Extra-Curricular

Kid- friendly activities to celebrate the day of love

Posted on February 11, 2020January 4, 2022 by amelioadmin

February 14th is just around the corner. And you know what that means– Valentine’s Day! This day celebrates love and affection in all its forms. So, why not get the kids involved? From heart-shaped cards to creative crafts check out these list of activities to keep your little ones entertained as we approach the day of love.

Heart-shaped cards are a staple when it comes to Valentine’s Day, but you can get your kids to up their card making game. Try this heart symmetry painting, cut a piece of chart paper into the shape of a heart, fold it in half and then open it. Have your child add splotches of different coloured paints on one side and fold the card again and press. Open to see a one-of-a-kind artwork that doubles as a card.

You know how kids love to collect rocks and pebbles, combine that with Valentine’s Day for this next activity. Have your little one go out and pick some smooth rocks, wash them clean, and allow them to dry. Apply glue on the rock in the shape of hearts, stars, etc. Have your child apply glitter or sequins in different colours where the glue is and shake of the excess to create a sparkly shape on the rock. You could also cut out fabric in the shape of hearts and have them stick it on the rock, this is a great way to upcycle old clothes and create something special.

Valentine’s Day calls for sweet treats. So why not bake something with your kids. Heart shaped cookies are a great idea. Your child can help you make the cookies and also decorate it with everything from colored sprinkles to pink and red icing. Another idea is to get heart shaped molds and make chocolates together, check out this easy recipe. Place the chocolates in little pouches and tie a ribbon around it to gift to loved ones.

Here comes the sun, why not make a Valentine’s Day inspired sun catcher with your child. All you need is a clear cellophane sheet, coloured cellophane, coloured chart paper and the craft must-haves glitter, sequins and glue. Cut out the outline of a heart on the chart paper and stick it on the clear sheet and remove the excess clear sheet to make a transparent heart. Cut out smaller hearts out of the coloured cellophane. Let your child stick the cutouts on the transparent heart and sprinkle glitter and sequins here and there. Place the finished product against the window and you have yourselves a sun catcher.

Check out these heart-shaped bookmarks. This is basic origami and you can use red or pink chart paper (maybe, even newspaper) and make a few. Gather some sketch pens, stickers, glue, sequins etc and have your little ones decorate the bookmarks. Finally, help them write little messages on it for their friends or loved ones.

Not only are all of the activities mentioned above fun and interactive for the entire family, your little one can hand out the final products to loved ones on Valentine’s Day to show them their love and appreciation.

Celebrating Independence Day!

Posted on August 16, 2019January 4, 2022 by amelioadmin

August 15th, Independence Day, is a landmark day for our country, and no one can contest that it’s important for our kids to understand the significance of the day. Yes, you could go about it by informing them about the history of the day, but is that enough?

Here are some fun classroom activities to help kids understand the relevance of the day and learn more about their country.

Show the kids images and photographs of the various freedom fighters. Let each child come dressed as a particular freedom fighter and have them say a short note about the person they are dressed as. The kids could discuss and learn more about these iconic Indians.
Watch a patriotic movie together (that is age-appropriate, obviously), and learn a little bit about our country’s history together. You could talk about the movie after and see what the kids felt and learned from the film.
We are a country that’s rich in culture. There are particular languages, dance forms, arts, textiles and foods that are special to each region. Why not have each child represent a state or region and have them come dressed in that area’s attire, and perform a dance or art form that is synonymous to that area? Are there well-known authors or poets who are from that state? Have the children read out excerpts by them.
Let the kids get creative making Indian flags – they could use bits of paper to make a collage flag or even create the flag using coloured grains. Why stop with flags, you could have the kids draw, design or craft the national animal, national bird, and even the national flower, using interesting materials.
Ask parents and people in the community to share more about their culture, the food they eat and the language they speak with the kids. Set up an Independence Day buffet or picnic. Have the kids bring in a food that the state or region their family is known for. This way the kids will get to taste and explore a range of flavours and learn more about each other.
Plan a cleanup drive or a plant-a-tree drive for Independence Day and teach your kids the concept of giving back to society. Let them learn the importance of keeping their country green and clean by planting trees and cleaning up their surroundings.

May we teach our children to value the freedom they have, appreciate the diversity of our country and learn from our history.

Ten Great Ways to Keep Your Kids Engaged This Summer

Posted on March 12, 2019January 4, 2022 by amelioadmin

The summer holidays are nearly here, and as the long summer days stretch ahead of you, it might seem like an impossible task to keep your kids entertained without turning to screens and devices. Luckily, we are here to help! Here are some simple and creative ideas to keep your children occupied and entertained.

Do it yourself

Why not get your kids to make their own playdough, or slime? There are tons of easy recipes online like this and this, which you can follow to help your kids make some colourful playdough and stretchy slime. And once they are done, you’ll get some peace as they sculpt and craft.

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Gather the kids together, give them a checklist of things to find outdoors and unleash them in your garden or the nearest park. A dried leaf, a spider, a chirping bird, a pink flower– have them tick off what they spot. They are guaranteed to have fun and learn with this activity.

Explore your city

Play tourist in your own city this summer. Take the children to a famous landmark in your locality, a well-known park or a walking tour of a historical site or building. Both your kids and you will learn something new about the city you live in.

Kiddie Olympics

Set up some outdoor activities for the kids and their friends. You can organize a lime-and-spoon race, a mini obstacle course, a crab race, hula hoop competition. The options are endless when it comes to outdoor games. This is a great way to get children moving and get some fresh air!

Learn more!

Children are obsessed with everything from planets to dinosaurs. Borrow some books on the subjects that interest them from the local library, and then take them to the planetarium or museum to learn more. They will have a magical time and you will ignite a love for learning in them.

Cooking 101

Introduce your kids to the joys of cooking with simple recipes. You could have them help pound the roti dough and cut out some fun shaped rotis. If it’s a rainy afternoon, bake something together. Get the children involved in the kitchen by having them wash fruits and vegetables, mix together a salad or spoon out ingredients. It’s never too early to learn the basics.

Creative Clothes

Buy some white cloth and give your kids some fabric paint and let them get creative. You can turn the decorated cloth into clothes for their dolls and in the process, teach your children about the basics of sewing. Another cool idea is to use cloth to do a tie-and-dye project with the kids. There are some excellent tutorials online that can guide you through the process.

Children’s theatre

Have the kids and their friends get together and put up a play. They can be in-charge of the story, acting and directing. Have them use things around the house for props and costumes. Once they are ready, they can perform their play for friends and family. It will be a lovely evening at the theatre for all!

Build a quiet corner

Have your kids put together an indoor tent or fort. Give them cushions and sheets to build it. Let it be their Zen zone. It can be the space where they pretend play, colour, work on puzzles and read. The children will be occupied and you will get some quiet time as well.

Last but not least…

Summer Camp

By sending your kids to summer camps, not only will they be engaged, they will also socialize with their peers and learn new skills. At Amelio’s summer camps, your children will be exposed to a range of activities and subjects—everything from robotics and photography to art and nature—taught by experts. Learn more about our facilities and resources and give your kids a summer to remember!

Five Reasons Why Theatre is Good for your Child

Posted on March 8, 2017January 4, 2022 by amelioadmin

Theatre has surprising long term benefits for kids

Schools will close soon, and the season is upon us, parents, to figure out the right ways to occupy and entertain our children. Today there are a dizzying array of choices for summer camps – some entertaining, some fun, and some that teach the child a thing or two. Most parents would like their child to learn something that complements their academics. So they veer towards science, maths and chess. But have you considered theatre? Do I see a look of bemusement? Why, you ask, would theatre teach my child anything except to act on stage. And act she does anyway!

There are surprising and long term benefits to an early exposure and interest in theatre. Here are some proven benefits to indulging your child’s theatrical interests at an early age.

Language and Communication

Theatre is story telling in its most compelling form. And story telling enhances communication and language abilities. Children with an exposure to theatre and performing arts and proven to communicate better and more effectively.

Problem Solving

Experts in early education agree that the fundamental skill that children should learn in their early years is problem solving. Children must develop skills that will help them navigate issues in their own social contexts – such as being away from a parent, being in a new environment, playing together with friends etc.

Theatre gives children a safe space in which to hypothetically navigate their many social issues and therefore learn how to solve their own problems.

The result is better cognitive abilities and a much higher level of self confidence!

Social Skills

Children learn empathy through stories. As a story unfolds, children, in a safe way, and without consequences, understand human emotions, social skills and thereby form the beginnings of learning empathy. Empathy is a tough skill to learn. One learns empathy by being in real situations, but sometimes those learnings can be hard. Theatre is a safe and easy way to explore human emotions, social conduct and therefore understand empathy.

Team Work

Theatre is not an individualized art. Theatre requires the collaboration and coming together of many people and many view points. When children learn theatre skills at a young age, they learn to listen, to follow and to cooperate. In today’s increasingly isolated world, these are essential skills for children to learn and internalize.

Self Awareness

Theatre allows children to explore several skills through one integrated experience. In a theatre project or production, children are exposed to script writing, character sketching, sets, dialogues, acting, coordination and operations. Such a varied set of experiences essentially requires children to jump out of their comfort zone and explore areas of interest they may have otherwise shied away from. And through this process, children subliminally understand themselves and their abilities better. And where they earlier feared such experiences, they now face their fears without repercussions. What a way to become self aware!

Amelio has collaborated with Evam to create a special theatre workshop for children between 5-8 years of age. The workshop will introduce children to various aspects of stagecraft and performance. Needless to say, tons of fun and frolic along the way. The workshop is between 21^st March and 30^th March 2017 from 10am to 1pm.

Call 92822 00444 to register.

Amelio Shares-a-book at The Hindu Lit for Life 2017

Posted on December 20, 2016January 4, 2022 by amelioadmin

Amelio is a proud partner of The Hindu Lit for Life Children’s Festival 2017. On 15^th January, Amelio will create and host a “Free Book Exchange corner” where kids can drop a book and pick up a book. All free!

Amelio hopes to encourage children to get into the habit of sharing and caring for books through this initiatives. Books at the Book Exchange corner will be categorized into Book Lovers (Upto 2 years), Beginners (2-3 years), Early Readers (3-6 years) and Reading Champs (6+ years).

So bring a book and take a book at The Hindu Children’s Lit Fest 2017.

Call 90030 88331 for more information!

Amelio is proud to partner with The Hindu Lit for Life

Posted on December 20, 2016January 4, 2022 by amelioadmin

Amelio is proud to partner with The Hindu Lit for Life Children’s Festival 2017

Amelio is a proud partner of The Hindu Lit for Life Children’s Festival 2017. On 15^th January, Amelio will bring to life Julia Donaldson’s classics for children through music. Children will love exploring books through rhythm and song. They will also have the opportunity to create their own scores and enjoy books through an additional medium.

Amelio collaborates with renowned theatre personality Freddy Koikaran to create this workshop. Freddy is founder of Stagefright productions, which produces high quality theater. He is also a radio jockey.

Don’t miss this fun, action-packed and buzzing event!

Timing: 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm on 15^th January 2017

Venue: Lady Andal Auditorium, Harrington Road, Chennai

Fees: Rs. 1000

Participant Limit: 25

or call us at: 90030 88331