It might sound silly . . . but self-hugs have very real benefits!

Hugging increases levels of the “love hormone” oxytocin, which positively affect your health.

A 20-second hug reduces the harmful physical effects of stress, including its impact on your blood pressure and heart rate.

A 10-second hug a day may fight infections, boost your immune system, ease depression, and lessen fatigue.

Wrapping your arms around yourself sends a strong message to your body and your brain: I’ve got you, I love you, and you are okay.

Hugging yourself is a quick and free act of self-care.

First and foremost, staying home equals staying safe. But fresh air, sunshine, and activity can make a world of difference during this time of “physical” isolation—for your mental and physical health.

There are things, however, that you MUST think about during this precautionary period—for your safety and the safety of others. Below find tips from Lauren Sauer, director of critical event preparedness and response at Johns Hopkins Medicine. See original article.

1. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms at all, stay home.
2. Walk in the least-populated places possible. Instead of walking in areas where groups of people tend to congregate (e.g., parks, beaches), walk in your own neighborhood or on trails. If a trail is too busy, skip it!
3. “Look ahead” and pace yourself, so you can work out how to keep a 6-foot distance between yourselves and others.
4. On narrow walkways, step off the path (keeping that 6 feet) and allow the other person to pass before continuing on.
5. If walking your dog, do NOT let your dog interact with another dog.

One fish, two fish, Starfish, YOU-fish!

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday and National Reading Day, we’re hosting the 1st ever Seuss-tastic basket giveaway. Why? Reading is truly FUN-damental—especially reading aloud to babies and young children.

• They learn to love sounds, words, and language.
• It stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world.
• It helps a child’s brain, social skills, and communication skills develop.

Contest timing: 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 2 (Dr. Seuss’s birthday) through Tuesday, March 3, at 5:00 p.m.

• Winner announced: Morning of Wednesday, March 4
• Chosen through: Random drawing from all our fabulous Facebook friends who “read” and followed the rules

What you might win: A Seuss-tastic gift basket filled with oodles of Seuss-themed items. Books, bookmarks, activity sheets, hoodie, jersey, socks, leggings, bookmarks . . . oh, my! Value = $150

How you can win (super simple rules): It’s all about caring and sharing! Simply do all 3 of the below.

• Like the Starfish Facebook “poll” post
• Share the Starfish Facebook “poll” post
• Answer the easy-peasy “poll question”: What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Our Starfish Early Education educators come up with the most innovative projects that you can easily tackle from home with your own children. This week’s “craft-ivity” is creating tie-dye art using . . . coffee filters.

Materials (all found at your local “dollar store” or in your own home):

• Basic white coffee filters
• Bingo stampers in multiple colors
• Newspaper or paper/fabric layers to protect your table

Instructions:

Take a coffee filter and fold it in half.

Fold your coffee filter in quarters.

Daub your favorite colors using your Bingo stamper

Unfold and reveal! The ink dries fairly fast.

Check out these masterpieces made by Starfish kiddos!

It’s important to stay active even during the dreary Michigan winter months. When it’s too chilly to go outside on the playground, our teachers come up with super fun activities for our kiddos to do indoors. We’ve captured some super “chill” ideas for you to do at home.

1. Make paper snowflakes to bring the outdoors inside. And hang them in unexpected places.
2. Play board games! Yup, they still exist and it gives you a chance to introduce your kids to your favorites when you were little.
3. Build a nifty “snow fort” indoors with blankets and pillows and empty boxes. Or maybe even a rocket ship out of a large cardboard box, using recyclable materials around the house for controls (e.g., bottle caps or empty toilet paper rolls)
4. Make a pine-cone bird feeder with peanut butter and birdseed. Hang it outside your window.
5. Guess how much snow is on the ground. Then grab a ruler and see who came the closest.
6. Draw and color a winter-scene mural and hang it inside. Snap a photo and send to friends.
7. Use leftover wrapping paper to draw and cut out life-size pictures of your family.
8. Safe sumo wrestling! Clear out a space in the living room and line the corners with pillows. Let your children borrow an old T-shirt of yours, stuff it with pillows in the front and back, and let them wrestle away.
9. Marshmallow architects! Use dry spaghetti and marshmallows and let the creativity flow. Experiment with the strength of different shapes and configurations or use this opportunity to introduce geometry to your little ones.
10. A reading nook is perfect for cozy family time. Check out a giant bag of books from your local library and when you return home, build a reading nook with pillows, blankets, and favorite stuffed animals. Then snuggle down for a reading marathon.