12 easy tips for travelling with young children.

Many of our schools are finding special ways to give back this holiday season. Our friends in East Apple Valley are spreading cheer by filling stockings for children affected by war.

Let's continue to come together and make this season a little brighter for all. Happy holidays! ❄✨

It's the first day of winter! Tell us, do you prefer snow or no snow? ❄️

React with a ❤️ for snow, or 👍 for no snow.

We had our Breakfast with Santa event last weekend! We enjoyed lots of yummy food, many crafts and activities, music, and of course...Santa! 🎅

A big shoutout to Minneapolis Firefighters Local 82 and CenterPoint Energy for spreading extra warmth and joy to our friends in Minneapolis! Thanks to their generous donation of winter coats, we're ready to stay warm all winter long. ❄️

A friendly reminder that New Horizon Academy will be closed on Monday, December 25 for Christmas and on Monday, January 1, for New Year's Day.

Thank you and Happy Holidays! ❄️

"I work from home, why would I need daycare?"

Here are 8 reasons you may want to look for daycare instead of trying to juggle parenting duties while working remotely.

Working From Home With Kids? 8 Reasons Why You Need Daycare - New Horizon Academy I work from home, why would I need childcare? Working from home with kids can be a challenge. Here are 8 reasons you need daycare instead.

We are so excited to announce we have been voted Des Moines Parent's Family Favorite Daycare/Childcare of 2023! ⭐

A big shoutout to our amazing teachers who dedicate their careers to making a positive difference in the lives of young children. We couldn't do it without you! We are grateful for all you do to make us Des Moines' favorite daycare. 💙