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Nurturing Gifts and Talents

All parents want the best for their children and parents of gifted children are no different. Parents of gifted children sometimes feel a heightened sense of responsibility to help their children make the most of their abilities. As the parent of a gifted child, what can you do to do nurture your child's abilities?
Inexpensive Fun for Gifted Children
When we are on a tight budget, it can be hard to find interesting and challenging activities for our gifted children. However, with a little thought and sometimes just a little planning, we can find plenty of activities. Here are just a few suggestions.
How To Throw a Halloween Party for Gifted Kids
Why not forgo trick-or-treating in favor of a party for Halloween? You can organize a party tailor-made for gifted kids with a minimum of effort. Kids can explore some scientific principles with fun and sometimes "ghoulish" projects and can even have fun with special costumes.
How Do I Nurture My Gifted Child?
Finding out your child is gifted inevitably leads to the question of what to do about it. Some parents worry that they will do the wrong things or that they aren't smart, talented, or educated enough to provide what their child needs. However, all it really takes is a little understanding and creativity.
Nurturing Giftedness in Young Children
A common problem parents of young gifted children face is trying to convince educators that their child needs more challenging work. Educators often believe that these kids are too emotionally immature to be advanced when the kids are simply displaying typical uneven development.
Dealing with Never-Ending Questions
Why? Why? Why? Why? Trying to answer the never-ending questions a gifted child asks can be exhausting and frustrating. Fortunately, there are some strategies that can help.
Keeping Gifted Toddlers and Preschoolers Stimulated at Home
Parents of gifted toddlers and preschoolers worry that their children may be bored and wonder what they should do about it. The fact is that gifted toddlers are usually very easy to keep challenged, stimulated, and always learning.
Gardening with Gifted Children
The summer months offer numerous opportunities for gifted children to explore the natural world. One way to explore nature is by growing a garden.
Summer Activities for Gifted Children
How do you keep a gifted child stimulated and entertained during the summer months? It's not as difficult as parents sometimes think it is. All it takes is a little time and creative thinking. Here are five activities to get you started.
Fun Egg Hunt for Readers
Some gifted children have already begun to read by the time they are two years old. What can parents do to foster and encourage this ability? Try this reading alternative to the traditional Easter Egg hunt.
Ways to Encourage Reading
Some gifted children have already begun to read by the time they are two years old. What can parents do to foster and encourage this ability? Here are some easy and inexpensive activities to have fun with an early reader. They can be used with older children as well.
Summer Programs for Gifted Children
Summer programs are not only fun for gifted children, they can also provide the challenge these kids need; they can nurture the children's interests or introduce them to new ones; and they can give the kids a much needed opportunity to spend time with other gifted children. But how can you find those programs and how do you know which programs are good for your child?
Space Camp - An Ideal Program for Gifted Children Who Love Outer Space
The universe is a fascinating topic for many gifted children. These children learning about our solar system as well as the Milky Way and other galaxies. They may be intrigued by the constellations and love to gaze at the stars. Space Camp is an ideal place for children who love outer space and children as young as seven can attend.
When Does Nurturing a Gifted Child Become Pushing?
Parents are rightfully proud of their child's abilities and talents. They are also right to provide opportunities that will nurture those abilities and talents. But when does nurturing become pushing?
Nurturing or Pushing Gifted Children -- How to Know the Difference
Parents of gifted children often feel an almost overwhelming sense of responsibility after learning their child is gifted. They want to be sure they are doing everything they should be doing to nurture and support their children, yet they worry that they might be pushing their children.
Encourage a Gifted Child's Artistic Expression Through Gift Wrapping
Why spend money on expensive wrapping paper for gifts when your gifted children can create their own? All you need are some plain paper and some crayons, paint, or colored pencils, and any other art supplies you'd like. Whether your gifted child is artistic or not, this is a great way to encourage a child's artistic expression.
Creative Ways to Foster Creativity
Academically gifted children, those whose exceptional abilities are in school subjects like language and math, are generally the focus of gifted programming in schools. What about creatively gifted children? What can be done to foster the creativity of these children?
Ways to Nurture Gifted Children
“Is my child gifted?” That is the question asked most often by parents of gifted children. After that question, the most frequently asked question is “How do I nurture my gifted child?” Here are five simple answers to that question.
Make the Most of Visits to the Library
Parents of gifted children are always looking for ways to nurture their children's abilities and feed their need for intellectual challenge and stimulation. One free resource is frequently overlooked -- the local library. Here's how to make the most of visits to the library.
Throw a Science Party
Does your child love science? Why not throw a science birthday party? It satisfies gifted children's love of learning as well their desire to have fun at a party!
Driving Vacations
Most families plan their vacation by deciding on a destination and then making a travel plan to get there, getting plane tickets, for example. Sometimes the best vacation is one in which getting to the destination is half the fun!
Renew Your Child's Interest in Those Old and Easy Jigsaw Puzzles
Gifted children love jigsaw puzzles. They also love a challenge, so when the puzzles become too easy, the children lose interest. Don't throw those old puzzles away, though! Renew your children's interest in those old puzzles with these tricks.
Suggestions To Turn On Bright Children at Home
The Queensland Association for Gifted and Talented Children has some wonderful ideas for activities to do at home that will challenge and entertain gifted children.
Nurturing Appreciation of Reading
Many gifted children are early readers and love reading. This article provides some suggestions to keep that love alive. However, the activities are just as useful for the non-readers to encourage a love of reading.

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