How to set up a playdate


Playdates: 10 Parenting Tips on How to Set up

10 Parenting Tips for Setting up Playdates

Learning how to interact and play with other kids is an essential life skill for children to acquire. Playdates are a great way to help enhance the development of your child’s social and emotional skills in a safe and fun environment. As parents, it’s important to provide your little one with plenty of opportunities to play with other children. Here are a few tips to help you set up playdates for your little one:

Choose a playmate with whom your child is compatible

Some children interact better with some peers than others, and that’s okay. It’s important to choose a playmate for your child with whom your little one is compatible. If your child is shy, you may want to choose a peer who is on the quieter side. If your child loves to run and be active,  a friend who also enjoys playing outside would be a good match.

Meet the parents of your child’s playmate before the playdate

It’s always a good idea to meet the other parents before the playdate actually takes place so that you can get to know each other and discuss any expectations you may have ahead of time.

Establish some ground rules

Before the playdate begins, it’s a good idea to establish some ground rules with the other parents as well. When you do this, the adults and children will know what to expect of them, which helps to eliminate any confusion or unexpected surprises regarding behavior. Some common ground rules include:

  • No hitting or biting
  • No name-calling
  • Respect each other’s toys and belongings

Make sure your child is well-rested and fed before the playdate

Nothing ruins a playdate like a cranky, tired child. Ensure that your child has had plenty of rest and eats a healthy meal before the playdate. This will help ensure that children are in a good mood and have lots of energy to enjoy their time with their friends.

Provide of snacks and drinks

When it comes to snacks, sugary treats are not the best idea. Providing  kids with healthy snacks and drinks will ensure that both children are energized and hydrated throughout the playdate. Giving them cold water or juice boxes are great options because they are small enough for little hands to hold on their own.

Encourage your child to try new things

When children play together, there’s a good chance they’ll encounter some games, activities, and environments they’ve never experienced before when playing alone. Playdates are valuable opportunities for children to learn how to play with others while also trying new things that they may have been hesitant to try on their own.

Be mindful when scheduling your child’s playdate

When you schedule a playdate , there are a couple of things to factor in, including your child’s daily routine,  meals, and naps. It’s important to make sure playdates don’t interfere with your child’s nap time or meals. Also, make sure playdates are long enough so the children can enjoy playing together, but not so long that they are likely to become overstimulated or irritable.

Prepare a play space

If you are hosting a playdate at your home, make sure to set up an adequate play area for the children before the playdate begins. Clear out any objects that may pose a safety hazard. If you’re bringing your child to someone else’s home for a playdate, ask the parent if there is anything you can bring, such as extra snacks or drinks.

Plan some fun activities

There are so many fun activities kids enjoy,  and it’s important for them to have fun without getting into trouble or being unsafe. Make sure you have a few back-up activities ready if your planned activity falls through. Choose anything like board games, playdough, or arts and crafts.

Get ready to join in

Rather than sit back while the children play it’s recommended that you are available and willing to join in the activities, and also keep an eye on the kids in case help is needed or if things get out of hand. It’s also fun for children when their parents like to play, so it’s a good idea to get involved from time to time.

Playdates are a fun and excellent way to enrich children’s social skills.. By following these parenting tips, you can help ensure that your child’s playdates are successful and enjoyable!

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Michael Tasner2022-01-06T15:47:19+00:00

Tips for Setting Up Playdates — Encourage Play

You’re on the phone with the school counselor, talking about the concerns you have about your son’s social skills. You hear the words you’ve been dreading - “Mrs. Jackson, one of the best ways to work on these skills is on a play date with one other child. Maybe it makes sense to try to set up a few playdates for him”. But how do you do that? Where do you even begin?

Setting up and prepping for a playdate doesn’t need to be super complicated or take a lot of time. Check out these tips to help you set up and host a successful playdate for your child!

Arrange the date

First things first, you have to figure out who would be a good child to have over for a play date. Talk with your child about who they want to invite over. Help them choose one child who seems friendly and kind. Keep your eyes open when volunteering at the school, during after school activities or on the playground. Look for children who interact well with yours, or have a similar temperament to your child. You never know where you could meet a potential friend.

Most likely, you're going to be the person who is reaching out to the other family to ask about arranging a time. Sometimes this is the hardest step. It’s hard to put yourself out there and see if others want to come over and play. Sometimes the answer may be no, but you'll never know unless you try!

Depending on the age and comfort level of your child, your child may want to ask about a playdate themselves. If your child feels comfortable, have them approach the other child to suggest a play date. You can role play it with your child beforehand, including what to do if the other child says no.

Start where they are comfortable

If you think your child may have difficulty on a play date, it will work best to have a first play date with a new friend at your own house.  Your child will feel more comfortable in a familiar environment. You’ll be able to keep an eye and ear out during the play date so you can step in if things start to break down.

Preview with your child

Remind your child to be polite and respectful to your guests.  Talk through specifics - how can you show respect during a board game? How can you be polite even if you don’t agree with your friend? What happens if your friend wants to play a game and you don’t want to?

Special Items

If your child has special items/toys that they don’t want touched or broken, move them to a safe spot where they won’t be touched.

Keep it short and sweet

If your child is struggling on playdates, schedule the playdate to be short - 60 minutes is ideal, 90 minutes at the most. The goal is to have them experience a good playdate, and having the playtime run too long can lead to more challenging, difficult behaviors. Keep it short and sweet. Once your child is familiar with the other child and you have a few positive experiences under your belt, you can extend the length of the playdate.

Keep it small

There should only be two children on the playdate, your child and your child’s potential friend. Keep siblings occupied and out of the way as much as you possibly can. As a mom, I know this is super challenging, but also worth it. More socially adept siblings can take over a playdate and not even realize that they are doing it. Have something special for your other child to do at that time - or better yet, schedule a playdate for them at the same time.

In general, having 3 children on a playdate can be a recipe for disaster. With 3, it’s easy for someone to get left out. The whole point is to have your child have a good experience on a playdate.

Prep a couple of activities

Pick a couple of games or activities that the children might want to do together and have those ready to go when the playdate starts. Your child may really love LEGOs so you might want to have some out and ready to play. Or they may want to do some drawing and creating, so set out some arts and crafts supplies.

Be ready with a snack

A good playdate can sometimes go south quickly if the participants are hungry or thirsty. Just be prepared with a little snack or drink. It can also serve as a break if they need one.

With these simple tips, your child will be more likely to have a positive and fun playdate experience. If things don't go so well, check out our tips for how to manage when a playdate goes wrong.

A couple of weeks later, you host a play date at your home. After a few shy minutes at the beginning, you see your son and this boy connect, laugh and play together. At the end of the playdate, now you hear the words you’ve been wanting to hear - “Mom, that was so much fun!! When can Bobby come over again?”  

Looking for ideas of what to do on playdates? Check out the Ultimate Playdate Guide!

60 fresh ideas on how to spend an unforgettable evening together

November 12, 2016 Relations

People are so accustomed to living online that even evenings with loved ones disappear into the virtual space, leaving no memory. Forget about the Internet for a few hours and get a lot of fun by arranging an unusual date.

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Romantics

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1. A classic of the genre. Light candles, prepare fragrant tea and talk about everything in the world. In the cycle of life, there is so little time left for spiritual conversations with a loved one.

2. Romantic astronomy. Gaze at the stars with a constellation chart or telescope. Dream up, creating your own original combinations of stars.

3. Theme dinner. Try to cook a French or Italian dish, and then eat a joint culinary masterpiece, washed down with a glass of good wine.

4. Evening for body and soul. Find a spa program for two. Aroma massage with essential oils, body wrap with honey, vanilla-scented sauna and delicious tea… What could be better?

5. Photo history. Arrange a creative home photo session. You will need a camera (or a smartphone with a good camera), a tripod, and a creative mood!

6. Back to the past. Review the wedding video and joint photos. These beautiful, bonding moments will remind you how much you love each other and how wonderful it is to be one family.

7. First date again. Imagine that you are two strangers who really liked each other and decided to go to a cafe together. Try not to leave the role for a while. You can rediscover each other.

8. Family portrait. Both pleasant and useful. Such a canvas can encourage the study of the genealogy and the compilation of a family history book for future generations.

9. Reincarnation. In each person lives a personality unknown and unexpected for us. Try to reincarnate into the personality that you always wanted to try on. Dressing up, changing your demeanor, and even creating a new biography will help you with this.

10. Renewal of the senses. Get a honeymoon suite at a hotel, dress up festively, hire an elite taxi and spend time like newlyweds. May there be only you, love and happiness in the whole world!

Game lovers

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1. Evening in the anti-cafe. A great way to change the situation, play enough, have fun and meet interesting people.

2. Game night. Fight on the game console for the title of the best gamer or form a strong team of two fighters. Passing exciting levels will color the evening with vivid emotions.

3. Board games. Start with the classic ones (chess, checkers, backgammon), and then move on to Monopoly, Tower, Battle of the Sexes and a hundred more funny, mystical, serious, logic games.

4. Dungeons and Dragons. This is an amazing fantasy tabletop RPG that you can get lost in for hours. You can search for D&D organizers in your city and simply join the team. Playing on your own will require reading the manual, having character sheets, and a set of dice with a given number of sides.

5. Play store. This is a paradise for gamers. Here you can not only try out a lot of new games that have just appeared on sale, but also replenish your home collection.

6. Puzzles and games on paper. Forgotten, but not lost their relevance "Tic-tac-toe on an endless field", "Labyrinth", "Sea battle", "Points", "Balda", "Football 8 × 12".

7. Intellectual battles. Discover, for example, the logic game of Go with deep strategic content, one of the five core disciplines of the World Mind Games.

8. Puzzles. Instead of classic puzzles with thousands of elements, you can try to assemble spherical or figured puzzles.

9. Entertainment games. Create in advance a selection of fun games suitable for fun. For example, the popular pantomime game "Crocodile" will charge you with a positive mood for the whole evening.

10. Passage of quests. Original stories, surroundings, interesting tasks, riddles, puzzles and the opportunity to be anyone. Choose any quest you like.

Active and restless

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1. Sports event. Go to any sporting event in your city and cheer for any selected team.

2. Step forward. Going in for sports together is inexpressible. Be sure to go for a trial workout in the gym, swim in the pool or try yourself in martial arts.

3. Shopping. As you know, you can walk more than one kilometer in a shopping center. Both useful and pleasant. At the same time, look for gifts for relatives and friends.

4. Dance lesson. Passionate bachata, classic waltz, fiery salsa, rumba, foxtrot or tango - communicate in body language and have fun.

5. Trying something new. A great option for a date is to attend a class together in a new type of physical activity for you, such as yoga or stretching.

6. Fitness for two. Evening jog, warming up on the machines, doing stretching exercises and preparing a light dinner together is the perfect plan for an active, healthy and enjoyable evening.

7. Forward with the wind. Go for a bike ride, go rollerblading or try your hand at a skateboard. On the way, you can fly a kite and admire the beautiful scenery. Open up new horizons of possibilities.

8. Dance simulator. If you absolutely do not want to leave the house, then you can plunge into the world of movements with animated dancers to popular music tracks. Move along with your partner, learning dance elements and earning points.

9. Alone with nature. Make an interesting urban walking route. Visit places where you have never been before.

10. Picnic. Arrange a camping trip with an overnight stay in a tent under the stars and long conversations by the fire. Let it take only one day, but it will remain in memory for many years.

Connoisseurs of peace and tranquility

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1. Rustling pages. Read your favorite books, wrapping yourself up in a cozy blanket and making hot berry tea.

2. At the peak of calm. Take a thermos, sandwiches, warm blankets and spend the evening on the roof of a high-rise building, watching life boil far below.

3. Library evening. Spend some time in the library with a cup of coffee. You may be able to get to an evening of poetry or a bard song.

4. Movie night. Find out in advance in which cafe the movie night will be held. This is a great opportunity to take a break from the hustle and bustle and travel through fictional worlds.

5. Trip out of town. Autumn forest, a secluded house with a fireplace and you two. You can walk, fish, take pictures, warm your legs by the fire and enjoy the slow pace of life.

6. Riding lesson. Communication with horses relaxes, relieves stress and brings real happiness. No wonder hippotherapy works wonders.

7. Swimming with dolphins. An evening with these fantastic creatures will give you a real childhood joy and an excellent photo session as a keepsake.

8. Bird feeding. Stock up on bird treats and head to the nearest park. And take a walk, and breathe the air, and make the birds pleasant.

9. Cultural program. An excellent solution for everyone who does not like fuss is to visit a performance, opera, ballet.

10. Live music. You can book a table in a jazz club or a blues club. An unforgettable evening is guaranteed.

Inquisitive

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1. Lead us, Susanin. Map the sights in your city or area. Find as much information as you can about them in advance and take a walking tour in the evening, telling each other about what you have learned.

2. Explore the microworld. Borrow a microscope from friends or acquaintances for the evening. You can make at least fifty discoveries at a time.

3. Be scientists. Doing chemistry experiments or creating your own watercolors at home will bring a lot of fun.

4. Handmade gifts. This could include making your own soap, custom candles, or a family recipe for one amazing dessert. And the resulting masterpiece can be presented to your loved ones.

5. Taste. Go to a cafe where you have never been and order a dish from Indian, Japanese, Korean or any other cuisine.

6. Industrial tourism. If you want to know how real chocolate is made, wine or Coca-Cola drinks are made, visit the corresponding enterprise with a tour. It will be really informative and interesting.

7. Tricks. Have an evening of wonders and try some unusual magic or math tricks. You can learn the secrets of magic the day before the joint evening.

8. Learning together. Finally start learning the foreign language you like. Together it is much more fun and productive.

9. Lectures. An excellent find for the curious will be visiting open popular science lectures, which are often held in higher educational institutions. This also includes chamber meetings with interesting creative people.

10. Origami. The art of origami is the folding of unusual paper figures. For example, on the eve of Halloween, you can try to fold a creepy hand with claws or a gravestone.

Extreme lovers

Wasabifashioncult.com

1. Making a tattoo. A romantic adventure filled with adrenaline. The tattoo will become your little, original secret.

2. Image change. Change the style, hairstyles and hair color in the beauty salon. Look at life in a new way.

3. Rock climbing. The first lesson on the climbing wall can turn into a common passion with subsequent trips to overcome real rocky terrain.

4. Ghostbusters. Stay overnight in a place steeped in macabre legends and mystical fame. Try to capture otherworldly inhabitants on camera and feel the true nature of fear.

5. Two warriors. Play paintball or laser tag - high-tech games that take place in real time and space. Modern weapons, well-equipped training grounds, scenarios of famous computer games and movies will help you unwind and feel like a team.

6. Jailoo tourism. This is a completely new type of tourism, which involves rest in complete isolation from civilization in places where mobile communications do not work and there is no electricity. A good opportunity to test your resourcefulness, endurance and patience.

7. Parkour. Parkour is urban acrobatics. Try to run through the city obstacles, flying over fences and steps, climbing walls and over rooftops. If you are not avid tracers, familiarize yourself with the style in advance and be extremely careful.

8. Animal overexposure. Borrow a cat or dog by contacting animal welfare groups. If your house does not have a permanent pet, then for you it will most likely become an extremely spent period, and the animal will be given the opportunity to feel love and care.

9. A ticket to anywhere. Buy tickets for the first train you come across and go to a new city for you. Stay there for at least a few hours, soak up new impressions and come back.

10. Go ahead. Spontaneously decide to participate together in a competition or competition that you have always feared. Get over yourself and get support from a loved one.

How do you spend your evenings together?

where to invite a guy on a date - HEROINE

Romance is good, but nothing strengthens the closeness between you and a man like the bright emotions that you experienced together. Therefore, we advise you to alternate traditional dates with adventures. Skydiving or car racing may not be for everyone, but there is an attraction that is exactly right for both of you. Together with project Another World will tell you what a game in virtual reality is and why everyone should experience such experiences.

Another World is a Russian project that develops virtual reality attractions. This is a team of professionals who created quests, cinemas, interactive spaces, and now they have teamed up to work on the largest and most modern VR site in Europe. The Another World games take place in a 400 square meter arena. Thanks to modern technologies, the developers managed to achieve maximum immersion of participants in virtual reality.

Story of the game

Colony: Code Red is like an interactive science fiction movie with horror elements.

Everything happens in the year 2508. Humans colonize space with varying degrees of success. You, the crew of the Vega colony ship, are heading to one of the distant exoplanets, the Planet Alekta. It has its own unique biosphere, the closest to the conditions of the Earth. An outpost station is already operating on Alekta, whose specialists must adapt the DNA of terrestrial organisms to the local ecosystem. You have to change the colonists who have been working at the station for many years.

The game is filled with story cutscenes and NPCs that make for a full-blown story. The action takes place in different styles: you will have to sneak through dark alleys, then run from the chase through a huge gorge. The planet Alekta will definitely not let you relax.

You can be not only foot colonists, but also try yourself as a pilot of a fast attack glider "Fury". Special mechanical simulators will allow you to realistically experience flight, speed and g-forces.

Learn more about the story of the game

How you will feel

The Another World team has put in a lot of effort so that participants can immerse themselves in another world as much as possible and forget about the boundaries between virtual reality and ordinary life.

Each player receives VR equipment that helps them control what is happening, keep in touch with other participants and create an immersive experience. The equipment does not hinder movement, so you will easily move around the huge arena.

The optical tracking system - the same used in Hollywood films - will transfer all your movements to the game space.

The VR playground is equipped with hundreds of pieces of the latest equipment: vibration platforms, heat and wind generators, weapons and aircraft simulators. Thanks to them, the mind is so immersed in the illusion that you instantly forget that you are in the game.

A whole team of designers worked on the picture of alien worlds, which is noticeable in the carefully drawn details. It's hard not to marvel at the stunning space scenery, even if you risk getting killed.

Particular attention is paid to the elaboration of the plot.


Learn more